NEW PLANTS AND SIIIIUJJS. 
39 
beauty. Its leaves indeed, like those of the 
ash, are tardy in appearing in spring, and 
are amongst the first to fall when autumn 
arrives ; but the form of the tree is graceful, 
the colour of the foliage is soft and pleasing ; 
and we can scarcely fail to associate with 
the living Walnut some feelings connected 
with its many uses, its classical fame, and the 
bright and sunny climes from which we have 
derived it."— Pp. 594—596. 
In this way he goes through all the trees 
that can be made useful or ornamental, growing 
or cut; and perhaps this to the planter will be 
found the best part of the work: at all events, 
it will check that headlong practice of planting 
just what can be planted cheapest, without re- 
gard to its use, or chance of success, which 
has distinguished a good deal of the practice of 
late years; for it must be confessed, that the 
kind of timber to be placed on an estate has 
too often been decided by the lots easiest 
purchased under the hammer, or cheapest fur- 
nished from some nursery stock in the neigh- 
bourhood. 
NEW PLANTS AND SHRUBS, 
INTRODUCED AND MADE KNOWN DURING THE YEAR 
1844. 
In describing the plants and shrubs that have 
been brought into notice during the last year, 
it will, as far as possible, be our object to 
avoid uninteresting technicalities ; and also, to 
prevent the dissemination of incorrect notions, 
with reference to the subjects treated of. In 
order to secure these desirable features, we 
shall endeavour to use familiar terms or ex- 
pressions ; or else to introduce some explana- 
tion in parentheses, when the employing of 
less common terms seems unavoidable. 
Achimenes Picta, Hentham. (Pencilled- 
leaved Achimenes.) — A very handsome plant, 
when out of flower, owing to the elegant 
markings of its leaves, which are broadly 
heart-shaped, or oval, of a beautiful velvety 
dark surface, caused by the numerous soft 
hairs with which it is clothed, and marked 
with fanciful pale-coloured blotches. The 
plant is of compact, bushy habit ; the flowers 
are produced up the stems, singly from the 
axils of the leaves ; they are tube-shaped ; the 
upper part rich scarlet crimson, and the lower 
part yellow, spotted and marked in the inside 
with crimson. It was introduced from Gua- 
temala, by the Horticultural Society, and 
produces its flowers during the autumn. 
Alona Coslestis, Lindley. (Sky-blue 
Alona.) — This is nearly related to the well- 
known trailing annual, called Nolana pros- 
trata ; one of its obvious diffei'ences from that 
plant consists in its upright and shrubby habit. 
It is a very handsome-flowered plant, and is 
deserving of extensive cultivation. The haves 
are nearly cylindrical, quite fleshy, and about 
an inch in length; the flowers resemble those 
of a Convolvulus or Petunia, both in figure 
and size, and are of a beautiful soft lavender- 
blue colour. It appears likely to form a bushy 
plant about two feet in height, and will grow 
during winter, under the ordinary treatment 
of greenhouse plants ; it appears, moreover, 
likely to become adapted for bedding out in 
summer. It was introduced from Coquimbo, 
and has flowered in this country for the first 
time during the present summer. The exist- 
ence of plants of this character, both in Chili 
and Peru, has long been known to botanists ; 
and several more, equal to the present subject, 
remain yet to be introduced. 
Andromeda Phyllirejefolia, Tlooher. 
(Phyllirea-leaved Andromeda.) — A very neat 
dwarf shrub, introduced from "West Florida. 
It has very dark green oblong leaves, and 
small bunches of pure snow-white, drooping, 
pitcher-shaped flowers. It is probably hardy 
enough to endure a very mild winter in the 
open air, and will thrive under the treatment 
usually given to American shrubs. 
Anemone Obtusiloba, Don. (Blunt-lobed 
Wind-flower.) — A hardy alpine, from the 
mountains of Nepal. It has woolly, palmate, 
thick leaves, and clusters (umbels) of small, 
cup-shaped, white flowers, on stalks six inches 
high. It is the same as A. Govaniana, of 
Wallich. 
Aristolochia Ornithocephala, Hooker. 
(Bird's-head Birthwort.) — The species of this 
family have all very singular- formed flowers. 
The present plant is a large climbing stove 
shrub, with large, heart-shaped leaves, on long 
stalks, with a pair of stipules (leafy appendages) 
at the base of each : the flowers are produced 
singly from the axils of these leaves, on stalks 
eight inches or more in length ; they consist 
of three parts : — a large tube or pouch, nearly 
three inches long, the upper part of which is 
bent over like a hood, and becomes expanded 
into two divisions, the upper one narrow, and 
five inches long; forming, with the pouch, a re- 
semblance to the head and beak of some bird ; 
and the lower one, having a narrow stalk two 
inches long, and suddenly assuming an elegant, 
wavy, kidney - shaped outline, four inches 
long and six broad : the colour of these sin- 
gular blossoms is a dingy yellow or buff, ele- 
gantly marked with numerous deep purple reti- 
culations. It was gathered near Crato, in Brazil. 
Asclepias Vestita, Hooker. (Hairy 
stemmed Asclepias.) — An herbaceous peren- 
nial, from North America, with straight, erect, 
hairy stems ; and opposite, stalkless, leathery, 
broadly-elliptic leaves ; the flower heads are 
produced on stalks from the side of the leaf 
stalks, and consist of a dense globular head of 
