ON ANNUALS AND 



BIENNIALS. 



225 



Erysimums are effective border plants, succeeding well in any 

 ordinary garden soil. Erysimum arkansanum (Western Wall- 

 flower) has fine, showy, clear sulphur-coloured flowers, much 

 resembling those of the common Wallflower ; it grows from 

 i2in. to i8in. high. E. Perofskianum has dense racemes of 

 brilliant orange-coloured flowers, and is a desirable plant for 

 beds, borders, rockwork, edgings, &c. ; ift. high. For spring 

 decoration, the seed should be sown in September ; whilst for 

 summer display it is best sown in March or April. 



EucHARiDiUMS are free-flowering annuals of the Evening 

 Primrose family, and somewhat resemble the Clarkias in 

 appearance. If sown out-of-doors in the autumn they are a 

 lovely sight in early summer. The spring-sown seed will come 

 into flower in about eight weeks from the time of sowing, and 

 remain in flower for a long time. E. Breiveri has light rose- 

 coloured fragrant flowers, is early and of elegant form, and 

 grows only 6in. high. E. concin7ium has lilac-purple flowers on 

 long stalks. The plant known as grandifloriim is merely a 

 variety of E. concinnum with larger flowers ; a white variety 

 is also in cultivation. 



EuTOCA visciDA (also known as Pliacelia viscida) is a lovely 

 little plant, ift. high, with intense blue flowers; it is free- 

 flowering, very effective in beds and borders, as well as a good 

 bee-plant. 



Gaillardia. — G. amblyodon grows 2ft. in height, and bears 

 flower-heads of a deep red colour. G. pulchella has flower- 

 heads rather larger than the last-mentioned, the ray-florets 

 being of a crimson hue and tipped with bright yellow ; flowers 

 in autumn. There are now several forms in cultivation, 

 amongst which are : Lorenziana, with large handsome heads, the 

 florets developing into tubular, funnel-shaped structures, in rich 

 shades of red and yellow ; height i^ft. There is a form of 

 Lorenziana with double flowers of a beautiful golden shade. 

 Drummondi or pida, with large red and yellow flowers, and 

 somewhat succulent leaves ; height i^ft. Drummondi coccinea, 

 with blood-red flowers having a golden margin; height ift. 



Mixed seed of the foregoing and other forms may be obtained 

 from the nurserymen. Some people make a practice of putting 

 in cuttings of such kinds as pulchella and Drummondi in autumn, 

 either inside or under hand-hghts, and the plants thus obtained 

 are far superior to those raised from seed. In some catalogues 

 they are classed as biennials, but as they will flower the same 

 year as sown, they have a just claim to the title of annuals. 

 Whether known as annuals or biennials, they certainly take a 

 prominent place amongst our summer bedding-plants on account 

 of their rich and brilliant-coloured flowers, the long duration of 

 the flowering period, and also for the value of the flowers for 



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