332 Solanacee—Petunta. 
straggling herb with viscid pilose shortly petiolate leaves and 
violet, lilac, white or striped flowers with a short tube. 
2. P.nyctaginiflora (fig. 182).-—A stouter more erect-growing 
plant, in the wild form with white or yellow flowers remark- 
able for the long narrow tube of the corolla. The cut does 
not show this character, and was probably taken from’ one of 
the hybrid forms. 
These two species cross with the greatest facility, and thus 
new varieties are constantly being raised. There are double and 
single, from deep violet and crimson to pure white, with many 
curious parti-coloured and variegated varieties. There are also 
some handsome varieties reticulated with dark purple on a rosy 
or carmine ground. Both species are perennial, but they will 
succeed well if treated as annuals. 
P. pheenicea and P. intermedia are almost forgotten now; 
the former is a strong-growing species with purple flowers 
about an inch in diameter, and the latter a small compact 
plant with smaller yellow and purple flowers. 
10. NIEREMBERGIA. 
Herbs or small shrubs with simple alternate leaves and 
solitary pedunculate flowers opposite the leaves. Calyx 5-lobed, 
persistent, and enclosing the fruit. Corolla funnel-shaped ; 
tube often long and slender; limb 5-lobed, patent. Stamens 
5, somewhat unequal, and more or less exserted. Fruit capsu- 
lar, 2-celled. A small genus confined to South America, named 
in honour of Nierembere, a Spanish Jesuit and naturalist. 
None of the species are absolutely hardy. 
1. N. gracilis. —This is the beautiful slender trailing species 
in general cultivation at the present time. It has linear some- 
what glaucous slightly pubescent leaves and very numerous 
pedunculate extra-axillary or terminal lilac and white flowers. 
It succeeds best in a light soil fully exposed to the sun. 
N, filicuislis, syn. N. frutéscens of gardens, is a closely allied 
species of erect habit with less numerous though rather larger 
flowers and quite glabrous fuliage. N. rivularis is a very 
distinct nearly hardy species of creeping tufted habit with 
broadly oblong obtuse long-stalked leaves and large white or 
pink flowers remarkable for the length of the slender tube. 
