178 THE LADIES' FLOWER-GARDEN 
TRIBE EUPATORIACE^. 
GENUS I. 
AGERATUM, Lin. THE AGERATUM. 
Lin. Sysi. SYNGENESIA ^QUALIS. 
Generic Character. — Head of many flowers, nearly globose. Involucre consisting of many imbricate linear scales. Receptacle naked. 
Corolla 5-cleft. Fruit nearly pentagonal, attenuated at the base. Pappus paleaceous. 
1.— AGERATUM MEXICANUM, Sims. THE MEXICAN AGERATUM. 
Synonvme. — A. conyzoides, var, Mexicanum, Dec. 
Engravings.— Bot. Mag. t. 2524 ; Swt. Brit. Flow. Gard. t. 89 ; 
and OUT Jig. 1, in Plate 31. 
Specific Character. — Stem hairy. Leaves ovate, nearly obtuse. 
Flowers blue. Palea of the pappus, dilated at the base, and awued at 
the apex. 
Description, &c. — This very curious flower was introduced in 1822 from Mexico, by* Mr. Bullock, so well 
known about that period for his exhibition of rein-deer, &c. The name of Ageratum is taken from two Greek 
words, signifying not to grow old ; in allusion to the great length of time that the plant continues in flower 
without changing. Ageratum Mexicanum is generally considered as a half-hardy annual, and is raised on a hot- 
bed in February, and planted out in May ; and though the seeds may be sown in a warm border in April 
without any danger of injury to the young plants from cold, it is generally better to raise them on a hotbed, or 
to purchase the young plants from a nurseryman, as when the seeds are sown in the open border, the plants will 
not flower till late in autumn, and the seeds will rarely ripen. The seeds should be sown thickly, as many of 
them are generally imperfect and will not vegetate. The Ageratum is a valuable flower for a bouquet, from the 
great length of time that it remains without fading. As it grows from one and a half to two feet high, and 
spreads a good deal, it is more suitable for a large garden than for a small one. 
OTHER SPECIES, 
There are several other species of Ageratum enumerated in the Hortm Brilannicus, and other Catalogues of 
plants, all of which are annuals ; but A. Mexicanum is the only kind now grown in flower-gardens. 
TRIBE ASTEROIDEjE. 
GENUS II. 
ASTER, Lin. THE ASTER, OR STARWORT. 
Lin. Syst. SYNGENESIA SUPERFLUA. 
Generic Character, — Flowers of the ray ligulate, female ; those I Involncral scales in three or four series ; spreading and ciliated. Fruit 
of the disk hermaphrodite, tubular. Receptacle rather convex. | obovate, compressed. Pappus double, deciduous. 
1,— ASTER CHINENSIS, Lin. THE CHINA ASTER, 
Stnontmes. — Callistemma hortense, Cass.; Callistephus chinensis^ 
Nees and Dec; Diplopappus chinensis, Less. ; Reine Marguerite, 
French. 
Engraving, — Our Plate 36. 
Varieties. — These are very numerous ; varying not only in colour, 
but in the form of the petals, some of which are quilled, as in fig, 1, 
in Plate 36 ; others are quite dwarf, and very handsome. The red, 
fig. 3, the blue, fig. 4, and the pink, fig. 5, in Plate 36, were the 
first kinds introduced into England; but the striped \mety, fig. 2, 
which is of the kind called the German aster, is of quite recent intro- 
duction. 
Specific Character, — Lower leaves spatulate, under ones rhomboid, 
and upper ones oblong ; all toothed, and somewhat ciliated. Branches 
elongated, each bearing a solitary head of flowers. 
Description, &c. — China Asters were first introduced into Europe by Father D'Incarville, a missionary in 
