FEBRUARY. 
17 
ANNIE VERBENA. 
WITH AH ILLUSTRATION. 
This strikingly beautiful Verbena came twice before the Floral Committee 
in the course of last season. On the first occasion, when shown in the cut 
state, it was granted a second-class award; but, when again staged on the 
13 th of September, in the form of a well-grown freely-bloomed plant, it 
received a first-class certificate, as it well deserved. In our opinion it is the 
best striped Verbena we have yet obtained, the habit being healthy, th‘e trusses 
both abundant and good, and the colour pleasing and attractive. It is a blush 
white at the margin (rather too deep in our plate), with a broad wedge-shaped 
stripe of carmine in the centre of each segment. The marking is, in fact, 
analogous to that of Striata perfecta, only in a different colour. Mr. Cooling, 
of Bath, is the fortunate possessor of this pretty acquisition, and we are 
indebted to him for the specimen from which Mrs. Dix has prepared the 
accompanying very charming figure. 
A striped variety of similar character, but in which the ground colour was 
whiter, and the markings of a much paler pink, and less regular and constant, 
has been shown by Mr. Turner under the name of Princess of Wales. It 
does not, however, approach our present subject in regard to merit. 
We borrow from a contemporary some remarks bearing on the subject of 
these striped Verbenas :— 
“ Amongst the manifest improvements which have been effected in the 
varieties of garden flowers, and the deviation from a normal condition, it is 
somewhat remarkable that we have as yet obtained so few really good striped 
Verbenas. There is the old Striata perfecta, now familiar to most growers of 
choice flowers, a constantly marked and really beautiful variety, with the limb- 
segments of its flowers bluish lilac, regularly and distinctly margined with 
white. During the past season a variety has been brought into notice by Mr. 
Cooling, of Bath, which has flowers of the same character as those of Striata 
perfecta, only the ground colour is carmine. This variety is called Annie, 
and is a most welcome addition to the class of striped flowers, which we 
trust to see still further enriched by the addition of other colours marked in 
a similar way. 
“ If there is a scarcity of good striped Verbenas, there is no lack of bad 
ones. Those who have visited Chiswick during the past season, or have 
attended the summer exhibitions and meetings, or have visited the nurseries 
in which this class of flower is cultivated, will probably have seen a long 
series of them with a set of most unpronounceable Italian names, which 
outdo, if possible, the unmanageable titles borne by some of the French Roses. 
The set of Verbenas we are now referring to, is, it appears, of Italian origin, 
and we are sorry to say that in the whole series we have not met with one 
which was worth growing as a garden flower. They have poor, paltry, mis¬ 
shapen flowers, inconstant colours, and inveterately bad habits. Perhaps our 
cross-breeders may make something of them, and we trust they may, for a 
greater variety of good-striped Verbenas is very desirable. These Italian 
striped varieties are unevenly flaked with purple or red upon a white ground, 
as in the case of Carnations, not bordered with white, like the English varieties 
before alluded to.”—( Gardeners' Chronicle, 1864, 1251.) 
Our own English varieties, Striata Perfecta, Annie, and Princess of Wales, 
seem to offer the best chances of obtaining this process, which we quite agree 
it is desirable we should realise. M. 
VOL. IV. 
