3 3 2 Solanacea Petun ia. 



straggling herb with viscid pilose shortly petiolate leaves and 

 violet, lilac, white or striped flowers with a short tube. 



2. P.nyctaginiftora (fig. 182). A stouter more erect-growing 

 plant, in the wild form with white or yellow flowers remark- 

 able for the long narrow tube of the corolla. The cut does 

 not show this character, and was probably taken from one of 

 the hybrid forms. 



These two species cross with the greatest facility, and thus 

 new varieties are constantly being raised. There are double and 

 single, from deep violet and crimson to pure white, with many 

 curious parti-coloured and variegated varieties. There are also 

 some handsome varieties reticulated with dark purple on a rosy 

 or carmine ground. Both species are perennial, but they will 

 succeed well if treated as annuals. 



P. phoenicea and P. intermedia are almost forgotten now ; 

 the former is a strong-growing species with purple flowers 

 about an inch in diameter, and the latter a small compact 

 plant with smaller yellow and purple flowers. 



10. KIEBEMB^RGIA. 



Herbs or small shrubs with simple alternate leaves and 

 solitary pedunculate flowers opposite the leaves. Calyx 5-lobed, 

 persistent, and enclosing the fruit. Corolla funnel-shaped; 

 tube often long and slender ; limb 5-lobed, patent. Stamens 

 5, somewhat unequal, and more or less exserted. Fruit capsu- 

 lar, 2-celled. A small genus confined to South America, named 

 in honour of Nieremberg, a Spanish Jesuit and naturalist. 

 None of the species are absolutely hardy. 



1. N. grdcilis. This is the beautiful slender trailing species 

 in general cultivation at the present time. It has linear some- 

 what glaucous slightly pubescent leaves and very numerous 

 pedunculate extra-axillary or terminal lilac and white flowers. 

 It succeeds best in a light soil fully exposed to the sun. 



N. filicaulis, syn. N. frutescens of gardens, is a closely allied 

 species of erect habit with less numerous though rather larger 

 flowers and quite glabrous foliage. N. rivularis is - a very 

 distinct nearly hardy species of creeping tufted habit with 

 broadly oblong obtuse long-stalked leaves and large white or 

 pink flowers remarkable for the length of the slender tube. 



