July 2, 1890.] 



Garden and Forest. 



323 



The Carob-tree (Ceratonia Siliqua). — See page 31S. 



Notes on American Plants. 



T'HE Malvacece or Mallow Family constitute an interesting 

 -*■ class of plants, represented in North America by nearly 

 one hundred and fifty species and varieties composed of herbs 

 and shrubs. Many of these are already in cultivation, but 

 there are still others that are destined to hold good positions 

 among our garden flora. One of these, which we believe is 

 not yet generally known, at least to American growers, is the 

 Maple Leaved Sphreralcea — Sphceralcea acerifolia. It is found 

 in the basin of the Columbia River and its tributaries, also in 

 portions of Nevada and Utah, at from 6,000 to 8,000 feet in 

 altitude. Its usual height is about four feet, yet in favorable 

 situations it is sometimes six feet high. It is a herbaceous per- 



ennial. The numerous stout stems terminate in clustered 

 racemes, almost a foot in length, of pale purple flowers which 

 are from half an inch to an inch and a half wide, and very pretty. 

 Below these racemes are numerous large, cordate, five or more 

 lobed leaves, shaped like those of the Maple, from which the plant 

 takes its name. Its time of flowering is from June until Septem- 

 ber. It is hardy, easy of culture and should be grown in the sun. 

 Baptisia leu'cantha, one of the False Indigos and a member 

 of the Pulse Family, grows from two to three feet high, hear- 

 ing an erect, long, loose raceme of white flowers. It is a taller 

 plant with less divergent branches than B. leucophcea men- 

 tioned in a previous paper. The foliage is not abundant. It is 

 found in alluvial soil from Ohio to Wisconsin and southward. 

 It needs a light soil and full sunshine. 



