COLLINSIAS 435 



right kind of soil for successful growing. Fentdemons may be raised 

 from seed, sown in a light soil early in March and genninated in gentle 

 lieat ; the seedlings being pricked into boxes or singly into pots, and 

 grown on in warmth until their roots have taken good hold of the soil. 

 Then they should be turned into cold frames and gradually inured to 

 the outside temperature preparatory to being planted in the open bordei- 

 late in May. Or the seed may be sown outside in June; the young 

 plants being wintered in frames. Cuttings may be taken from many 

 species, and must be taken when special varieties are to be propagated. 

 They may be struck at any time, but August and September will be 

 found the best period. They should be kept close under a hand-light or 

 in a cold frame. The roots also may be divided. 

 Description of Pentstemon gentianoides. Fig. 1 is a section of tlie 



COLLINSIAS 



Natural Order Scrophularine^. Genus Collinsia 



COLLINSIA (named in honour of Zaccheus Collins, a well-known botanist 

 of Philadelphia, U.S.A.). A genus of about a dozen species of branching 

 hardy annual herbs with opposite leaves and showy flowers. The calyx 

 is deeply five-cleft, the corolla irregularly two-lipped, the upper lip two- 

 cleft and the lower three-cleft, the middle of the three lobes forming a 

 cavity in which the stamens and style are enclosed. The corolla-tube 

 bulges at the base on the upper side. The seed-capsule is globular and 

 two-celled. The species are all natives of North America, mostly of 

 California. 



History. Coll ins las are all of recent introduction, and there is 



consequently little of interest to chronicle concerning them. 

 ('. (jraiidifior,!, C. parrljjora, and G. vermi were introduced in 1826, and 

 these were the first known in Britisli gardens. In 1833 can)e C. hicolor, 

 and three years later G. sparsifiora. G. tinctoria dates from 1848, 

 C. corymhosa from 1808 ; G. violacea is a plant of 1871. 

 PrincipalSpecies. CoLLlNSIA I5ICOLOR (two-coloured). Stem brandling, 



erect, downy, 1 to 2 feet high. Leaves LincL-sliapeil. 

 smooth, strongly nerved. Flowers large, upper lip pale lilac or wiiite, 

 lower rosy purple ; August. Plate 210. 



C. GRANDIFLORA (large-flowered). Stem 1 foot high. Loaves 

 narrow-oblong, lower ones spoon-shaped. Flowers pale purple, upper 

 lip blue ; May to July. 



