THE VERBENA FAMILY. 561 



proved by cross-fertilisation, as well as by selecting seed from 

 fine varieties ; and some of the finest varieties have been raised 

 by Mr Eckford of Coleshill and Mr Perry of Castle Bromwich. 

 If cross-fertilisation is resorted to, the plants should be grown 

 in pots in an airy greenhouse or cool frame, fully exposed to 

 the sun : fine varieties, however, are raised simply by saving 

 seed from a few carefully-selected varieties. The seeds are 

 best sown in February, in pots or pans of light, rich, sandy 

 earth, and, being small, they require only a slight covering of 

 soil. They germinate in about a week or ten days, and are fit 

 for pricking off into pans in a fortnight or three weeks later. 

 A gentle bottom-heat of 60 to 70 suits both cuttings and seeds. 



V. melindra is a dwarf-growing plant, which was much grown 

 twenty-five years ago. Its procumbent growth roots at every 

 joint, and the bright green foliage forms a dense carpet, above 

 which rise little trusses of brilliant scarlet flowers. This kind 

 is still in cultivation, and ought to be invaluable to the hybrid- 

 iser in improving the habits of more modern and larger-flow- 

 ered varieties for bedding purposes. V. incisa, a red-flowered 

 species, with inciso-dentate foliage, was introduced from Pan- 

 ama in 1836, and V. teucroides from Monte Video the year 

 following. This last is sweet-scented, used formerly to be 

 much grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, and, together 

 with V. melindra and V. incisa, seems to have originated the 

 bedding varieties now so popular, and of which that known as 

 " Purple King " is one of the best. Mr Rumsey of Waltham 

 Cross raised a very beautiful large-flowered variety, named and 

 sent out as V. odoratissima in 1876. This had large trusses of 

 bright rosy-lilac flowers, each nearly an inch across, with a con- 

 spicuous white eye, and is very distinctly and agreeably per- 

 fumed. Verbena Monetii is a pretty little plant, from which 

 have originated most of the dwarf-growing, striped, and bor- 

 dered varieties, either by seminal variation, or its having been 

 hybridised with the irregularly-striped forms of the V. teucroides, 

 or large-flowered group, of which V. striata perfecta may serve 

 as a type. Some very pretty varieties of V. Monetiivtere raised 

 in 1860 by M. Laloy, a horticulturist of Souhans. This plant 

 might be used for cross-breeding purposes with the common 

 forms, and some very nice fancy flowers thus obtained for pot- 

 culture or for baskets but for bedding purposes self-coloured 

 forms are best. About ten years ago Mr Wills and others at- 

 tempted to cross V. venosa with the hybrid forms of V. teu- 

 croides and V. melindra, but, I believe, without success. 



Verbena montana. A perennial and perfectly hardy and 

 free-blooming pale rosy-flowered species from the Rocky Moun- 



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