DRACOCEPHALUM GRANDIFLORUM. 
(Great-flowered Dragon’ s-head.) 
Class. 
DIDYNAMIA. 
Natural Order . 
LABIATE. 
Order. 
GYMNOSPERMIA. 
Generic Character. —Calyx tubular, thirteen to 
fifteen-nerved, straight, rarely incurved, with a 
straight or equal five-toothed mouth ; upper tooth the 
broadest, usually large, thirteen upper teeth some- 
times joined into an upper lip. Corolla with the tube 
slender at the base, inclosed, or more often exserted, 
with a very wide throat, and a bilabiate limb ; upper 
lip erect, rather concave, emarginate ; lower lip 
spreading, trifid, the middle lobe large, and rather 
bifid. Slamens four, didynamous ; lower ones the 
shortest, ascending. Anthers approximating by pairs, 
two-celled ; cells divaricate. Style about equally bifid 
at top ; lobes subulate, stigmatiferous at apex. Ache- 
nia dry, smooth, naked. 
Specific Character. — Plant herbaceous. Stems 
erect, pilose above. Radical leaves on long petioles, 
oblong, obtuse, crenated, cordate at the base. Cauline 
leaves few, on short petioles, ovate, all green, and 
nearly glabrous. Floral leaves orbicular, pilose ; the 
upper ones bractea-formed. Whorls disposed in 
oblong spikes ; bracteas large, orbicularly cuneated, 
deeply toothed, superior teeth of calyx oblong. 
Corolla ample, three times as long as the calyx. — Don's 
Gardening and Botany. 
Synonyms. — Dracocephalum Altaiense. 
The accompanying faithful delineation of a whole plant, of the species now 
given, renders a reference to its peculiar features, by describing them, unnecessary. 
It appears first to have been introduced to our gardens in 1759; but the 
circumstance of its having been lost, and more than once reintroduced since that 
peiiod, is more than probable. It is now far from being common. 
The plant is a hardy herbaceous perennial ; a native of Siberia, very frequent 
upon the Altaian range of mountains in that country, hence the specific appellation 
Altaiense of some authors. 
The most simple, and perhaps usual method of growing it, is to plant it in the 
open border, and there permit it to grow and flower, which it does during the 
months of July and August. When wholly allowed to take its chance in the open 
ground, it probably is not entitled to a more conspicuous position than the one just 
mentioned. But in common with a number of plants (to which we may hereafter 
refer) it deserves a greater share of attention than is generally given it. 
Some specimens well cultivated in pots, and when flowering, placed to display 
their blossoms in the greenhouse, would not, we think, be found out of place. They 
would there, at least, be favourably situated to gratify that inspection the attractive- 
ness of their flowers invite, and which they deny in the open ground. 
When grown in the open border and properly treated, it should be taken up in 
