AGR 
AMA 
ing herbaceous plants of American deri- : 
vation; two species augustifolium and 
caeruleum require the protection of a 
greenhouse in winter; the others are < 
hardy border plants. 
AGROSTEMMA (Linn.) Nat. Order j 
SilenacetB. Hardy border plants, suit¬ 
able for shrubbery borders, where their 
showy red blossoms have a pleasing ap¬ 
pearance. 
ALLAMANDA (Willdenow.) Nat. 
Order Apocynacea ?. Magnificent stove 
climbing plants, producing large yellow 
bell-shaped flowers; they delight in a 
warm moist situation, and grow best in 
light fibrous peat. 
ALOE (Linn.) Nat. Order Ama- 
ryllidaceae. Formerly this was an exten¬ 
sive genus including the Agave already 
mentioned, together with the genera 
Apicra, Gasteria, Iiaworthia, and Phyl- 
loma, but separated on structural diffe¬ 
rences ; it now contains a great number 
of species of various aspects, all succu¬ 
lent and extremely curious; chiefly de¬ 
rived from the Cape of Good Hope, and 
easily cultivated in almost any kind of 
soil, in a good greenhouse; the flowers of 
most of them are small but highly co¬ 
loured. 
ALONA (Lindley.) Nat. Order No- 
lanacem. But one species of this genus 
is yet known to our gardens. It is a 
hardy greenhouse plant, bearing lovely 
light blue flowers, called A. cteleslis l a 
native Coquimbo. 
ALONSO A (Ruiz and Pavon.) Nat. 
Order Scrophulariaceae. There are six spe¬ 
cies of this genus, all of them pretty free- 
flowering plants, well-suited for planting 
in masses in the beds of the flower garden, 
where their numerous bright scarlet blos¬ 
soms make along-continued show, or they 
may be grown in pots, and brought for¬ 
ward to ornament the greenhouse in the 
early months of the year. Being natives 
of Chili and Peru, they require protec¬ 
tion from the severe frosts of our winters. 
Propagation may be carried to any ex¬ 
tent, either by cuttings or seeds, the 
latter are to be preferred. 
ALOYSIA (Palau.) Nat. Order Ver- 
benacece. The Aloysia citriadora , or le¬ 
mon-scented Yerbena, is an universal 
favorite with the gentle sex. It is a 
native of Chili, and may be grown in any 
rich soil, in a greenhouse or the windows 
of a sitting-room; it is readily increased 
by cuttings, placed in a pot of sandy 
earth, and covered with a bell glass. 
The name is a compliment to Maria 
Louisa, Queen of Spain, mother of King 
Ferdinand. 
ALSTROEMERIA (Linn.) Nat. 
Order Amaryllidacece . Yery beautiful 
tuberous-rooted plants, of varied charac¬ 
ter, occupying every position from the 
stove to the open air; they thrive best 
in a compost of sandy loam and peat in 
about equal quantities, and are propa¬ 
gated by separation of the tubers or from 
seed; tiie latter is found to produce new 
varieties. Their colours embrace every 
variation, from pale rose to a deep crim¬ 
son, with occasional blotches of yellow, 
green, or white. The following are among 
the most beautiful: pelegrinci , Sirnsii, 
Hooiceri , psittacina , light, Neillii, versico¬ 
lor, and its varieties, pulchra , magnified, 
and Cummingiana. 
ALYSSUM (Linn.) Nat. Order 
Crucifer re. A genus of dwarf-growing 
pretty plants, suitable for rockwork or a 
station among Alpines. Natives of the 
European Continent. 
AMARANTHUS (Linn.) Nat, Or¬ 
der Amarantacece. Hardy annuals, re¬ 
quiring but little skill or attention in 
the culture. The seed may be sown any 
time between March and May, and 
the plants afterwards thinned out to 
a distance of about a foot from each 
other. 
AMARYLLIS (Linn.) Nat. Order 
Amaryllidaceve. The type of a magnifi¬ 
cent order of bulbous-rooted plants. The 
number of true species belonging to this 
genus is yet but small, and mostly ob¬ 
tained from the Cape of Good Hope, or 
various parts of the continent of America, 
though the quantity of beautiful hybrids 
produced by the skill and perseverance 
of British cultivators is almost illimit¬ 
able. It has been frequently recom¬ 
mended to shake the roots out of the 
soil, and dry them on a shelf through 
the winter. We think it a better method 
. to retain them in the pots, and by turn- 
