46 FAMILIAR GARDEN FLOWERS. 
in the sunny months when gaiety is needed, will only 
obtain in the end the pitying smile that is bestowed 
on the well-meaning fanatic. The Rudbeckias illustrate 
this case. They are hardy herbaceous, handsome weedy 
things, that would be of priceless value were we possessed 
of only a few dozen sorts of garden flowers. But as we 
can command thousands we can afford to be dainty, and 
so it happens that two or three species of Rudbeckia are 
enough for any ordinary garden: the rest may be left over 
for those omnivorous ones who swallow everything that 
can be described as “ herbaceous” and “ hardy.” 
The genus to which our plant belongs takes its 
name from O. Rudbeck, a Swedish botanist. It is wholly 
American. It is noted in the “ Hortus Kewensis” of Aiton 
that R. daciniatu was grown by John Tradescant before 
1640, and R. triloba ly Jacob Bobart before 1699. These 
appear to have been the earliest introduced. &. Airtu, the 
subject of the coloured plate, was grown in this country 
in 1714, and is pretty widely distributed, although the 
members of this genus have never ranked high as border 
flowers. They are, however, useful, being at home in any 
soil or situation, though preferring, if they can get it, 
a dry sandy loam and a sunny situation. They are all 
perennial plants, and may be propagated by division and 
seed. Being rough and gay and conspicuous at a distance, 
they are admirably adapted for the front line of the shrub- 
bery, and if they do not delight the florists, they will 
gratify the artists, who always lean considerately towards 
single composite flowers, if there be some degree of dash 
in them, as there certainly is in the yellow and orange 
flowers of the Rudbeckias. : 
Rudbeckiu Californica grows to the height of five feet, 
