HORMINUM PYRENAICUM — FLORICULTURE 0¥ THE MONTH. 
561 
on that which is very rich and stimulating. 
They may be increased by dividing the plant, 
and also by means of cuttings, if a supply of 
seeds should fail ; but these are longer in 
forming good strong healthy plants than the 
seedlings, which grow away very vigorously 
from the first ; and the old roots often are not 
easily divided so as to form good plants. 
HORMINUM PYRENAICUM. 
Horminum pyrenaicum, Linnaius (Pyre- 
nean Horminum). — Larniaceas § Monardea?- 
Horminidje. 
There are, among the old neglected plants 
to be met with in gardens, some of great 
beauty, that deserve to be brought more pro- 
minently under the notice of modern cultiva- 
tors. Such a plant is that represented in the 
engraving which accompanies these remarks. 
It is the Meliaia jri/renodca of Jacquin. 
The Pyrenean Horminum is a hardy peren- 
nial plant, with a tuft of stalked radical leaves, 
which are ovate-obtuse, deeply crenate, trun- 
cate at the base or sub-cordate. The flowering 
stem is simple, erect, from six to twelve inches 
high, furnished with one or two pairs of small 
sessile crenated leaves, and along the upper 
part somewhat distant one-sided, six-flowered 
whorls of labiate blossoms, of a bluish-purple 
colour ; they are attached by short pedicels, 
and are nodding; the calyx short campanulate 
with five teeth, the corolla tubular, subbila- 
biate, the upper lip truncate, the lower one 
three-lobed, with broad short rounded seg- 
ments. These flowers are produced in June 
and July. 
It is a native of the temperate parts of Eu- 
rope, growing on the mountains. Thus it is 
met with in the Pyrenees, and is also found 
on the alps of Vallais and Salisburgh. It 
was introduced to English gardens in 1820, 
and is found to be quite hardy, as regards the 
cold of our climate, though liable to perish in 
winter from excess of damp. 
It is very elegant when in blossom. It 
thrives readily in the open border, in light 
dryish soil, and ripens seeds in most seasons, 
by which, or by the process of dividing the 
roots, it may be increased. Owing to the 
fact just alluded to, of its perishing sometimes 
during our winters from excess of moisture, 
it is desirable to keep one or two plants in a 
frame in pots, where they can be shielded 
from heavy rains, and be kept sufficiently dry 
to prevent their damping off. The pots should 
be well drained, so that no^tagnant water 
may lodge about the roots ; neither should 
water be carelessly spilled over the leaves and 
in the heart, in the process of watering, during 
the winter season. 
FLORICULTURE OF THE MONTH. 
BY GEORGE GLENNY. 
The chief business of October and No- 
vember is the negotiations for Dahlias that are 
to come out in May : those fortunate flowers 
which are in the hands of private growers 
have mostly to find other masters, or the 
holders are induced to turn florists in earn- 
est. The principal flowers raised by private 
persons, and shown by them, have not yet 
changed hands ; whether the dealers want 
them too cheap, or the raisers want too much, 
are points which we do not meddle with. Mr. 
Proctor has not (while we are writing) sold 
50. 
his fancy flower Elizabeth, one of the prettiest 
of the family, and decidedly before all others 
of its colour. Some have expressed a wish 
that the colours were more decided : but colour 
is all a matter of taste, and not half-a-dozen 
would hit upon the same shade, if they were 
separately asked what they would like best. 
Most would hit upon some shade that we do 
not possess already, because of the novelty ; 
and Elizabeth is purely one of that kind. We 
would rather see it in the hands of some 
grower, who would turn out good plants, with 
o o 
