OF ORNAMENTAL ANNUALS. I57 
with the neatness attendant on spring sowing. To explain what is meant by this, it may be observed that at 
the latter end of autumn the flower-beds in every garden present a very untidy appearance ; the ground is not 
only covered with dead leaves and stalks, but it has become rough and uneven from frequent rains, and to make 
it look well, it requires to be, what the gardeners call, dressed in October. This dressing, wliich consists of 
digging or forking the bed, and then raking it,. must of course disturb and indeed destroy the seedlings. It is, 
therefore, necessarily dispensed with in those gardens where plants are permitted to sow themselves, and the 
beds have consequently an untidy look tho whole year. The care of the seedlings also prevents the planting of 
crocuses, snow-drops, and the earlier kinds of Narcissus, as putting the bulbs into the ground would occasion 
blanks in the seedlings which would be very conspicuous when the plants came into flower. By the plan above 
mentioned of sowing the seeds of the Califomian annuals in some remote comer of the garden, and bringing them 
by spadefuls to the beds when wanted in spring, the flower-garden may be kept in a state of beauty and neatness 
all the year. As soon as the'Unnuals have done flowering, and the beds have been dressed in October, they may 
be planted with wall-flowers brought forward for the purpose and potted the preceding May, and which will 
give the buds a lively appearance during winter. When these have flowered, being biennials, they will die off, 
and may be cleared away ; and the beds, after being dressed, may be planted with the crocuses, &c., which should 
have been potted the previous August, and will soon flower after they are transferred to the open groimd. 
When these are over, the beds may be smoothed for the Califomian annuals, which are to be transferred to them 
by spadefuls as before directed. When these wither from the heat of summer, the beds may be filled with 
Petunias, Verbenas, &c. ; and when these fade they may be succeeded by fresh patches of Califomian annuals 
sown in spring as before directed for the autumn sowing, and which will keep the beds in beauty till October. 
Where Petunias and Verbenas are not plentiful, spring-sown annuals may be made to supply their place, and 
to succeed the autumn-sown ones." 
2.— LEPTOSIPHON DENSIFLORUS, Benth. THE CLOSE-FLOWERED LEPTOSIPHON. 
Emgratings. — Hort. Trans, vol. i. New Ser. t. W, fig.2\ Bot. I Specific Character. — Le.aves 9-11-cleft. Segments subulate, 
Rrg. t. 1725 ; Bot. Mag. t. 3578 ; Paxt. Mag. of Bot. vol. iii. p. 220 ; erect, ivith revolute margins. Tube of coiolla shorter than the limb. 
Hnd am fig. 2, in Plato 27. I — (G. Don.) 
Description, &c. — The flowers of this species, though larger, are neither so brilliant in their colours nor so 
elegant in their shape, as those of L. androsacem. The want of brilliancy in the colour is occasioned by the 
centre or eye being white, and the tube being short, thick, and pale ; the petals also are round instead of pointed. 
The plant is a native of California, where it was discovered, and whence its seeds were sent to England in 1 833 
by Douglas, at the same time as those of L. androsaceus ; the culture also is the same as for that plant. 
OTHER SPECIES OF LEPTOSIPHON. 
The following species were discovered by Douglas, but have not yet been introduced. 
■ - L. GRANDIFLORUS, Benth. 
Flowers large and blue, with a golden yellow or dark purple centre. 
