FRANCISCEA EXIMIA. 
FRANCISCEA EXIMIA. 
Nat. Order, Scrophulariace.ze, Bentham, Atropace^e, Miers. 
Generic Character.- -Franciscea, Fold. (char, emend.). 
Calyx inflated-tubular, mouth oblique, five-toothed. Corolla 
salver-shaped, tube narrow, a little inflated'at the hack at the 
summit; throat constricted into a very prominent oblique mouth; 
limb oblique, rotate, expanded, five-toothed beyond the middle ; 
lobes unequal, rounded, entire, the uppermost largest; aestiva¬ 
tion quincuncially imbricated, the sinuses introflexed. Stamens 
four, didynamous, included, short, inserted in equal pairs be¬ 
neath the dilatation of the tube, the two longer beneath the large 
upper lobe; filaments rather fleshy, compressed, corrugated, in- 
flexed at the apex ; anthers reniform, compressed, affixed by the 
sinus, one-celled, opening with two valves by a marginal slit, the 
globose polliniferous receptacle conspicuous in the sinus. Ovary 
obovate, surrounded at the bottom by a stalked fleshy glandule, 
two-celled; placentas fleshy, prominent, adnate to the dissepi¬ 
ment on both sides, many-ovuled; style filiform, very much 
thickened at the apex and indexed; stigma two-lipped, lobes 
short, rather thick, obtuse, glandular within. Capsule ovate, 
included in the persistent calyx, coriaceous, two-valved, two- 
celled ; valves parallel to the ultimately free placenta. Seeds 
few, rather large, oblong, subangular, convex on the back, 
j hilum ventral, conspicuous concave, testa reticulately-pitted. 
i Embryo contrary to the hilum, incurved in the axis of fleshy 
albumen ; cotyledons ovate compressed one-third the length 
and twice as broad as the terete radicle, which is slender below. 
—Brazilian and Peruvian under-shrubs ; leaves alternate, quite 
entire, oblong. Cymes terminal, densely capitulous or loosely 
few-flowered, rarely reduced to a single flower; bracts small; 
flowers showy, violaceous, sometimes paler, tube of the corolla 
about equal to the calyx, more rarely twice or four times as long. 
— Miers, in Ann. of Nat. Hist . Ser. II., v. 249.) 
Franciscea eximia, Scheidweiler . — Choice Franciscea.— 
Leaves oblong, or lanceolate acuminate, opaque, paler beneath; 
branches erect, and, as well as the calyx, downy; tube of the 
corolla curved, slightly exserted; cymes loose, two-, three-, or 
four-flowered; calyx an inch long, tubular, sub-inflated; pe¬ 
duncles half an inch long; corolla intensely blue-purple. 
Synonymy.— Franciscea eximia, Scheidweiler MS. Gard. 
Mag. Bot., i. 16. 
B ESCRIPTION.—A somewhat erect-growing shrub, attaining three to four or fire feet in 
height, and apparently having the habit of Franciscea latifolia. The leaves are oblong, or 
lanceolate, tapering to a sharp point, from three to six inches long, and an inch and a half broad, 
of a dull green colour. At the ends of the shoots and lateral branches grow the few-flowered 
cymes, which are furnished with ovate-acuminate bracts at the base of the peduncles. Cymes 
two- to four-flowered, the flowers large and showy, three inches in diameter, of a deep violet 
colour, becoming paler after expansion, as in the other cultivated species. Calyx with five 
sharp-pointed nearly equal teeth. Corolla tube somewhat exceeding the calyx, slender, curved 
near the apex; limb of five spreading rounded undulated lobes, somewhat deeper coloured 
] 
towards the base. 
History, &c. —The fine species of Franciscea, which forms the subject of the annexed 
plate, is a native of Brazil; where it was found, in the environs of Villa Franca, in the province 
of St. Paul, growing in the shady parts of the untrod forests. It was disco^red by M. Libon, 
the collector of M. de Jonghe, of Brussels, and was received by M. de Jonghe in 1847. We 
understand it has already found its way into several English gardens. 
In Belgium this Franciscea eximia is spoken of as the finest species of the genus yet in 
cultivation ; and we learn, also, that it proves to be a free flowerer—plants of the height of two 
feet and a half producing successively through the blooming season upwards of two hundred 
blossoms, of the size and colour represented in our plate. The first blossoms borne in Europe 
were produced in March, 1849, and the original plant again commenced flo’wering in January, 
1850, and continued to produce blossoms till the end of June. Young plants are also reported 
to flower freely. 
Culture. —The Francisceas require to be grown in the stove. When at rest, hov'ever, 
which, in the different species, occurs at varying periods, the temperature of an intermediate 
house is high enough for them; and from this state of rest they are excited by a gentle in¬ 
crease of temperature, aided by the use of mild bottom heat. They are increased by cut¬ 
tings of the young shoots planted in sand under bell-glasses, and plunged in a gentle heat. 
When they produce seeds, this affords another means of increase ; F. latifolia not unfrequently 
bears seeds. They should be potted in a compost of fibry peat, good mellow loam, and leaf- 
mould, in about equal parts, enough sand being added to secure the free passage of w r ater. Of 
this element they must have but little while in a dormant state, but w T hen growth has become 
active they will be benefited by a liberal supply, if care is taken that it does not stagnate. The 
large-leaved species seem to require the most liberal supplies of water. Several of the species 
rank amongst the most useful of winter-blooming plants.—-M. 
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