DRACOCEPH'ALUM PEREGRI'NUM. 
FOREIGN DRAGON’s-HEAD. 
Class. Order. 
DIDYNAMIA. GYMNOSPERMIA . 
Natural Order. 
LABIATE. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Introduced 
Siberia. 
1 foot. 
September. 
Perennial. 
in 1759. 
No. 659. 
The word, Dracocephalum, from the Greek, liter- 
ally means dragon’s-head. We have noticed this 
name and its derivation at length under No. 57. 
There is no species of Dracocephalum that can 
be considered otherwise than very ornamental in 
the garden, and nearly all are quite hardy. The 
beautiful blue-flowering species, Altaiense, is suffici- 
ently so, but this it is impossible to preserve in the 
open borders on account of the delight which slugs 
appear to have in banqueting on it. Three pink 
flowering species are met with in the nurseries, 
bearing considerable resemblance to each other, 
which for the little care they require should have a 
place in every garden. They are the Virginianum 
speciosum, and denticulatum. Another plant, a 
greenhouse species, is worthy of notice, as a close 
allie of those already mentioned — the Dracoceph- 
alum Canariense, or Balm of Gilead. This is so 
easily managed in a dwelling-house that all may 
have it, who possess sufficient taste to desire it. 
The present species, peregrinum, may be divided 
at the roots when increase is required ; it ripens 
seeds, from which it may also be easily propagated. 
Don’s Syst. Bot. v. 2, 813. 
