526 GAEDEN PLANTS. PART II. 



VERBENACE^E. 



Aloysia. 



A. citriodora. LEMON-SCENTED VERBENA. Well known for 

 the fine fragrance of its leaves : a very common plant in the 

 gardens about Calcutta ; bears, principally at the beginning and 

 end of the Cold season, long, pretty, graceful spikes of very 

 small milk-white, fragrant flowers. At Ootacamund it grows to 

 become an immense shrub, six or eight feet high, with stem 

 thicker than a man's arm, and remains constantly covered with 

 a profusion of blossoms ; plants, however, on the plains soon 

 become decrepit and unsightly, and are rarely found more than 

 two feet high before they die off. It is best, therefore, to renew 

 plants by laying down slips or cuttings in the Cold weather. 

 These should be put in a flower- pot filled with silver-sand, and 

 kept in a shady place till they strike, which they do very readily. 

 The young plants should then be potted singly, and by the 

 Rains they will become large and handsome. 



Verbena. 



Many of the species, hybrids, and varieties of this beautiful 

 genus may be met with from time to time in the Calcutta 

 gardens, but no dependence can be put upon their being found 

 there permanently, as they are very apt, under any treatment 

 whatever, to die off towards the end of the Eains. The losses, 

 however, may be repaired by repeated sowings. If a packet of 

 choice seeds be procured from England and sown in October, 

 a good supply of plants of several varieties may be raised, which 

 will come into blossom in March ; and little difficulty will be 

 found in keeping these till the following Cold season, during 

 which they will blossom beautifully. Some two or three of the 

 commoner kinds it may perhaps be found not necessary to mul- 

 tiply in this way, as they are of a robust nature, and young 

 plants propagated from layers will survive the Hot and Eain 

 seasons. From their trailing habit when put out in the border, 

 Verbenas have usually an untidy appearance. Small circular or 

 oval beds, each filled with a distinct variety, have a most charm- 

 ing and glowing effect during the very long time the plants last 

 in the full height of their bloom. 



