137 
NEW SEEDLING VERBENAS. 137 l^ 
NEW SEEDLING VERBENAS. 
Nat. Order. — Verbexack^e. 
Generic Character. — Verbena, Linnams. — Calyx tubular, 
four- or five-toothed. Corolla hypogynous; tube cylindrical, 
straight or incurved ; limb five-toothed, more or less unequal. 
Stamens foul", inserted on the tube of the corolla, included, 
spikes axillary or terminal, solitary, glomerate or paniculate ; 
flowers sessile, bracteate, of various colours. — {EndUcher Gen. 
Plant. 36J5.) 
The Verbenas, like many other races of florists' flowers, 
didynamous, all fertile, or the upper two without anthers. have been so much intermingled by cross-breeding, that the 
Ovary two- or four-celled, cells with one ovule ; style terminal ; j traces of their parentage are effaced. Many of the strong- 
stit/ma sub-capitate. Drupe dry, two-celled and separable into j growing varieties now in cultivation, doubtless, however, owe 
two parts, or four-celled and separable into four parts. Seeds their origin to V. teucrioides. 
solitary in the cells. Embryo exalbuminous ; radicle inferior. — ■ ] 
Derbs or under-shruhs, distributed throughout the wanner > Florists Varieties : — 
and temperate regions all over the world, most abundant in 1. Shylovk. 
South America, rarest in Central Asia ; erect, procumbent or 2. British Queen. 
ascending; leaves opposite, rigid, often serrate or incised, I 3. Exquisite. 
BESCRIPTION. — The Verbenas represented upon the accompanying plate are very remarkable 
varieties, and were raised by Mr. George Smith, of the Tollington Nursery, Homsey-road, 
who is certainly one of the most enthusiastic and fortunate raisers of this splendid and useful 
tribe of plants. They are remarkable for large size, good substance, fine form, and excellent 
habit; and we have no doubt will be regarded as great acquisitions by all who cultivate them. 
To Shy-lock, it is impossible for us to do justice as to colour; it is a bright heavy scarlet, not 
brilliant, but nevertheless a very telling colour in the parterre, and is, without doubt, the finest 
formed verbena in cultivation ; the large clear yellow eye makes it very remarkable. Queen of 
England is well represented, the bright eye being very conspicuous. Exquisite is an improve- 
ment upon Woodcock's Magnificent, being purer in colour, of better substance, finer in form, and 
much superior in habit. These and several more which Mr. Smith is sending out this spring, 
should be grown by every person who wishes to keep pace with the times. We saw the kinds 
growing last summer, and therefore know them to be worthy of commendation. It is unnecessary 
for us to offer any remark upon the cultivation of the Verbena, and we therefore append 
Mr. Glenny's criterion of perfection in the Verbena as a florists' flower : — 
This favourite bedding plant, of which the most conspicuous and useful variety was once 
V. Mclindres, has become a florists' flower; and, according to the authority now always quoted, 
Mclindrcs is altogether in the shade. It has, it is true, a brilliant scarlet hue, but the divisions of the 
flower arc narrow and deeply notched. The Properties of Flowers dictate, however strange it may 
have seemed at first, that the flowers shall be round ; the petals thick, and free from notch ; the colour 
dense, whatever shade it may be ; the bloom abundant ; the habit dwarf ; the trusses large ; and the 
flowers edge to edge. The wider, therefore, the segments and lobes of the flowers become, the Dearer 
they approach perfection ; and we do not despair of seeing the model very nearly attained. It is, 
however, desirable that the outer flowers of a truss should remain perfect until the inner ones arc 
bloomed ; and varieties of good substance will do this. — A. 
<0nrfott lints far States. 
MAY. 
Jfl FTER the middle of the month, gardeners will be busy transferring their plants to their summer 
XX quarters in the flower garden ; but as greatest haste in such matters is frequently least speed, I 
should advise all but those very favourably situated to pause; ere they commence operations too early, 
and until the plants arc thoroughly 'hardened ; as after the middle of May we have frequently Bi i ere 
frosts, which do very great injury to tender plants. Of course, the arrangement as to whal the beds 
are to be planted with, was made last autumn, and all the plants necessary have been prepared. If 
not, no time must now be lost, and every endeavour must be made to get the riant s strong and health] . 
We have had some inquiries about the Mr. Beaton's shot silk lied-, and we believe we are correct in 
stating that he used the gold-edged variegated Pelargonium and the Verbena venosa, intermixed, and 
not. the common variegated, and hence those who use the common kind are very likely to be disap- 
rn not the common variegated, and hence those who use the common Kind are very iikcr. 10 ue oisap- 
(4 pointed, inasmuch as the contrast of white and green will be very different to deep yellow and green. 
with the purple of the Verbena. We have not seen a bed of this kind ; but we can readily understand (■■ 
vol. in. T lb 
