714 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS pentstemon 



with pink inside, the upper lip furnished 

 with a clammy beard. 

 Cultiore d'c. as above. 



P. campanulatus (P. aiif/iislifolius ; 

 P. atropurpureiis ; P. elegams ; P. pul- 

 chellus ; P. roseus ; Chelone camipanu- 

 lata). — This beautiful Mexican perennial, 

 which is unfortunate in having so many 

 synonyms, grows about 18 in. high, and 

 has sessOe linear lance-shaped serrate 

 leaves, the upper ones being slightly 

 downy and clammy to the touch. 

 Flowers from June to October, varying 

 from rose to violet, pm'ple &c., the sterile 

 stamen being slightly bearded. 



Culture c(-c. as above. This is a 

 very old garden plant, and numerous 

 forms of it have appeared, which account 

 for the diversity in naming. Increased 

 by seeds and cuttings. 



P. centranthifolius (Chelone cen- 

 tranthifoUa). — A beautiful species about 

 2 ft. high with oblong lower leaves, and 

 obovate or lance-shaped stem-clasping 

 upper ones. Flowers in summer, about 

 1 in. long, bright carmine. 



Culture it-c. as abo'ie. Increased by 

 seed or division. 



P. Cobaea. — A beautiful and very 

 distinct perennial 1-2 ft. high, native of 

 Texas, with large glossy oblong or ovate 

 lance-shaped leaves about 8 in. long, the 

 upper ones sessile and sharply serrate, 

 the lower ones narrowed into a stalk 

 with a few blunt teeth at the apex. 

 Flowers late in autmnn, numerous, pale 

 mauve and white, with or without purple 

 stripes and spots in the throat and lobes. 

 Calyx large, beU-shaped, 5-toothed. Cor- 

 olla about 2 in. long, broadly tubular, 

 inflated, with 5 broad blunt spreading 

 lobes. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 species requires to be grown in warm 

 sheltered spots and is probably not very 

 hardy north of the Thames. It makes a 

 splendid greenhouse plant grown in pots, 

 and may be had in bloom in November 

 and December. Increased by seeds or 

 cuttings. 



P. confertus. — A smooth stiffish grow- 

 ing species 6-18 in. high. Lower leaves 

 oblong spoon-shaped, the upper ones oval 

 lance - shaped stem clasping. Flowers 

 from May to July, in an almost cylindri- 

 cal cluster, pale sulphur-yeUow, each one 

 being about i in. long. The variety 



cceruleo - purpureus (perhaps better 

 known as procerus and rmcranthus) has 

 bluish-purple flowers and very variable 

 sepals. It is a rather better garden 

 plant than the typical P. confertus, 

 and is very hardy in ordinary garden soil. 

 It seeds freely and flowers earlier than 

 any other species — except perhaps P. 

 ca/mpa/nulatus. 



Culture dc. as above. Increased by 

 division or seeds. 



P. diffusus. — A somewhat downy 

 species 2-4 fl. high, with more or less 

 ovate lance-shaped leaves, the upper ones 

 being thick, heart-shaped, stem -clasping, 

 and serrate. Flowers in summer and 

 autumn in large loose many-branched 

 clusters, violet-purple, about 1 in. long, 

 the sterile stamen bearded at the top. 



P. argutus, with bright purple flowers, 

 having a sky-blue lower lip, and P. Mich- 

 ardsoni, with violet flowers, both appear 

 to be varieties of this species, or are very 

 closely related. 



Culture Sc. as above. They, may be 

 increased by seed or division. 



P. Digitalis (Chelone Digitalis). — A 

 handsome free-growing perennial 1-2 ft. 

 high, closely related to, if not indeed a 

 variety of, P. lavigatws, but quite disinct 

 enough for garden purposes to have a single 

 name. Leaves smooth glossy, sUghtly 

 serrulate, lance-shaped, 3-6 in. long and 

 covered with small dots, the upper ones 

 ovate lance-shaped, perceptibly narrowed. 

 Flowers in summer, numerous, white ; 

 coroUa over 1 in. long; sterile stamen 

 sparsely bearded. 



Culture £c. as abo\e. Increased by 

 seed and division. 



P. glaber (P. erianthera; P. Gor- 

 doni). — A very smooth and handsome 

 perennial 6-24 in. high, with tufts or 

 rosettes of entire somewhat glaucous 

 ovate lance-shaped leaves, the lower ones 

 more or less narrowed into a stalk, the 

 upper ones Imear-lanoe-shaped sessile. 

 Flowers in summer, in clustered panicles, 

 purple, violet, or blue ; the sterile stamen 

 slightly bearded near the top. 



The plant known as P. cyananthns, 

 and its improved form Brandegei, are 

 varieties of this species, distinguished 

 by their broad heart-shaped ovate leaves, 

 the upper ones taper-pointed, and larqe 

 dense clusters of bright blue flowers 

 produced in May and June, before those 

 of the type. 



