OF ORNAMENTAL ANNUALS. 
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proposed to Congress to send some competent persons to ascend the Missouri, cross the Stony Mountains, and 
explore the western part of North America. The persons chosen were, Lewis, who had been two years private 
secretary to Jefferson, and William Clarke, both of whom received captains’ commissions before their departure. 
The expedition occupied three years, and was very successful; and during the course of it, the Clarkia was 
discovered by Captain Clarke,, and dried specimens of it were sent to Pursh, the naturalist, who described and 
figured it in his Flora of North America. No seeds were however collected, and nothing more was heard of the 
Clarkia in England till 1826, when it was again discovered, and seeds of it sent home, by Douglas. It was one 
of the first Californian annuals imported. The Clarkias may he sown like the Godetias, in September, March, 
and May; and they require the same treatment. Clarkia pulchella looks very well mixed with mignonette. In 
this case, the seeds should not be sown in patches, but a bed of rather poor soil should be levelled, and sown all 
over thinly with Clarkia, and then with mignonette. When the plants come up, both kinds should be thinned 
out so as to leave the plants about two inches apart and not more, all over the bed ; and when they come into 
flower they will form a rich mass, and have a very pretty effect, the bushiness of the mignonette hiding the 
naked stalks of the Clarkia. 
2.—CLARKIA ELEGANS, Douglas. THE ELEGANT CLARKIA. 
Engravings. —Bot. Mag. t. 3592 ; Bot. Reg. t. 1575 ; Brit. Flow. 
Gard. Second Series, t. 209 ; and our fig. 3, in Plate 9. 
Synonyme. —Plueostoraa Douglasii, Spach. 
Varieties. — C. e. 2. rosea Hort.; our fig. 4, in Plate 9, lias the 
flowers of a pale brick-red, rather than rose-colour. It is very handsome. 
C. e. 3 fl. pi. Hort. has the flowers semi-double. 
Specific Character. —Leaves ovate, dentated and entire. Stem 
glaucous and branching. Petals rhomboid, undivided. Stigma 
pubescent, ovary hairy.— (Lindt.) 
Description, &c. —This elegant flower was introduced by Douglas from California, in 1832. It is rather 
different in its habit from C. pulchella , as it produces its flowers on a long raceme; the raceme growing longer, 
and expanding fresh flowers at the top, as those below drop and give place to ripe capsules. Clarkia elegans 
may be sown in April or May, and will continue in full beauty and continually opening fresh flowers from July 
to October. Its seeds may be procured at every seed-shop. 
3.—CLARKIA RHOMBOIDEA, Doug. THE RHOMBOID CLARKIA. 
Synonyme_C. gauroides, Hort. Specific Character. —Petals entire, rhomboid. Leaves lanceolate. 
Engravings. —Bot. Reg. t. 1981 ; Brit. Flow. Gard., Second Series, ( G. Don.) 
t. 379; and our fig. 5, in Plate 9. 
Descriptions, &c.— This species is easily distinguished from the other kinds by the shape of its petals. It 
has slender stems, and grows from one foot to two feet high. It was discovered by Douglas at the same time as 
C. pulchella , and his description of it was published in Sir W. J. Hooker’s North American Flora ; but he did 
not send seeds of it home till his last expedition, and these being found among some of his seed-papers in 1836, 
they were sown in the Horticultural Society’s Garden, and produced flowers. Mr. Douglas discovered another 
species of Clarkia at the same time, of which he was unable to procure seeds, but which he named C. unguiculata, 
the clawed Clarkia ; this species has not yet been introduced. The seeds of Clarkia rhomboidea , under the name 
of Clarkia gauroides, may be had at Charlwood’s Covent Garden, Carter’s Holborn, and most other seed-shops. 
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