2I8 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
GARDEN PLANTS— THEIR GEOGRAPHY, XL VIII. 
POLEMONIALES. 
THE rOLRMONIL'M, CONVOLVULUS AND SOLANUM 
ALLIANCE. 
This widely diffused alliance has 19 tribes, 210 
^eneia and 3,385 species, almost sure to be aug- 
mented as tropical exploration proceeds. 
In North American gardens it is represented by 
perennial and annual herbs and climbers, with but 
a few woody plants. These become more abun- 
dant as the tropics are approached. Several plants 
of economic value as the potato, tomato and to- 
bacco are included within it. A large number of 
ornamental species and varieties are grown in gar- 
dens, but the Phlox and Ipomeaes are much the 
most familiar in the Atlantic states. The line ot 
structural demarcation between this group and the 
preceding one is not very strong, the tribes of each 
seem to touch at several points. Both have regu- 
DRi'MMoxDii VAR. p. srmu,.vT.v. 
l.ir fl.awers, but the pentamcrous character seems 
more const. iiu in the-e. 
Tne eye of the gardener however discovers dif- 
r.ii.iA BR.vxuKGHi. — View's A/as^.izi;ic 
ferences of 
germin at i o n 
and growth, 
which scien- 
tific languages 
often fail to 
convey. In 
some tribes 
the c o t y 1 e - 
dones are 
strong 1 y 
marked and 
peculiar, and 
many bota- 
nists do not 
see the seed- 
ling plants. I 
cannot think 
tribal, or spe- 
cific characters 
complete 
where such 
primary or- 
gans are omitted, and no doubt a series of germi- 
nating tests would reveal a host of curious facts. 
Phlox has about 25 good species natives for the 
most part of North America, but with extensions 
to Russian Asi.i. Thirty-eight or forty or more 
have been de-cribed, and the names are legion. 
Ten or twelve w ith a perfect host of varieties are 
commonly grown in gardens. They are exceed- 
ingly show)-, sometimes tall growing and occarion- 
a ly wooily at the base, wdiile other sections are 
crcei'ing evergreen, or tufted moss like plants, and 
two of the Tex. in species are annuals. 
Quite a number of Rocky Mountain and w'estern 
forms occur, but little known in the Atlantic states 
or in Europe. With a range of color very similar 
to Rhododendrons with shades of lavender and 
blueish purple added, this fine genus of plants is 
capable of superb effects if planted in sufficiently 
large masses and distinct colors. The various kinds 
cover the whole flowering season. It is a mistake 
to employ many wishy-washy shades. As for the 
names, florists and nurserymen should avoid use- 
less synonomy. 
Colloinia is given ir species by some authors 
while others are dispos.ed to regard them as a sec- 
tion of the next genus. 
Gilia is a very variable genus of about 70 spec- 
ies as now constituted. They are chiefly found on 
the Pacific slope, and on the x\ndes of Ch ili. Sev- 
eral forms of the Gilia, Ipomopsis, Leptodactylon 
and Leptosiphon sections are in cultivation. G. 
tricolor has good foliage often very subject to 
aphis. 
