27 
RHODOCHITON VOLUBILE. 
(PURPLE TWINING RHODOCHITON.) 
CLASS. ORDER, 
DIDYNAMIA. ANGIOSPERMIA. 
NATURAL ORDER. 
SCROPHULARIN^. 
Generic Character Calyx campanulate, coloured, in five parts. Corolla tubular, formed something 
like a club, ending in a limb, divided in five parts ; tube angular, clothed inside with hairs, bent 
somewhat backward. 
Specific Character A half shrubby climbing plant. Stem slender, twining, purple. Leaves alter- 
nate, cordate, acuminate, toothed, five-nerved, tinged with purple beneath, bright green above, clothed 
with white shining hairs. Foot-stalks upwards of three inches long, somewhat twisted, and of a 
light purple colour. Flowers pendulous, proceeding from the axils of the leaves. Calyx large, 
when compared with the corolla, purple rose-colour. Corolla an inch and a half long, deep purple, 
clothed with white hairs; tube in five angles; limb consisting of five oval lobes. Stamens nearly- 
equal, a trifle longer than the tube. Seeds numerous. 
Synonym. — Lophospermum Rhodochiton Don, in Sweets Brit. Fl. Gard. 250. 
This singularly pretty climber is a native of Mexico, whence it was introduced 
into Germany, and from thence it found its way into the collections of this country ; 
we believe first into that of Mrs. Marryatt of Wimbledon in whose rich garden, we 
saw a beautiful plant, trained to a trellis, flowering in profusion. The plant from 
which our drawing was taken, was planted in the open border, and trained to a 
stake, where it succeeded admirably, growing and flowering the whole of the 
summer months. 
It may be propagated by cuttings and seeds, and requires very similar treatment 
to the Lophospermum erubescens ; viz. to be planted in a mixture of loam and 
leaf mould. 
