48 
OSPHRESIOLOGY OF FLOWERS.—PENTSTEMON COBCEA. 
OSPHRESIOLOGY OP FLOWERS. 
(HLOQUET lias given the name of Osphresiology (from O crcppaaia, an odour, or Ocrcpp-rjais, smelling) 
V to the theory of the knowledge of odours. He has written a large treatise on this subject, which 
naturally has found its application to horticulture; and has well observed that we cultivate the Reseda 
not for its beauty, but for its perfume. It is agreed, that a flower, though not brilliant, if fragrant, is 
alwavs modest and full of virtue. 
«/ 
We are accustomed to admire flowers, when they are fresh and in the full exercise of their func¬ 
tions. Our love for them is allied to their fragrance. Physiologists even believe that odour is given 
in particular to flowers that these fragrant emanations might attract insects, and even birds, for the 
purpose of placing in contact by their predations, the pollen and the stigma. They add, that since 
camphor, if cast on a plate of wet glass, dries up the moisture on the part where it falls, the perfume 
emitted from corollas dries the air, by depriving it of watery vapours which are ungenial to the pollen. 
We are very willing to admit these facts and arguments as being in accordance with truth. 
There are, however, with flowers, posthumous odours, that is to say, odours that survive the 
flowers; and there are instances also of the odours not being emitted till the flowers have arrived at a 
certain state of decay. The latter emissions take place after the process of fecundation ; they must have 
functions, the mystery of which physiology has not yet penetrated. In the consideration of this sub¬ 
ject, I read, in a collection of papers which I edited in 1836, as follows :— 
“ The fresh spike of flowers of the Orchis mascula, newly opened, has no appreciable odour ; but 
when the flowers decay, and especially when they have dried on the stalk, they emit an offensive 
feline smell. Two plants that I gave to a lady, produced, in drying, a smell of this kind so strong, 
that during several days, no one suspecting the supposed innocent flowers, a vigorous search was kept 
up for the feline pest, which, it was believed, had contrived to secrete itself in the room. At last, 
however, the real culprit was discovered. On another occasion, a child, having returned from the 
woods with a bouquet of the flowers of this species, left it to wither in a room which was found unin¬ 
habitable so long as the flowers remained.”— Professor Morren : La Belgique Horticole. 
PENTSTEMON COBCEA. 
W E were favoured last summer by Messrs. Downie and Laird, of Edinburgh, with a fine specimen of 
the rare Pentstemon Cohoea, of which we regret the limited space afforded by the plates in this work 
will not allow us to republish a figure, which this fine species well merits. Mr. Downie, however, who 
has had much success in its cultivation, has kindly sent a brief account of his mode of treatment, which 
we subjoin:— 
“ I have hitherto been very successful in cultivating this beautiful plant by following the plan I will 
now describe :—I strike the cuttings in small sixty-sized pots, in light sandy soil, putting them into a 
dung hot-bed frame until they are struck, when I remove them to the stove, and place them under a 
hand-glass, until they are well taken with the pot, always taking care, however, to exclude air and 
sunshine. I afterwards gradually inure them to the ordinary atmosphere of the stove, in which they 
remain until such time as I consider them strong, and able to bear a colder atmosphere, to which they 
are gradually inured, and finally removed to the open air. It is of the greatest importance in the early 
stage of their culture, to keep them from a current of cold ah'. 
“ The plants I wish for stock I plant in the open ground, in deep rich loam, where they stand till 
September, or the beginning of October. They are then lifted and put in a cool greenhouse for the 
winter. As, however, this is a plant very subject to mildew, and prevention being better than cure, I 
generally dust them well over with sulphur when housing them, even although there be no appearance 
of mildew present.”— J. Downie. 
