1 
PENTSTEMON AZUEEUS. 
PENTSTEMON AZUREUS. 
Nat. Order, Sciiophui,arlvce;e. 
Genkeic Character. — Pentsteraon, VHerit. — Corolla ven- 
tricose-tubulose, upper lip of the limb sometimes concave at the 
base and two-Iobed at the summit, sometimes two-pai'ted to the 
base, more rarely elongated and emarginate ; inferior lip patent, 
three-fid, bearded or naked at the base within. Fertile stamens, 
deelinate at the base within, adscendent at the apex; anthers 
variable ; filament of the fifth stamen sterile, subulate, often 
dilated, bearded or nalied at the apex, as long as the rest, or 
scarcely half as long. Style capitate-stigmatose at the apex. 
Capsule septicidally two-valved, valves entire or bifid ; seeds 
numerous, not margined, sometimes ovoid-subtriquetrous, in- 
curved, sometimes truncate at the apex with acute angles. — 
(Bentham D. C. Prod.) 
Pentstkmon Azurei'S. — Bentham, — Azure-flowered Pent- 
stemon.— SufFruticose ; branches and leaves minutely tu- 
bercular, with crystalline papillae ; leaves linear-lanceolate, 
entire, sessile, tapering to the base, somewhat clasping, upper 
ones narrower ; flowers numerous, in a long raceme ; peduncles 
short, crowded in the axils of the floral leaves ; corolla con- 
tracted and tubular at the base, campanulate above ; upper lip 
scarcely two-lobed, em-irginate, lobes of the lower lip broad, 
emarginate. 
BESCRIPTION. — A half-shrubby species, growing one and a half to two feet high ; branches 
twigg)', terete, of a reddish brown colour, somewhat glaucous from the presence of crystalline 
tubercles or papiUaj. Leaves opposite, sessile, somewhat clasping the stem, two and a half 
inches long, linear -lanceolate, entire, obtuse, broadest above the middle, with a long tapering 
stalk-hke base, shining green, minutely tubercular on both faces, the margins fringed with 
minute glandular papillaj, especially in the lower part. Flowers very numerous on a long 
leafy spiked raceme : the pedicels short, crowded in the axils of linear floral leaves, forming 3- 
to 6-flowered false whorls. Corolla contracted below, suddenly exiDanding into a beU shape ; 
the ujjper lip reflexed, scarcely two-lobed, emarginate ; the lower deeply three-lobed, the lobes 
broad, obtuse, and emargiuate ; tube pink at the base, passing into deep rose at the point 
where it expands into the delicate pm'plish blue campaniJate portion; limb deej) azure blue 
within. — A. H. 
HiSTOKY. — For an opjjortunity of figuring this very beautiful jilant we are indebted to Mr. 
E. G. Henderson, of the Wellington Nursery, St. John's Wood, in whose grounds it flowered 
in the autumn of last year. This Pentstemon is a native of the Sacramento Mountains in Cali- 
fornia, and was brought to the Horticultiu-al Society by Mr. Hartweg, in June 1848. At page 
144 vol. V. of the Journal of the Horticultural Society Dr. Lindley thus speaks of it : — " This 
hardy perennial is stated by Mr. Bentham to have been gathered in the dry river beds of the 
Sacramento. Hartweg wrote on his seed papers that it was a mountaiu plant. It is very 
handsome as a border flower, but, as its narrow foliage is not good, it is best grown among 
other species, such as Pelargoniums, &c." So far as we have been able to judge, the plant 
has very good foliage, and under proper management will.make an excellent bedding plant. 
CuiTUEE. — Like most of the Pentstemons this species is a very fi-ee-growing plant, and its 
beautifid blue flowers plentifully produced in long spikes entitles it to be classed among the 
very best. It is readily propagated by cuttings of the young wood either in the spring or au- 
tumn. If cuttings are taken in the spring the plants for a few weeks previously should be 
placed in a gentle moist heat, so as to promote new growth and get the wood quite tender, and 
then if the cuttings are taken off when about an inch long, and planted in light sandy soil, 
and the pots afterwards are plunged in a close frame with a gentle bottom heat they will strike 
root with great freedom. After the cuttings are rooted pot them off singly in rich soil, and 
when they are established in the pots, inure them gradually to the open air. Stop them if ne- 
cessary to make them branch, and plant in the open borders in April. Plants rooted in the 
autumn should be kept throvigh the winter in a cold frame. In dry sheltered situations no 
doubt it will prove quite hardy, but it is liable to suffer from damp. Planted thicldy in rich 
soil, and pegged down twice or thrice in the early part of the season this Pentstemon will 
doubtless make a fine blue bed for the autumn, and for the herbaceous borders it is certainly 
a first-rate plant. When left to themselves, and planted in rich soil, the plants wiU generally 
attain a height of from two to three feet. — A. 
'l^lTkT^'— 
^ss^fir^ 
