7 
PETUNIA VIOLACEA. 
(purple petunia.) 
CLASS. ORDER. 
PENTANDRIA, MONOGYNIA. 
NATURAL ORDER. 
SOLANEiE. 
Generic Character. — Calyx , shortly tubular, leafy, leaflets lacinated. Corolla , tube cylindrical, bellying, 
limb plaited and divided into 5 unequal lobes. Stamina 5 unequal, inserted in the middle and within 
the tube of the corolla. Ovarium on a disk having one tooth on each side. Stigma capitate. Capsula 
with 2 valves. Seeds spherical and netted. 
Specific Character. — Stems prostrate, clammy and hairy ; leaves oval, with short footstalks. Corolla 
bellying, lips cut into sharp divisions. — Lindl. in Bot. Reg. 
There are few plants in onr gardens which surpass this in brilliancy of blossoms 
and general beauty. It is a native of Buenos Ayres, from whence seeds were sent 
to the Glasgow Botanic Garden, in 1830, by Mr. Tweedie. It succeeds extremely 
well in the open border, during summer, but must be treated as a hardy green-house 
plant in winter ; the flowers show to the greatest advantage if a whole bed be devoted 
to them, and where the branches are allowed to spread over the whole surface, and 
become entangled with each other. Under these circumstances the flowers will be 
produced from July until the end of October, or, at least, as long as the weather will 
permit. Some beds so planted at Chatsworth, last summer, had a very splendid 
appearance : if trained under a wall or to a trellis, it is also a great ornament. 
Whether planted in a bed or trained on trellis, it is necessary that the situation be 
somewhat sheltered from winds, but fully exposed to the influence of the sun. 
Cultivated in a green-house, we would recommend it always to be trained to 
trellis ; where, as was the case with some in our houses last year, it will extend from 
four to six feet square, continue flowering until quite winter, and commence again 
early in spring. 
It thrives in almost any sort of soil, but prefers one that is rich and light. It 
produces seeds by which it may be increased, but also grows very freely from 
cuttings, which may be taken off at almost any season, and planted, and otherwise 
treated, like those of Geraniums. 
The generic name is derived from petum, a Brazilian name for one of the 
species. 
