<ENOTHERA 



EVENING PRIMBOSE OBDEB 



CENOTHERA 453 



may be raised from seeds sown out of 

 doors either in spring or autumn, and 

 when planted out to flower a distance of 

 about a foot should be between them. 

 They produce charming masses of colour 

 in the flower border during the summer 

 and autumn months. 



C. elegans. — A pretty Californian 

 annual with purplish stems, 1^ to 2 ft. 

 high. Leaves ovate lance-shaped, smooth, 

 dentate. Flowers in summer, rich crim- 

 son, with kidney-shaped, long-clawed 

 petals. There are several varieties 

 including pure white, rose &g. Purple 

 King and Salmon Queen are two of the 

 best double-flowered forms. 



Culture So. as above. 



C. pulchella. — An elegant N. Ameri- 

 can annual, 1^2 ft. high, with linear 

 smoothish leaves, and large purple 

 flowers in sunmier, with deeply 3-lobed 

 petals. There are many single and 

 double varieties of this species. The 

 variety alba has white flowers. The one 

 known as integripetala has entire instead 

 ■of 3-lobed petals. There is also a dwarf 

 Tom Thumb strain, the plants of which 

 ■are shorter and more compact than the 

 type. 



Gultv/re dc. as above. 



CENOTHERA (Evening Peimeosb). 

 A genus containing about 100 species of 

 herbs or small shrubs of variable habit. 

 Leaves alternate, membranous, sessile or 

 stalked, entire, toothed, lobed, or pinna- 

 tifid. Flowers axillary, solitary, sessile 

 or stalked. Calyx tube linear or club- 

 shaped, 4-angled, produced beyond the 

 ovary, 4-lobed. Petals 4, obovate or 

 obcordate, barely clawed. Stamens 8, 

 equal or alternately shorter. Stigma 4- 

 lobed. Capsule membranous, leathery 

 or woody, linear oblong or clavate, round, 

 4- or many angled and ribbed, or broadly 

 4-winged. 



Culture and Propagation. — From 

 June tiU the end of autumn CEnotheras 

 are among the most showy of hardy 

 flowers, and they thrive in any fairly 

 good sandy soil. They may be used in a 

 variety of ways, in borders or shrubberies, 

 mixed with other plants, or in beds by 

 themselves, always favouring a warm 

 sunny position. The annual and bien- 

 nial kinds may be increased by sowing 

 seeds in the open border in spring for 

 flowering the same year ; or in cold frames 

 in autumn for blooming the following 



year. In the case of perennial kinds, 

 cuttings may be put in a cold frame in 

 autumn, and protected from frosts during 

 the winter months ; but they may also be 

 raised from seeds in the same way as the 

 annuals and biennials, and cutting^ of the 

 young shoots may also be inserted in 

 sandy soil \mder glass in spring. Most of 

 the kinds however are so easily raised 

 from seeds that it is the better means of 

 propagation on the whole. 



The genus Godetia is now included 

 with CEnothera. 



CE. amoena {(E. Lindleyi). — An an- 

 nual 1-2 ft. high from N.W. America, 

 with entire linear lance-shaped leaves. 

 Flowers in summer, rose, with a crimson 

 spot on each petal. The variety rubi- 

 cvmda from California has lilac-purple 

 flowers with a deep blotch at the base of 

 each petal. It is known as Godetia 

 rubicunda also, and many fine varieties 

 have been obtained from it, including a 

 dwarf strain called Tom Thutnb. The 

 one called Bijou, having white flowers 

 spotted with red at the base of the petals, 

 grows about 9 in. high and is very free- 

 flowering. 



Culture dc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds sown in spring or autumn. 



(E. biennis {Common Evening Prim- 

 rose). — A N. American biennial 2-4 ft. 

 high, with a rosette of lower leaves, 

 oblong-lance-shaped passing upwards 

 into ovate-lance-shaped toothed and 

 downy. Flowers in summer and autumn, 

 beautiful primrose-yellow, about 3 in. 

 across, fragrant, and at their best in the 

 evening. The variety Lama/rckiama 

 (or grandiflora) has finer and larger 

 flowers and is a fine border plant. 



Culture dtc. as above. This species 

 once introduced to a garden is with 

 difficulty eradicated, as it seeds freely and 

 increases rapidly. Confined in masses to 

 rougher parts of the garden, it is a plant 

 difficult to surpass for its soft yet brilliant 

 yellow colouring. 



CE. bistorta. — A Californian annual 

 with somewhat decumbent stems and 

 lance-shaped leaves. Flowers in summer, 

 yellow, with small deep blood-red spots 

 at the base. Fruit 1^-2 in. long, twisting 

 when ripe. Veitehia/na is an improved 

 form. 



Culture do. as above. Increased by 

 seeds sown in autumn in cold frames and 

 pricked out in spring ; or by sowing in the 



