214 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
GARDEN PLANTS— THEIR GEOGRAPHY, LIX. 
CHENOPODIALES. 
THE MIRABILIS, AMARANTHS AMD COCCOLOBA 
ALLIANCE. 
Contains 31 tribes, 230 genera and 2,016 spec- 
ies. A large proportion are humble and even 
abominable weeds. 
Many of the garden plants however are brilliant 
in color or beautifying in form, especially as the 
warm regions are approached. 
The Apetalous (or for those who wish more 
than one term the Monochlamydeous) plants be- 
gin here. They are distinguished generally by the 
indistinct character of their floral envelopes which 
are often mere leafy processes surrounding the few 
organs necessary to the perpetuation of the plants. 
A few of the tribes are mimetic and were placed by 
the older botanists such as Bartling and Brongniart 
in the vicinity of the Dianthi and Silenes. 
The Mirabilicie have but a calyx which seems 
a corolla. The ovaries too are said to be abso- 
lutely distinct. Still there are latter day botanists 
who revamp the old ideas and deem it advisable to 
distribute these plants among other groups ( even 
Euphorbias near the Hollyhocks, ) and regard them 
as apetalous forms of polypetalous plants. There 
is nothing for the gardener in the midst of the con- 
fusion but to adopt the system best known in the 
world— best adapted to landscape effect — and aid 
as he may in perfecting it. Mere provincialism is 
not to be regarded. A state of isolation may be a 
source of strength, but not if it ignores all around 
it, and persistently strives after the unattainable. 
There is no way to restore the dead and buried 
MIRABILIS JALAPA. 
generations of plants to a genealogical system, tor 
there is no full record of them. The geological 
records are merely suggestive. Americans I take 
it, will most conveniently learn plants from gardens 
as others have done and gardens should not be con- 
tradictory and confusing. 
Mirahilis “Marvel of Peru” has lO or 12 spec- 
ies of beautiful plants mostly from the warm parts 
of America. The flowers open towards evening. 
have a great range of color from yellow and white, 
to pink, red and purple, and are often deliciously 
fragrant. They are perennial, but mostly treated 
as annuals. Two or three species are found in 
Texas and the common “four o’clock” is possibly 
naturalized there. 
Allionia is monotypic but variable in Western 
North America, Cuba, Venezuela and Chili. 
Bongainvtllcea has 7 or 8 species from sub-tropi- 
cal and tropical xAmerica. They are mostly beau- 
tiful and gorgeous climbers. In the tropics they 
are seen growing through large trees. Even in 
southern California some do well. In central New 
BOUGAINVILLRA GhK&'BiK— Gardener' s Chrcnicle. 
Jersey B. glabra does well plunged during summer, 
and the dwarf form may prove a good bedder. 
Such plants should be spurred in, lifted early, and 
kept dry enough to be dormant during winter. 
The large bracts are colored from pale pink to 
magenta or sometimes dull red and on large plants 
are produced in immense profusion rendering the 
genus a perfect tropical glory. 
Abronia has 10 species mostly in Western North 
America. Some have shewy involucres in delicate 
shades of color ranging from white through yellow 
and orange to pink. Although perennial they are 
often treated as annuals. Several show best in the 
evening or early morning, and like many Pacific 
coast plants are uncommon in Atlantic States gar- 
dens. 
Illecebrum seems to be now regarded as mono- 
typic. I. verticillatum is an insignificant weed, 
but the tribes Illecebreoe and Paronychiem have 
been so bandied about between polypetalae and 
apetala; that they are more and more difficult to 
trace. 
