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PENTSTEMON COB^A. 
(COB^A-FLOWEUED PENTSTF.MON.) 
CLASS. ORDER. 
DIDYNAMIA. ANGIOSPERMIA. 
NATURAL ORDER. 
SCROPHULARI ACE^ . 
Generic Character. — Calyx m five parts. Corolla two-lipped, ventricose (blown up). Fifth fila- 
ment longer than the rest, and bearded at the upper end. Capsule two-celled, two-valved, some- 
what compressed. Seeds naked. 
Specific Character. — A hardy perennial. Stem slightly downy all over, upwards of two feet high, 
erect, nearly round or obtusely angular. jLeaue* opposite, the upper oblong, half amplexicaul, the 
middle ones oblong, narrower at the base and sessile, the radical or root leaves oval spathulate, 
petioled, somewhat glossy, and dentate at the margin. Flowers produced on a terminal panicle. 
Peduncles bearing from three to five large almost white flowers, tinged with purple. Calyx 
divided into five pointed segments. Corolla with an enlarged considerably inflated tube. Limb 
consisting of five spreading segments, inside white mixed with a little yellow, and marked with red. 
Filaments fertile, curved. Anthers reniform. Fifth filament lengthened, somewhat clavate, 
furnished internally at the apex with long hairs. Capsule ovate, two-valved. Seeds numerous, 
chaff'y. 
This handsome species of Pentstemon lately flowered with our valued friend 
and neighbour Mr. Cooper, of Wentworth, who with his usual kindness com- 
municated the sample for the drawing- in August last. 
The species was discovered by Mr. Drummond in the interior of Texas, and 
by him seeds were forwarded to the Glasgow Botanic Garden in 1835, but we are 
informed that Mr. Nuttall originally found it on the prairies of the Red River, 
growing in calcareous soil. 
In the Bot. Mag., page 3465, Sir W. J. Hooker observes, in respect to this 
species — " Handsome as is this species of Pentstemon, the native specimens gave me 
reason to expect a more splendid plant than that which is here represented." And 
again — " Certain it is, that the flowers on some of our dried specimens are nearly 
twice as large as those here represented." Bearing these remarks in mind, and 
comparing our figure with that in the Bot. Mag., a question arises whether this 
may not prove to be the more splendid one Sir W. J. Hooker was led to expect, 
from the native specimens he examined ; for certainly the flowers here represented 
