TLORICULTURE OF THE MONTH. 
105 
and stem more than three feet high, and in 
having a panicle well furnished with flowers, 
the peduncles bearing from four to five blos- 
soms, which are much larger, the limb being 
wider and broader than in the original, or in- 
deed any other variety. The tube is perfectly 
Pentstemon Verplanchii. 
funnel-shaped, full, and marked. The entire 
corolla is of a bright purplish tint, merging to 
rose towards the limb, the throat being white. 
The name of Mr. Verplancke is well known 
in connexion with the culture of madder in 
Belgium. One would almost say that that 
rubiferous plant, so much used in furnishing 
the rich and warm tints, from the deepest 
purple to the most delicate rose, is hei"e 
represented in the beautiful colours of the 
corolla. There can be no doubt that this 
variety will soon be in general request. 
Some authors write the name of this genus 
Penstemon, instead of Pentstemon. The 
etymology of the name rests in the two words, 
pente, five, and stemon, filament, from there 
being five staminal filaments in the flower ; 
it is therefore proper to write Pentstemon. 
A circumstance connected with this species 
of Pentstemon may be here noticed ; and it 
should induce horticulturists to propagate the 
plant from the seed. Some four or five years 
since, G. F. Dickson, Esq. received seeds of 
this Pentstemon direct from Terre Fria, in 
Mexico. These seeds produced a variety, of 
which each flower was transparent as glass at 
the lower side of the corolla, so that the fila- 
ments of the stamens could be seen from the 
outside ; it was called diaphanus from this 
particularity. It would be interesting to try 
by sowing whether M. Verplancke's variety 
could not be made to assume this translucency, 
which with its charming rose colour would 
have an admirable efiect. 
Our figure, and the history of this fine 
Pentstemon, are derived from the Annales de 
la Societe Royale de Botanique de Gand, a 
Belgian periodical, well conducted by Profes- 
sor Morren. 
"We have already explained (p. 77) that this 
plant is a variety of that species commonly, 
though erroneously, known in gardens as the 
P. gentlanoides, which is altogether a different 
plant. The error has become established as 
far as this country is concerned, from the fact 
of its having been followed by the two leading 
botanical magazines published at the time the 
plant was first introduced. 
FLORICULTURE OF THE MONTH. 
BY GEORGE GLENNT. 
Of all our favourite flowers we can hardly 
place the auricula second to any thing, and 
we are truly sorry that they have been almost 
banished from the metropolis. It is true they 
require air and attention, but they occupy so 
little room, they are so easUy grown, they are 
so long interesting, and so beautiful in flower, 
that we do hope to see them undertaken by 
amateurs. The cost is not so great as to 
deter anybody from beginning, and according 
to all the laws of showing, they might be 
purchased this month and shown next, the law 
being that the grower should possess them 
six weeks. It is well understood that the 
merit of blooming them well is sufficient to 
entitle any one to a prize, and that all the 
growth before blooming is of minor consider- 
ation, if they are regulated the last six weeks. 
Take a dozen or two to begin with, and these 
may be picked out at James Dickson's, or 
ordered from the north, in such a state as to 
warrant a hope of blooming well with care. 
