VERBENA _Aubletia_ tetrandra, spicis solitariis, coroliis fasciculatis, foliis cordatis inciso-serratis. _Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14._ _Murr. p. 66._ _Suppl. Pl. p. 86._
BUCHNERA canadensis _Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 13. p. 478._
VERBENA _Aubletia_. _Jacq. hort. v. 2. p. 82. t. 176._
OBLETIA _Journ. de Rozier introd. 1. p. 367. t. 2._
It has fallen to the lot of this plant to have an unusual degree of attention bestowed on it by various botanists, and after being regarded as a distinct genus by several, to be finally classed with the _Verbena_; in the _Supplementum Plantarum_ of the younger Linnæus it is minutely described.
We learn from the _Hortus Kewensis_ of Mr. Aiton that it is a native of North-America, introduced by Mons. Richard in 1774, and that it flowers in June and July.
The extreme brilliancy of its colours renders it a very ornamental greenhouse plant, it seldom grows above the height of two feet; in favourable seasons ripens its seeds readily, by which it is usually propagated, being a biennial.
Pelargonium Echinatum. Prickly-Stalked Geranium.
_Cal._ 5-partitus: lacinia suprema definente in tubulum capillarem nectariferum secus pendunculum decurrentem. _Cor._ 5 petala irregularis. _Filamenta_ 10, inæqualia, quorum 3 raro 5 castrata. _Fructus_ 5 coccus, rostratus: _rostra_ spiralia, introrsum barbata.
PERLARGONIUM _echinatum_ caule carnoso, stipulis spinescentibus, foliis cordato-subrotundis 3-5 lobis, floribus umbellatis, umbellis subseptemfloris.
This singular and most beautiful species of Pelargonium, recently introduced to this country, this Summer flowered with Mr. Colvill, Nurseryman, in the King's-Road, Chelsea, from one of whose plants our figure and description have been taken.
Stalk green, surface smooth and somewhat glossy, fleshy, beset with spines which bend back and terminate in brownish somewhat weak points; these appear to have been primarily the stipulæ, which become thus fleshy and rigid, and from this circumstance not altogether peculiar to this species, it takes the name of _echinatum_; the leaves stand on long footstalks, are somewhat heart-shaped, mostly roundish, divided into three or five lobes, veiny, soft, and downy, especially on the under side, which is of a much lighter colour than the upper, the flowering stem proceeds from the summit of the stalk, and is a foot or more in height; as it advances it throws out its branches, or peduncles, ultimately about five in number, each of which has a leaf at its base, similar to the other leaves of the plant, but smaller, and terminates in an umbel of seven or eight flowers; as the umbels blossom in succession, a period of several months usually intervenes betwixt the blowing of the first and the last; when the flower is expanded, the hindmost leaf of the calyx continues upright, the others are reflexed as in other species of this genus, they are all beset with fine long hairs; the three lowermost petals are pure white, with a little gibbosity at the base of each, the two uppermost are marked each with three irregular spots, of a rich purple colour, inclining to carmine, the two lowermost spots narrowest and of the deepest colour; of the stamina there are six filaments which have antheræ, and four of which have none; stigma red, divided into five parts, and a little longer than the fertile filaments.