DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FLOWERS. 169 
COLLOMIA. 
Collémia coccinea.—A very lively flower, growing in 
heads of bright carmine-red; a desirable dwarf annual, 
flowering early in June and July. The seeds have, like 
some of the Salvias, the curious property of becoming in- 
vested with mucus when moistened with water. 
COMMELYNA. 
[So named by Plumier, in honor of the brothers John and Gasper Commelin, 
Botanists and Dutch Merchants.] 
Commelyna celéstis,—Sky-blue Commelyna.— Tender 
annual from Mexico, or perennial if the roots are taken up 
and housed, The splendid blue flowers of this plant can- 
not be excelled, and its profusion of blossoms renders it 
deserving of cultivation in every flower-garden. The 
plant blooms from the middle of June to October. The 
roots are tuberous, and keep well through winter, if taken 
up after the blooming season, and preserved like Dahlia 
roots. Plants from the old roots grow, in good soil, from 
two to three feet high; those from seeds reach only from 
one to two feet. The following is the mode of manage- 
ment I have practised ;—I fix upon a circular bed, eight 
feet in diameter, and in the first week in May I plant four 
feet of the center with the old roots, placing the crowns 
just under the surface of the soil. The outer portion of the 
bed I plant with spring-sown plants, that have been raised 
in pots placed in a frame. Both the roots and plants 
should be planted about six inches apart. Thus, the cen- 
ter of the bed being much higher than the outer part, the 
appearance is that of a splendid blue cone of flowers, 
scarcely to be excelled in beauty. Seeds are produced in 
abundance, and may be had of seedsmen at a small cost. 
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