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IPOMOPSIS ELEGANS. 
(elegant IPOMOPSIS.) 
CLASS. ORDER. 
PENTANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 
NATURAL ORDER. 
POLEMONIACvE. 
Generic Character. — -Calyx in 5 divisions, tubulous and membranaceous. Corolla funnel-shaped, 
much longer than the calyx, coloured, deciduous. Stamina 5, inserted within the tube of the corolla. 
Capsule 3-celled, and many seeded. Seeds angular. 
Specific Character — Stem erect, the top somewhat pendulous, clothed with abundance of soft hairs. 
Leaves deeply pinnatifid, and spear-shaped. Flowers growing in clustered panicles. Corolla funnel- 
shaped, carmine colour, tube narrow, limb 5-cleft. Segments terminating in a sharp point, marked 
round the mouth of the tube with irregular white spots. 
Synonyms. — Gilia aggregata, Sw. Br. FI. Gard ., fol. 218. G. pulchella, Douglas . Cantau aggregata, 
Pursh. 
This beautiful plant is a native of the North-west coast of America, whence 
it was introduced to the garden of the Horticultural Society, by Mr. Douglas 
in 1827. 
Whether it is naturally a perennial or not is uncertain ; it seldom with us 
survives two years, being very impatient of cultivation. We have seen individual 
plants of it thrive and flower beautifully, whilst their neighbours of the same 
sowing, and apparently experiencing the same treatment, have fallen over just 
above the ground when about to flower, without any apparent cause. 
Not being able to define the cause, we therefore remain incapable of prescribing 
a certain remedy for this sudden loss. We shall merely state that we have succeeded 
very well by sowing the seeds in the autumn, thus allowing the young plants 
sufficient time to get strong before they show a tendency to flower, for if they 
show flower whilst the plants are weakly they are almost sure to perish. 
They seem to be impatient of glaring sunshine, to obviate which, we have 
planted them upon a north border in peat earth, but they did not thrive well in 
that situation and soil. This might have been occasioned in part by the wetness 
of the season, but we apprehend not altogether, as Mr. Lindley states in the 
Botanical Register, folio 1281, that “ The plant will not live in either peat or light 
soil." 
The best method we know of is to plant them in a cold, damp soil, under 
either an eastern or western wall, where they will at least be shaded more than half 
the day. 
