PASSIFLORA. 
T HIS is an extensive genus of extremely beautiful 
flowering plants, either for the greenhouse, conser¬ 
vatory, or for the open border. The genus, a very exten¬ 
sive one, being composed of hardy, half-hardy and tender 
species, are rapid climbers, and mostly natives of North 
and South America, a few only being indigenous to Asia. 
The name was applied from the resemblance afforded by 
the parts of the plant to the instruments of our Lord’s 
Passion and its attendant circumstances; thus the three 
nails—two for the hands and one for the feet—are repre¬ 
sented by the stigmas; the five anthers indicate the five 
wounds; the rays of glory, or, as some say, the crown of 
thorns, are represented by the rays of the “ corona; ” the 
ten parts of the perianth, the Apostles, two of them absent 
(Peter, who denied, and Judas, who betrayed our Lord); 
and the wicked hands of his persecutors are seen in the 
digitate leaves of the plant; and the scourges in the ten¬ 
drils. While we are free to say that it requires an elastic 
imagination to see all the emblems as portrayed, we must 
say the derivation of the name shows plainly the inclina¬ 
tion of the mind of the early “ father ” who had the nam¬ 
ing of this beautiful genus. 
All the passion-flowers are handsome, fast-growing 
and free-flowering plants. P. Pfordtii is one of the 
best varieties for summer flowering in the open bor¬ 
der, and is, moreover, one of the most beautiful. This 
variety originated with Messrs. Pfordt & Son, Albany, 
N. Y., but we do not know in what manner. Its 
flowers closely resemble those of P. actinia , the subject 
of our illustration. They are fully four inches in 
diameter, and a plant two years old will often have twenty 
flowers open at one time, and will be in bloom the entire 
summer and autumn. It can be kept in the cellar during 
winter. P. incar 7 iata is a South American species, but 
is regarded as hardy in this latitude—at least it is with 
slight protection. 
A correspondent writes us from South Carolina con¬ 
cerning our native species as follows: 
“ I was in my delightful old kitchen-garden this after¬ 
noon watching my two gardeners mowing—not hay, 
but veritable passion vines,—and gathering in my hands 
great clusters of the exquisite, fragrant, beautiful flowers 
with quaint flower-buds undeveloped, I wondered what 
our Northern flower-lovers would say and think to see 
two strong men, whose scythes with every sway bring 
down hundreds of these flowers so prized and nursed 
there ; with each step they are crushed under regardless 
feet, and the hot summer air is filled with a delicious 
perfume. Although the thermometer registered some¬ 
where in the nineties a gentle breeze stirred the leaves ; 
the mocking-birds thrilled me with their dulcet notes; 
life seemed worth the living. 
“We have here two varieties of these passion-flow¬ 
ers ; one pure white, the other a deep violet purple 
exactly like the exotic, if I remember correctly, only with - 
us it is a tuberous-rooted perennial, which dies down each 
winter but comes up with renewed vigor the following 
spring. It proves a troublesome weed here, for when 
once it gains a foothold it is almost impossible to root it 
out; but it is truly a beautiful sight to see this brave in¬ 
truder, as I have often seen it, thickly covering an acre of 
ground with thousands and thousands of blooms, which 
are followed by an edible fruit, oval or egg-shaped, hav¬ 
ing a mawkish sweet taste, not pleasant to many persons, 
except the children and the blacks of this section, who 
seem fond of it. 
“ The calyx which incloses the flower is divided in ten 
parts, five of them pale green and five pale cream. 
Within these are the many petals of the flower (resem¬ 
bling somewhat a Japanese chrysanthemum, only per¬ 
fectly flat and regular); they are thread-like, and of a 
deep violet color, with a shading of alternate lines of 
white and pale lavender near the centre, which reminds 
you of the halo around pictured heads of “ Our Saviour ; ” 
in this again, around the style, is a circle of deep maroon, 
upright, fringe-like stamens. The stigma is much up¬ 
lifted and to me, with no knowledge of botanical terms, 
indescribable, but it adds much to the attractiveness 
of the flower. 
“ I have never seen the white variety in bloom, but 
had a dozen tubers sent me this season. I would like to 
see a tuber tested North. I know it is not native there, 
but I think it would prove as hardy as many far less 
desirable plants. I have it planted to run on my front - 
piazza. In good soil it will throw out, in one season, 
branches fully twenty feet in length.” 
THE MIXED BORDER. 
I N our last number we dwelt to a considerable extent on 
the delights and regrets of our flower-garden, but did 
not enter into the details of arrangement, which has much 
to do with the success or failure in gardening operations. 
Order must unite with the beautiful objects in nature, as 
well as in art, to give pleasing effects. The garden that 
is orderly and neat is always beautiful, no matter what 
class of plants may be found in it, and, on the contrary, 
plants that are not well cared for and well arranged are 
not objects of beauty. 
Nowhere is disorder more apparent than in a poorly- 
arranged mixed border. And. moreover, there is no sys- 
