THE COWSLIP AND PRIMROSE. 
407 
probably South Brazil. Tender green-house 
bulb. 
Habranthus intermedins, (intermediate 
Habranthus.) — The leaves are obtuse ; the 
flowers red, greenish yellow below ; flowers in 
September ; one foot high ; native of Brazil. 
Tender green-house bulb. 
Habranthus angustus, (narrow-leaved Ha- 
branthus.) — The leaves narrow obtuse ; the 
flowers purplish red ; flowers in September ; 
six inches high ; native of Brazil. Tender 
green-house bulb. 
Habranthus bifidus (two-cleft Habran- 
thus.) — The leaves narrow ; the flowers are 
pink, or purplish red, darker, and lined with 
green below ; flowers in June ; nine inches 
high ; native of Buenos Ayres. The variety 
littoralis, with deep purple flowers, inhabits 
Monte Video. Green-house bulb. 
J-Jabranihus versicolor. 
Habranthus Bagnoldianus, (Bagnold's Ha- 
branthus.) — The leaves obtuse; the flowers 
yellow, spotted with pale red ; flowers in Octo- 
ber ; one foot high ; native of Chili. Green- 
house bulb. 
Habranthus roseus, (Rose-coloured Habran- 
thus.) — The flowers of this kind are rose- 
coloured, green at the base ; flowers in June; 
one foot high ; native of the Island of Chiloe. 
Green -house bulb. 
Habranthus gracilifolius, (Slender-leaved 
Habranthus.) — The leaves are very slender 
and cylindrical ; the flowers are pale purple, 
with a green tube ; flowers in September ; 
nine inches high ; native of South America. 
A variety, chYLedBoothianus, has pink flowers. 
Frame bulb. 
Habranthus versicolor, (Changeable Ha- 
branthus.) — The leaves are acute ; the flowers 
are white, tinged with pink, tipped with red ; 
flowers in September ; nine inches high ; 
native of South America. Frame bulb. 
Habranthus robustus, (Robust Habran- 
thus.) —The leaves are channelled ; the flowers 
purplish pink, fading to white ; flowers in 
June; one foot high; native of Buenos 
Ayres. Green-house bulb. 
Habranthus pumilus, (Dwarf Habranthus.) 
— The leaves narrow ; the flowers rose-co- 
loured ; flowers in June; six inches high; 
native of Chili. Green-house bulb. 
Habranthus Andersonianus, (Anderson's 
Habranthus.) — The leaves narrow and acute ; 
the flowers golden or copper-coloured, marked 
at the base with reddish brown ; varies in the 
colour of the flower and breadth of the leaf ; 
flowers in May ; one foot high ; native of 
Buenos Ayres and Monte Video. Green- 
house bulb. 
Habranthus miniatus, (Vermilion-coloured 
Habranthus.) — The flowers are light red, 
flowers in July ; one foot high ; native of 
Valparaiso. H. advena, with red flowers, 
and H. pallidas, with pale yellow flowers, 
tinged with red, are supposed, with H. mini- 
atus, to be varieties of one species, to which 
Mr. Herbert has applied the name of H. 
Hesperius, to imply that they inhabit the 
extreme West. 
THE COWSLIP AND PRIMROSE. 
The confusion which the Botanists contend 
is made by the Florists, in their determined 
efforts to raise new varieties, must be annoying, 
no doubt, to those who are constantly building 
their hopes on new species ; but it is quite 
fitting that the only true gardener, the prac- 
tical man, should oppose his art of knocking 
down species to the science of those who are 
as constantly making on paper what does not 
exist in the garden. Hundreds of plants 
called species are nothing more than varieties, 
and the instant the gardener can get hold of 
one that has a point of excellence, he forth- 
with uses it as the means of producing cross 
breeds, and succeeds to his heart's content. 
In the Phytologist* there is a curious paper, 
by Hewett C. Watson, bearing directly on 
this subject; and we extract it because it will 
lead to many curious experiments and singular 
results. There are some subjects which, as 
the Botanists instruct us, comprise many 
species, and a very large number of varieties ; 
but when we see that the Florist brings them 
all into subjection, and produces varieties far 
more distinct from the parents than the parents 
are from each other, we are bound to look 
very suspiciously at the so-called species, and 
to suppose the possibility, if not insist on the 
probability, that the greater portion of species so 
called are nothing more than varieties. We 
* The Phytologist ; a Botanical Journal. London : 
John Van Voorst, Paternoster-row. 
