150 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST, 
[ October, 
reproduced, and from whence, in the case of 
garden varieties, new sorts must be sought. Some 
of these, less shrubby than the rest, may be in¬ 
creased by division, but seedlings are gener¬ 
ally preferable, when they can be obtained. 
P. speciosus , cyananthus , Gordoni , Jaffrcujanus , 
and lmmilis are handsome plants, with azure- 
blue flowers. P. barbatus , Torreyi , and Mur- 
rayanus are fine scarlet-flowered sorts, the 
latter remarkable for its connate glaucous 
leaves. P. digitalis and Cubcea have hand¬ 
some light-coloured flowers, and P. Palmeri 
and Wrightii have very showy flowers, of a 
rosy tint. Of most of the species, it might be 
said that they are showy and attractive sub¬ 
jects, while of scarcely any could it be truly said 
that they are unornamental. P. cordifolius 
and antirrhinoides are two very pretty, neat- 
habited, fruticose species, the former with 
scarlet, the latter with yellow flowers. 
P. Clevelandi , represented in the accompany¬ 
ing engraving (from the Gardeners’ Chronicle ), 
is of the same general habit as the foregoing— 
that is, a perennial, with leafy stem, bearing a 
freely-branched, paniculate inflorescence. Its 
stem-leaves are stalkless, ovate-lanceolate in 
form and repandly toothed, whilst those borne 
amongst the flowers (floral-leaves) are very 
small. The flowers themselves are deep blood- 
red, displayed on a thyrsoid panicle, and are 
very numerous, set on by short pedicels, and 
having short calyx-lobes, and tubular funnel- 
shaped corollas, the tube of which is about an inch 
in length, and the limb consisting of five short 
rounded spreading lobes. It was described by 
Dr. Asa Gray in the Proceedings of the Ameri¬ 
can Academy of Sciences (187G, vol. xi., p. 94). 
As already noted, it commences to flower in the 
height of summer, and continues flowering 
throughout the autumn. It is well worthy a 
place amongst our choice hardy or half-hardy 
flowers.—-T. Moore. 
THE REV. G. JEANS ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
No. VII. 
0 conclude the subject of Form or 
yvffik Shape, we come, lastly, to treat of it 
I fyfA as subservient to an ulterior purpose 
—to set off to greater advantage some other 
means of beauty. This is a large rather than 
a difficult branch, requiring more a copious 
induction of particulars, than the announcing 
and establishment of any fresh general prin¬ 
ciples. Whatever can be correctly said upon 
the subject will be found to depend on some 
of those principles that have been laid down 
before. I shall not therefore here attempt any 
such extended induction, but confine my obser¬ 
vations within as narrow a space as will suffice 
to explain the mode of their application. 
“ With respect to the general forms of flowers, 
different shapes are best suited to different 
purposes. The cup-edged or rose-leaved petal, 
elegant as it is, is unsuited to shew the colours 
of the Polyanthus, the Auricula, or the disked 
Cineraria, though it enhances the beauty of the 
Carnation, the Picotee, and the Pink. The 
flat surface will not effectively display the 
markings of such as are equally painted on both 
surfaces, as the Tulip ; nor will the hollow cup, 
so admired in that flower, suffice to bring the 
single Poppy or Peony, with all its glowing 
colours, into favour with the fastidious. Regard 
must be had to the mode of colour, before a 
decision can be pronounced on the form most 
available for its display. The most perfect is 
when the flower is calculated to produce both 
a general effect as a whole, and likewise to 
attract observation to its several parts. In 
this respect, I imagine, the first place must be 
conceded, without a rival, to the Tulip, and the 
second probably to the Orchids. Nor does this 
prejudice the popular claim for the Rose, a claim 
in which I cordially join, to be the queen of 
flowers. The Rose has too many and too solid 
attractions to fear giving other flowers their 
due meed of superiority in particular points 
over itself. But the Rose is essentially a self- 
coloured flower, though there are some depart¬ 
ures from this rule, and for the most part with 
little improvement. And it is rather an en¬ 
comium upon, than a disparagement of, its 
merits, that having to contend at a disadvan¬ 
tage, it wins for itself the highest place in our 
esteem. The Auricula, the Pelargonium, and 
perhaps the Carnation, present more of a pic¬ 
ture,* and have more properties or points that 
conduce to excellence than the Rose. 
“ Were there any flower the colours of 
which are disposed with as minute a reference 
to mutual position as those of a picture, no 
doubt a perfectly flat surface would be best. 
And although making no such pretensions to 
accuracy, the Auricula is impatient of any 
other form, because the relative proportions of 
its primary subdivisions, which proportions are 
* The Pansy does; but I have no wish to expose a truth to 
ridicule, by appearing to compare the Pansy to the Hose. 
