62 
CULTJVATION OF THE TROP7EOLUM. 
unnatural forms and grotesque figures among 
them ; and much as it shows the skill of the 
gardener to exhibit the Tropseolum Trico- 
lorum on a six-foot cirele (such as we have 
seen shown by Mr. Pawley, of the White 
Hart, Bromley), every inch of which was 
covered with its brilliant flowers, we cannot 
admire anything beyond the skill. Within 
the last two years we have had introduced an 
object of much solicitude among plantsmen, 
the Tropajolum Azureum, the Tropa3olum 
with blue flowers, which is not of such a deli- 
cate texture as the species just disposed of, 
but which may, in that particular, rank next 
to it. The flowers are totally different to all 
the others; they are nearly round, of a dullish, 
though light blue colour, and were first shown 
in this country by Messrs. Veitch, of Exeter. 
It has hardly been long enough in this coun- 
try to have been grown into specimens ; but 
doubtless the next season will produce it at 
the chief exhibitions. It is one of the few 
plants which are selected as favourites out of 
the many that are annually introduced. The 
general treatment should be like that of T. Tri- 
colorum. It requires green-house culture; 
may be raised from cuttings or seeds, though 
introduced by its tubers, and first grown from 
them. It is almost as violent a contrast as 
TropcBolurn Tuberosum. 
can be imagined by the side of the Tricolorum; 
the one a horn-shaped brilliant black, scarlet, 
and yellow flower, the other a pale blue round 
primrose-formed bloom, about the size of a 
shilling. Nobody who was not well acquainted 
with the structure of plants would for an in- 
stant imagine them to belong to the same family. 
The bloom in both is equally abundant, the 
plants not much unlike in character, but just 
sufficiently different to recognise out of bloom, 
though not much stronger. One can hardly 
imagine a finer contrast, unless we could in- 
crease the brilliancy of the blue. It had long 
been reported, and upon good authority, that 
there was a blue Tropasolum, but credit had 
been given for a much more splendid flower 
than this interesting plant exhibits ; and there 
are many who do not think the present is the 
one alluded to by travellers, who aver they 
have seen one, and who represent it to be of 
greater dimensions, and much more splendid 
colour. Be this as it may, the present is con- 
sidered a rare addition to our plants, and espe- 
cially to the genera with which it is con- 
nected, or of which it forms a species. It was 
sent to this country by Mr. W. Lobb, who 
was collecting for Messrs. Veitch and Co., at 
a place called Cuesta Dormeda, about sixteen 
leagues from Valparaiso. It flowers in the 
autumn, but we suspect is quite as manage- 
able as T. Tricolorum in this respect, and 
will, we expect, be shown in perfection with 
it. There are several other very distinct 
species or varieties of this genera. Tropasolum 
Brachyceras, from Chili, and T. Aduncum, from 
New Granada, have yellow fringy flowers, 
and grow rapidly, though their plants are 
slender, after the fashion of those we have 
mentioned last, but perhaps not so tender ; 
indeed B rachyceras will, if transplanted from 
the seed-pot in May, climb and cover a house- 
front before the season is out, and be literally 
covered with its bright yellow flowers. The 
common Nasturtium is called Tropasolurn Ma- 
jus, and its varieties we have already men- 
tioned, except a double kind, which was no 
doubt from seed originally, but wdiich is now 
perpetuated from cuttings. As a contrast to 
this in size, we have Tropseolum Minus, which 
is a pretty well-formed flower, far better than 
that of Majus; and the double variety, so 
generally cultivated as a greenhouse-plant, is 
the double variety of Minus. The only kinds 
we should care to cultivate in the green-house 
are the Tricolorum and its varieties, which go 
by various names of persons who have raised 
them from seed, or who have imported the 
tubers, and the only difference in which ap- 
pears in the size ; and the blue one called 
Azurea. The others we should grow out of 
doors, on walls, or trellises, or in wilder- 
nesses, if we grew them at all. The other 
species we propose to mention are Tropaso- 
lum Tuberosum, which is a coarse grower, 
and what has been called a shy bloomer. This 
arises from its having been misunderstood at 
first. It has tubers, which multiply like a 
potato, and may be planted out of doors in 
May, after being started in pots. They grow 
as rapidly, and bloom as abundantly, as any 
sort we have. The flower is yellow, marked 
with veins of black ; and, like most of the 
others, appear at the footstalk of every leaf. 
It is rather gay, but if we except the two or 
