104 
AMERICAN- AQRICULTURIST. 
[MaeCh, 
Di'. D. has shown that the pollen lube is not 
a continuous tube, but consist of a series of cells 
formed successively, growing through the tis¬ 
sues of the pistil,—in the Tiger Flower, at the 
rate of one inch in six hours—and this even 
when the ujrper end of the tube is destro 3 ’ed. 
He also observes that the pollen tube does not 
penetrate the embryo sac, but that nevertheless 
the contents of the tube enter to the embryo 
sac, after which the embiyo commences to form. 
------ 
The Finer Sorts of Clematis. 
The climbing species of Clematis are general 
favorites, and some of them, s^h as ClemuUs 
Flammula, Viticella, etc., have oeen known in 
the gardens these hundred years, and our native 
late llowering 6'. FiVyfrafana—always admired 
in its wild state, both in flower and fruit—should 
1 )c seen much oftener in cultivation than it is. 
This wild species, known as Virgin’s flower, 
and Traveller’s Joj^, is found in rather moist 
places and may be transferred to the garden. 
But these old varieties are quite eclipsed by 
their newer relatives from China and Japan, 
which have come to us within a few years. Still 
they are not as common or as well known 
as they should be. Clematis patens, from Ja¬ 
pan, and G. lanuginosa, from China, have 
given origin to some varieties, the flowers of 
which are of enormous size, and of great deli¬ 
cacy of texture and color. They are perfectly 
hardy, grow about six feet high, and will suc¬ 
ceed in any soil not too heavy and wet. In 
June and Jul}", they arc covered with flowers 
like those represented in the engraving—which 
gives that of G. lanuginosa, one of the largest. 
It is impossible for us to represent in an engrav¬ 
ing the delicacy and softness of ^he bluish lilac 
color of this flower. There is a variety 
which is of a much lighter shade. The flowers 
of Clematis gmtens are nearly as large as the 
above, and of an azure blue, with brown sta¬ 
mens; it has in the gardens and catalogues 
sometimes the names G. cerulea, and G. azurea 
grandijlora. This species has produced several 
named varieties, among which are; Amelia, 
pale lilac, with yellow stamens; Helena, flowers 
at first greenish, but becoming pure white; 
Sophia, white, boi'dered with violet; Louisa, 
yellowish white, with brown anthers; and I 
strosa, with partly double pure white flowers, 
which are smaller than those of the other varie¬ 
ties. The plants should be set in a sheltered 
place, as their large and delicate flowers soon 
have their beauty destroyed by any violent 
winds. G. jlorida is also a Japanese species, 
wliich has been a long while in cultivation. It 
climbs to the hight of 13 or 15 feet, and bears a 
great profusion of large white flowers. There 
is a double variety, which is also white, and a 
purple one called G. Sieboldii, wliich was former¬ 
ly grown only as a green-house plant,.but which 
has proved tolerably hardy. All of the above 
should, in cold localities, be laid down and cov¬ 
ered with earth, and they will bloom all the 
finer if this be always done. Like many choice 
things, these varieties are fnultiplied slowly. 
They are grown fi'om layers and cuttings, and 
the choicer sorts are mostly propagated by 
grafting upon the root of some of the more 
common species of Clematis. The nursery cat¬ 
alogues have them at 00 cents and upward, 
according to their rarity. We have only noticed 
those which may be had in our nurseries; there 
are several fine varieties advertised by Euro¬ 
pean florists, which are not yet offered here. 
