310 



THE AMEEICAN 



§0tHnkaI ^ti^Rximmt 



Dr. GEORGE VASEY, Editor, Riohview, Ills 



FOXGLOVE PENTSTEMOX. 



[Peidsifniion Digitalis, Nutt.) 



The genus Pentstemon is, iu North America, 

 an extensive one, comprising, according to Dr. 

 Gray's Synopsis of this genus (Proc. Am. Acad. 

 Arts and Sciences, Phila., 1862), over sixty 

 species; vastly the larger portion of which arc 

 inhabitants of the country west of the Missis- 

 sippi river. 



One species only (Pentstemon puhescens) ex- 

 tends overall the region east of the Mississippi ; 

 one species {Pentstemon dissectus. Ell.) charac- 

 terized by pinnately-parted leaves, occurs only 

 in (he Southern States from Georgia to Florida ; 

 one species {Pentstemon (jrandiflorus, Nutt.), 

 though most abundant west of the Mississippi, 

 reaches over sparingly into Wisconsin and 

 Illinois ; and one other species (P. Digitalis, 

 Nutt.) the subject of our present sketch, ex- 

 tends from Illinois to Arliansas, Louisiana and 

 Georgia. The remaining species are variously 

 distributed through California, New Mexico 

 and the Rocky Mountain region. 



[Fig. 1<J4.] 



Fo.\k1ijvc- Pcnlslcnu.n {Pcnislcmi ii D iilah Null ) 



This is one of our handvome^t ii.itnp orna- 

 mental plants, growing, in huoidblc lotalitie'', 



three to four feet high. The stem is smooth, 

 unbranched below, with four or five pairs of 

 large leaves at intervals of five or six inches, the 

 upper half forming a panicle of flowers, by the 

 development of a pair of branches from each of 

 the upper pairs of leaves, the leaves becoming 

 smaller and the spaces shorter to the top. The 

 flower stalks, or branches, are a little longer 

 than the leaves, terminated by the clusters of 

 flowers. 



The engraving i-epresents their form and ap- 

 pearance, a little less than the natural size. The 

 plant belongs to the Natural Oi'der Scrophulari- 

 acece, to which also belongs the European Fox- 

 glove (Digitalis), from a resemblance to which 

 our plant has received its specific name. The 

 flowers are a little less than an inch long, while, 

 with a few faint lines of light purple. The leaves 

 are ovate-lanceolate, finely toothed, from three 

 to six inches long, and clasping the stem. The 

 plant is perennial and showy, and would make 

 a good appearance in the garden. 



A NEW AND PECDLIAU FORM OF IIEUOIIERA. 



We promised, in the July number, to give, 

 this month, an account of a peculiar species or 

 form of Alum-root (Heucfiera) from Southern 

 Illinois. We sent a specimen of this plant to 

 Dr. Gray, who considers it a form or variety of 

 Heuchera villosu, Michx. He says that Buck- 

 ley years ago gave it a name, and that it was 

 also distributed years ago in Rugel's sets of 

 plants, and distinguished and named by Shut- 

 tleworth as Heuchera liugellii. The specimens 

 as they came to us present very great dilTerences 

 fiom //. villosa. We hope it may be attentively 

 watched by botanists in whose region it may 

 be likely to occur— for instance in Kentucky 

 and Tennessee. We give below a description 

 of its prominent characters: 



Heuchera villosa, Michx. (?) variety; //. Ru- 

 in Ihi, Shuttleworth. — Scapes slender,'somewhat 

 dcL lining, 6 to 10 inches long, about equaling 

 the leaves; raceme loose, oblong, 3 to ^ inches 

 long of 6 to 8 branches; peduncles almost fili- 

 loiin, each with 3 to 6 small flowers; upper 

 biacts very small, laciniate; petals oblong- 

 spatulate, "tapering into a long claw; calyx 

 somewhat turbinate; sepals obtuse; stamens 

 about equaling the petals; beaks of the pods 

 lecurved at maturity; leaves reniform, about 3 

 inc lies long by -i wide, with about 5 principal 

 louiided lobes, teeth coarse, rounded, with an 

 abiupt point; petioles villous, with glandular 

 \vlnti8h hairs; leaf thin, ronghish, with scat- 

 teicd hairs. Shaded Clitts, Makanda, 111., July. 

 —S. A. Forbes. 



