198 
ACHIMENES PATENS. 
instance, A. patens being as easily cultivated, growing, flowering, and propagating 
with all the freedom of other species. It has not yet exhibited that luxuriance 
those long cultivated in our gardens display, which is easily accounted for when it is 
remembered that scarcely ten months have elapsed since the parent roots were taken 
from their native earth in Mexico. 
Much importance is generally attached to the ease with which several of the 
Achimenes can be induced to flower in winter, and indeed it is a considerable aug- 
mentation to their value that they can ; but it must not be concluded that they are 
peculiarly suitable for that purpose ; for their value in that respect only arises from 
the fact, that every vestige of a flower becomes of consequence in winter. Achimenes 
cannot be seen in their true beauty in winter, because the natural warmth, full 
light, and stimulating influences of spring and summer are requisite to bring out 
their real loveliness. 
Good light soil, and not a large body of it, seems to suit Achimenes best. We 
have seen no better specimens than those which were growing in shallow pans. A 
plant flowering in June last, at the Messrs. Rollisson's establishment, formed the 
subject of our drawing. 
The derivation of the generic name is unknown. Mr. Bentham is the author of 
the specific. 
