48 FAMILIAR GARDEN FLOWERS. 



curious flowers. These are of large size, white, with a few 

 red stripes ; the spur is long and stout, and curved in a 

 half-circle when the flower is mature, but when in bud, it 

 forms beneath the bud a large circle, like a big letter O. 



Mrs. Jerdon's balsam (Imp aliens Jerdonia) is a beau- 

 tiful curiosity, native of the Neilgherries, requiring warm 

 greenhouse cultivation. The stems are almost tuberous, 

 and in any case noticeable for their swollen appearance. 

 The leaves appear only on the upper part of the gouty 

 stems; they are ovate, and at their junction with the 

 petiole there are two or three purple glands. The flowers 

 are brilliant red and yellow, with a very short spur, 



