By Joseph Sabine, Esq. 



Ml) 



colour of its blossoms. The plant grows rather tall, and 

 is well furnished with leaves ; it produces many branches ; 

 these are terminated by broad loose clusters or corymbs 

 of flowers. The expansion of a good flower exceeds three 

 inches and a half. From the inequality of the florets in 

 the circumference, the outline of the flower is very irre- 

 gular ; this, and the pointed terminations of the florets, give it 

 a very star-like character. The florets do not project forwards, 

 but spread out nearly horizontally, so as to form a flattish 

 flower; no disc is seen. The florets are a rich purple, paler 

 where their anterior surface is exposed, and very pale at their 

 extremities ; those in the centre are much darker ; they are 

 quilled about half their length, sometimes rather more than 

 in that proportion ; their openings are at first flat and after- 

 wards recurved, and their ends sharp-pointed, generally entire ; 

 from the circumference inwards, there is a gradual diminution 

 of the length of the florets ; at the centre they become narrow 

 and incurved. At an early period, the blossom puts on some- 

 what the appearance of the Large Lilac Chrysanthemum, 

 except that it exhibits no disc, and that the open part of the 

 florets is much paler ; after a time the florets in the centre lose 

 their darker colour, become like the others, and the whole 

 flower then is an uniform pink. In China the flowers are much 

 larger, and the plant, according to the information communi- 

 cated by Mr. Parks, occasionally sports in the gardens of 

 Canton, producing a perfectly white flower. The leaves are 

 smallish, reflexed, grayish green, and rather deeply divided ; 

 the lobes narrow, and very slightly serrated, with pointed 

 serratures. It succeeds well against a wall, producing its 

 blossoms rather late ; it is not strong in its growth. 



