382 BRECK’S NEW BOOK OF FLOWERS. 
the year 1835, created a great sensation among the florists 
of the day; and well it might, for we had nothing of the 
kind then in cultivation that could equal it in beauty and 
richness of coloring for masses. The flower in the brilli- 
ancy of the color, has not been surpassed in any new va- 
riety, though great improvements have been made in the 
size of the flowers and form of truss. The credit of pro- 
ducing the first white, crimson, and pink varieties, is due 
to Robert Buist of Philadelphia, from seed received from 
Buenos Ayres, about the year 1835. V.multifida, with 
lilac-purple flowers, was introduced from Peru; V. Zwee- 
diana, with rose-crimson flowers, from Brazil. From 
these have sprung all the numerous varieties, many hun- 
dred in number, now in our collections. In these vari- 
ties may be found every color except yellow, and even this 
color in its lighter shades, is sometimes seen in the eyes of 
some of the sorts. We now have crimson, scarlet, rose, 
white, lilac, blueish-purple, and purple in all their shades, 
with eyes of purple, crimson, rose, white, or straw color, 
and also a number of striped and spotted sorts. No 
plants are more generally cultivated, or more eagerly 
sought after, than this beautiful family. I sometimes 
wonder how a flower-garden could be considered passable 
without the Verbena. The habits of all are similar, nat- 
urally prostrate creeping plants, taking root freely where- 
ever the stems come in contact with the ground, and 
sending forth innumerable clusters of their many hued, 
brilliant flowers, from June to November. 
“The qualities of a first-class Verbena as laid down by 
florists, are: Roundness of flower without indenture, 
notch, or serrature; petals thick, flat, bright, and smooth; 
the plant should be compact, with short, stout joints, 
either distinctly of ‘a shrubby habit, or a close ground 
creeper or climber; the trusses of bloom compact, stand- 
ing out from the foliage; the flowers meeting but not 
