THE 
FLORIST’S JOURNAL. 
February, 1844. 
THE PETUNIA. 
WITH AN ENGRAVING OF P. PUNCTATA. 
The Petunia has been, from the first year of its introduction 
to British collections, a general favourite ; its easy management, 
robust character, and copious blooming, have ever rendered it 
desirable for all the purposes of embellishing either conservatory, 
greenhouse, or flower garden ; it is, however, needless to insist 
on claims which are everywhere conceded, we therefore pass on 
to a slight sketch of the history of the genus, and thence to its 
cultivation. 
The name Petunia is derived from the Peruvian word Petun , 
a name for tobacco, because of the affinity of this genus with 
Nicotiana (see Vol. IV. p. 217.) The first species we have re¬ 
collection of is P. acuminata , which came from Chili about 1826, 
after it in 1823, P. nyctaginijlora , or as it was then called Nico¬ 
tiana nyctaginiflora, from South America. This curious little 
species is still very generally grown, though rather more difficult 
to preserve in good health than any other of the genus; this was 
followed by P. violacea in 1830, from Buenos Ayres ; and so un¬ 
certain were the distinguishing characters of the plant, that it 
was called, beside the name we employ, P. phcenicea , and it was 
also proposed to unite it with the new genus Nierembergia , while 
by others it was referred to Salpiglossis as S. integrifolia ; it is 
now, however, universally known as a Petunia. From the in¬ 
troduction of this species may be dated the origin of the many 
hundreds of seedling varieties which have annually appeared, 
and as regularly been eclipsed by some more recent production. 
vol. v. NO. II. D 
