PETUNIA LINEARIS. 
( N A RKOW-LEA VED PETUNIA.) 
CLASS. ORDER, 
PENTANDRI A. MONOGYNIA. 
NATURAL ORDER. 
SOLANEiE. 
Generic Character. — See Vol. L, page 7. 
Specific Character. — Plant a small shrub, covered thickly with glandular hairs. Stems upright, 
branching, clammy, about a foot high. Leaves alternate, oblong, narrow, blunt, about half an inch 
long, pale green. Flowers terminal, or situated opposite the leaves, very copious, and when 
expanded shining in the sun like crimson velvet. Calyx campanulate, five-toothed. Corolla 
funnel-shaped, covered on. the outside with soft hairs, hardly an inch long; tube orange, beautifully 
veined with purple, somewhat longer than the calyx ; throat bright orange within ; limb five-lobed, of 
a rich crimson purple, very brilliant in sunshine ; the centre, as it approaches the throat, very dark, 
towards the border lighter, and more tinged with blue. Stamens all fertile. 
Synonyms.— Salpiglossis linearis, Hooker in Bot. Mag. 3256. Nierembergia intermedia, Graham in 
Edin. PhUos. Jour., and D. Don in British Flower Garden, 237, New Series. Petunia 
linearis, Hon. and Rev. W. Herbert's MS. 
This exceedingly pretty species is a native of Buenos Ayres, where it was 
discovered growing- in sandy plains by Mr. Tweedie, who transmitted seeds of it to 
Mr. Niell, of Cannonmills, in 1832 ; from this seed one plant was raised, which 
flowered in the stove in September 1833. 
As this species produces seeds very freely, and also is propagated readily by 
cuttings planted in sand under a bell-glass, we have no doubt but in a few years it 
will become very common ; and being nearly hardy, we may expect ere long to find 
it one of the most conspicuous summer ornaments in our flower borders. The season 
for flowering continues, without intermission, from March or April to December ; 
and during that time the plant is literally clothed with flowers. 
The best season for planting the cuttings is during the spring months ; and if 
the pots containing them are placed in a gentle heat, the cuttings will soon strike 
roots, and in three weeks from the time of planting will be ready to pot off. Use 
soil composed of equal parts of heath mould (peat) and light loam. 
The habit of the plants is that of Nierembergia ; and when quite young and 
out of flower, they can scarcely be distinguished from N. gracilis, except that the 
leaves of the latter are rather narrower. Our reason for adopting the name given 
by Mr. Herbert, in preference to that of Mr. D. Don, is, because, however nearly 
the habit of the plant resembles Nierembergia, the flowers, both in form and struc- 
ture, exactly agree with those of the Petunia violacea. (See wood-cut below, and 
f f 2 
