short, straight, nearly hid by the large capitate stigma.
Stigma 3-lobed, papillosely fimbriate.
This very pretty herbaceous perennial species is a
native of North America, and succeeds best in peat
soil, either to be planted in a bed amongst other American
plants, or to form a patch by itself in a border of
the flower garden; it will also succeed very well in rock-
work, but the soil in which it is planted must be chiefly
peat, and care must be taken that it is not killed by the
drought in Summer. Its handsome flowers are produced
in abundance in July and August; after that time it
continues to bloom and ripen seeds plentifully until
October; but the flowers after August are all without
petals, the calyx and capsules are also smaller and of a
different form from those produced by the flowers with
petals; this is also the case with H. polygaleefolium and
brasiliense, and we expect with the whole of this section.
The present plant is sufficiently hardy to endure our
Winters in the open air without protection; but as it dies
down to the ground in Winter, many people might suppose
it was dead, and have it thrown away, particularly
when grown in pots, as no signs of life appear in it at
that season; therefore, if grown in pots, they should have
the name wrote on labels of some kind, to ensure preservation.
Seeds of it ripen plentifully; but they must
be gathered as soon as ripe, as the capsule soon bursts,
and the seeds are then lo st; the best time for sowing
them is early in Spring; they should be sown in pots,
and as soon as up should be pricked out, either separately
or several in one pot, or they will be very liable
to damp off if left too long in the seed-pot. Drawn at
the Nursery of Mr. Colvill, in July last.