Composite—Zinnia. 241 
and the pappus consists of two bristl-s. The species are all 
American, and chiefly from Mexico. The name is commemo- 
rative. 
1. Z. éleguns (fig. 129).—In the wild form the flowers are 
usually of some scarlet shade, but under cultivation it has 
given birth to varieties with white, yellow, orange, pink, 
crimson, and purple flowers, and many intermediate tints and 
mixtures rarely seen in flowers. There are also ‘double ’- 
flowered varieties and a dwarf strain. One of the great qualities 
of this plant is the durability of its flowers. 
Z. Mexicina, syn. Z. atirea, and Z. Ghiesbréchtii, have 
orange flowers, the former of prostrate and the latter of erect 
habit. There are also other species, but none equal to the 
above. 
16. POLYMNIA. 
Herbs with alternate or opposite usually very large leaves. 
Flower-heads in corymbs, ray usually yellow, and the disk dark 
purple. Ray-florets female ; disk-florets male. Pappus none. 
The species, about eight or ten in uumber, are natives of 
North and South America, and those in cultivation are grown 
mainly for the fine effect of their foliage in the ‘sub-tropical 
garden.” P. Canadénsis, P. Uveddlia, and P. maculata are 
the species usually seen. The two former are nearly or quite 
hardy. We may here mention a few other Compésite with 
ornamental foliage employed in the same way, though they 
are mostly tender subjects. Ferdinanda éminens, more cor- 
rectly Cosmophgllum cacaliefiliwm, a native of Mexico, at- 
taining a height of 3 or 4 yards, and bearing leaves 18 inches 
or 2 feet across. Schistocdrpha bicolor, syn. Peryméniwm 
discolor, is another allied plant, from Caraccas, with large 
ornamental foliage. Montanda heracleifolia, syn. Uhdea bi- 
pinnatifida, and improperly called Montagna, grows 12 
to 15 feet high, and is valuable for its noble foliage. The 
genus Verbesina may also be included here as furnishing 
some decorative species. It is characterised by having a flat 
receptacle with chaffy scales and flattened achenes with two 
bristle-like awns. Like the preceding plants they are gigantic 
herbs or shrubs, and more ornamental in foliage than inflore- 
scence. V. alata gigantea and pinnatifida or Sartorit are 
the species usually grown. 
R 
