234 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ October, 
The genus Stevia is an old one of Cavanilles, nearly all of whose representa¬ 
tives are natives of Mexico, where they enjoy a wide distribution, and are generally 
met with growing at considerable altitudes, though, of course, far below the line 
of strictly alpine vegetation. It belongs to the large natural order Composites , 
amongst whose 12,000 species it is referred to the section Eupatoriece , and in 
popular parlance may be said to be a first cousin to the Ageratums , familiar 
to all as a well-known element amongst the bedding-out plants of the present 
day. They divide themselves into two sections,—the one consists of true her¬ 
baceous plants that die down annually to a remarkably short underground 
root-stock; the other of shrubby evergreen plants, much less hardy, and liable 
to perish with a few degrees of frost. Of the latter section I believe we have 
only two species in cultivation. In the former, or herbaceous group, there is so 
much similarity in growth and general character, that it will be better to pre¬ 
face its consideration in detail by a few general remarks that will be applicable 
to all, supplementing the same with a few distinctive characteristics by which 
the species may be identified. I have already said they have a remarkably 
short underground root-stock ; from the lower portion of this proceeds a dense, 
tufty mass of hard, almost woody, deep-seeking roots, and from the upper part 
is developed a number of stems, rising to a height varying from 14 ft. to 2 ft., 
well furnished with small linear or ovate leaves. The flowers are small, consist¬ 
ing of about a dozen florets, surrounded with a green involucre; an important 
specific variation arises from the dense or lax arrangement of these flowers, 
but under whichever arrangement they may occur, they are produced in such 
abundance that they give the plants a striking and graceful appearance, all the 
more effective seeing that their blooming period extends from August to the end 
of October, and even into the dull month of November, always excepting, how¬ 
ever, that a severe autumnal frost does not mar their beauty. 
S. Eupatorici has densely-massed heads of pink flowers ; the stems thus ter¬ 
minated are also slightly pink, and furnished with short hairs ; the leayes short 
and obovate ; the whole plant of somewhat rigid growth. Flowers in August. 
S. glandulifera produces scattered leafy corymbs of bright deep rosy flowers; 
the stems are not nearly so foliaceous as in the former species, and when growing 
vigorously the plant attains a height of 2 ft., or more; the leaves are almost ovate. 
S. ivcefolici has light green, narrow, almost spathulate, leaves ; each stem is 
terminated with a dense compact head of white flowers; these are produced in 
the early part of August, and are succeeded afterwards by secondary growths 
from the original stem, somewhat smaller, but similar in character. These are 
exceedingly useful as cut-flowers in the month of October. 
S. laxijiora. —As the specific name very properly indicates, the flowers are 
in this plant widely distributed over branching foliaceous stems ; they are of a 
purplish colour, but as raised from seed, are liable to assume a light lavender 
tint; their scattered arrangement renders them less valuable for bouquets, but 
in ordinary growth in the garden they are even more effective. This plant has 
a vigorous growth, attaining a height of nearly 3 ft., and blooms in September 
and October. 
