198 
SCROPHXJLAUEOUS PLANTS. 
order, as Besleria, Achimenes , Maurandya , and Mimulus; but 
there can be no doubt in the minds of those who happen to know 
the best species of the genera first mentioned, of there being at 
least a full equality between them and those of the genera com¬ 
monly grown. For the present I will confine my remarks to 
those already mentioned, and as they happen to have fallen under 
my care, I will give you the particulars of their management, 
that if any lover of plants for their own beauty should feel dis¬ 
posed to adopt them, he may have at least a basis for future 
operations. 
The species of Pedicularis are what is commonly called frame 
perennials, which implies that they are capable of withstanding 
all the vicissitudes of our climate with the exception of frost, 
from which they must be protected either in good pits or the 
greenhouse; in summer they are eminently ornamental either in 
the open air or in the greenhouse. 
There is one species, the P. sceptrum carolinum, which on ac¬ 
count of its large masses of brilliant yellow flowers should always 
be grown for flower-gardening purposes, and as it possesses much 
of the character of the Salvia, is well suited for grouping with 
them, and as its colour is not present in that genus, or but very 
rarely, the advantage of adding this plant for variety will be evi¬ 
dent 3 * the greater part of the species are of the same colour, 
though a few have the more common tints of the order, purple 
and pink; the peculiar blending of all these colours in P. flammea 
is well expressed in its name, for it has exactly the vivid shades 
of fire. 
Their culture is by no means difficult; propagation is effected 
by seeds and division of the plants ; the principal matter to be 
attended to is their careful preservation from frost and damp 
in winter. 
Isoplexis is but a small genus, containing two species, canari- 
ensis and sceplrum; both have deep orange-coloured flowers, 
produced on densely-filled large spikes; they are from Madeira 
and the Canaries, and consequently with us require the treatment 
of greenhouse plants, bearing to be placed in the open air through 
the middle of summer. They partake more of a shrubby charac¬ 
ter than the former genus, and grow considerably larger. They 
