64 
THE LADIES’ FLOWER GARDEN 
GENUS III. 
BARTONIA, Nutt. THE BARTONIA. 
Lin. Syst. ICOSANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Generic Character. —Tube of the calyx cylindrical. Limb five-parted. Petals S-10, about equal in shape. Stamens numerous. Capsule 
3-7-valved, each placenta bearing two rows of seeds.—(G. Don .) 
1.—BARTONIA AUREA, Lindt. THE GOLDEN BARTONIA. 
Engravings _Bot. Reg. t. 1831 ; Brit. FI. Gard. 2nd Series, t. ! of the lower ones deeply serrated. Bracteas ovate, or pinnatifid. 
357 and our fig. 5, in Plate 10. I Petals five, obovate, pointed. Filaments numerous, filiform.— 
Specific Character. —Leaves ovate-lanceolate, pinnatifid ; segments | ( Lindl .) 
Description, &c. —One of the most beautiful of all the beautiful plants introduced from California by the 
unfortunate Douglas. This excellent botanist, who was killed a few years since, by falling into a pit placed to 
entrap wild cattle in the Sandwich Islands, introduced more ornamental annuals than any other collector. The 
Bartonia aurea (which was introduced in 1835) is indeed one of the most beautiful of garden flowers ; but “ it is 
only beneath the bright sunshine,” Dr. Bindley observes, “ that its splendid flowers unfold. In the early morning, 
the plant is a shabby bush, with pale, greenish-grey branches, and weedy leaves; but as the sun exercises his 
influence, the petals gradually unroll, as if in acknowledgment of his power, till every branch is radiant with 
gold : and so metallic is the lustre of the inside of its petals, that one would really think they must be composed 
of something more solid and enduring than the delicate and perishable tissue of a flower.”— {Bot. Beg. fol. 1831.) 
This description so admirably depicts the plant, that we could not resist the temptation of quoting it entire. Dr. 
Bindley adds, that the seeds should be sown in a sheltered situation, as the branches are very brittle, and easily 
broken by the wind; and that the plants require a rich moist soil. "We sowed some seeds, procured from Mr. 
Cliarlwood, in a warm rich border, in the open air, in May 1838, taking care to give the young plants plenty of 
water, and in the latter end of June they were splendidly in flower, producing a succession of blossoms till the 
plants were killed by the frost. This frost was a very slight one; and though it killed the Bartonia, and 
a Calandrina near it, did not hurt even the Geraniums (Pelargoniums), which were trained against a wall behind 
the Bartonia; while a crimson Verbena ( Verbena Tweediana) lived even after the Geraniums were killed. We 
mention this, to give some idea of the relative degree of hardiness of the plants, though, of course, even this degree 
will differ greatly in different situations. 
2.—BARTONIA ALBESCENS, Gill, and Arnott. THE WHITE-STALKED BARTONIA. 
Engraving. —Brit. FI. Gard. 2nd Series, t. 182. | the calyx. Filaments all dilated. Anthers subrotund, beardless. Stig- 
Specific Character. —Leaves sinuated. Petals scarcely longer than I mata three, separate.— {D. Don.) 
Description, &c. —A weedy-looking plant, with large, coarse-growing leaves, and very small flowers of a 
dingy white and yellowish tinge. The plant is a native of Chili, introduced in 1832, and as it requires to be 
raised on a hotbed, it is not likely to be much grown in flower-gardens in England. 
