PloricuUural and Botanical Notices. 309 



Art. VII. FloricuUural and Botanical Notices of New and 

 Beautiful Plants, figured in Foreign Periodicals ; with 

 descriptions of those introduced to, or originated in, Amer- 

 ican Collections. 



New Achimenes. — Few plants contribute more to the dec- 

 oration of the greenhouse all summer than the achimenes. 

 Readily cultivated, and easily increased, they should be 

 abundant in every good collection. The older varieties, A. 

 picta, longiflora, grandifiora, &c. are all beautiful, especially 

 picta, but some of the new ones are great improvements upon 

 them, particularly in the habit of the plants. Since the pro- 

 duction of seedlings a large number of sorts have been pro- 

 duced, and as they readily seed, are impregnated with facil- 

 ity, and bloom early, the attention of our amateurs should be 

 directed to the growth of new varieties. We have now a 

 number of newly imported sorts, and have been highly grati- 

 fied in witnessing their flowers. The following are those 

 we have already seen : — 



A. Boothii. Habit upright, vigorous, with reddish leaves, 

 and large, dark bluish purple flowers. 



A. Boothii violacea. Like Booth^^, but with deeper col- 

 ored flowers. 



A. MargarettecB. Snow white ; flowers of good size, 

 larger than longiflora alba. Habit fine, and foliage light 

 green. 



A. Basckma?iii. Somewhat like Boothi/, but with flowers 

 of a varied shade. 



A. Boeckmanii caralea. Similar to the last, but with very 

 deep blue purple flowers. 



A. patens major. In habit like patens, but with very rich 

 crimson purple blossoms. 



A. Tugwelliana, tyrinthiana, and several others, have not 

 yet flowered ; as soon as they do we shall notice them. 



The achimenes are getting to be among the most popular 

 plants at the London exhibitions. They are grown in 10 or 

 12 inch pots, rather shallow, three or more plants in a pot, 



