Title: Contributions from the Botanical Laboratory, vol. 12
Identifier: contributionsfro12univ (find matches)
Year: 1934 (1930s)
Authors: University of Pennsylvania. Botanical Laboratory; University of Pennsylvania. Morris Arboretum
Subjects: Botany; Botany
Publisher: Philadelphia : (s. n. )
Contributing Library: Penn State University
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation

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218 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE July, 1935
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; July, 1935 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 219 Phlox stolonijera will be taken up next. If the name amoetia is used for this at all, it should be followed by the word Hort.; but the prior name P. prociimbens Lehmann should really be adopted for it instead. The true native Phlox amoena of Sims is a southeastern species, its dis- persal-center lying in the Appala- chians along the boundary between Alabama and Georgia. From there it has spread to Putnam County, Florida, to the eastern marginal coun- ties of Mississippi, to southernmost Kentucky, and to central North Caro- lina. Persistent reports of its occur- rence in Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, and Virginia have thus far proved fal- lacious, other species being mistaken for it. The normal habitat is open woods or thickets in rather acid soil, and probably one reason for its prac- tical disappearance from horticulture has been its inability to thrive in rich garden loam. Two or three dealers in native plants are now offering it, however, and it is well worthy of trial in partly shaded and acid-soil rock or wild gardens. Hybrids of P. divaricata and P, amoena (X P- rugdii Brand) Where these two species grow in the same vicinity they occasionally cross, producing plants which combine the parental characters, and have flowers of a lovely rose color. At- tempts should be made to produce this hybrid artificially, as a plant with considerable horticultural value might be obtained. The Eastern Long-styled Phloxes (Section Ovatae) While the six members of this sec- tion resemble those of the next-pre- ceding in habit, they differ in having the sepals united into a tube for more than half their length, and in the sta- mens and styles being much longer than the calyx, and sometimes even longer than the corolla-tube. ^ i. Phlox stolonifera Sims. Creep- ing Phlox Reaching its maximum development in West Virginia, this species ranges south to Wilkes County, Georgia, west to Hocking and Jackson Counties, Ohio, and north to Elk County, Penn- sylvania. It is a markedly stolonifer- ous plant, forming good-sized mats in the litter of deciduous woods, or occasionally on rock ledges, seem- ingly preferring a slightly acid soil. This Phlox has several attracti\ie color forms. Perhaps the most beau- tiful is a clear violet,—the hue shown by Eraser's original material—but bright phlox-purple and lavender forms are also attractive. These at- tain their maximum brilliance when it is grown in partial shade, and it is less satisfactory when planted in sun- ny rock gardens. The individual flow- ers are often rather large, and the gol- den stamens peeping out from the tube add to their attractiveness. The upper herbage is glandular pubescent, and the runners bear spatulate leaves which persist over winter. Discovered in Georgia by Eraser in 1786, this plant was successfully in- troduced by him into English gardens in 1801. Its horticultural value was immediately recognized, and it has been grown there ever since, but is only beginning to be appreciated in the United States. Several nomencla- torial points require discussion in con- nection with this species. coerulea. The name sometimes inappropriately given to the violet color-form. crassifolia. An obsolete synonym, applied to purple color-forms. procumbens. Though occasionally used for the species itself, this name properly applies to one of its hybrids, discussed below. prostrata. Another obsolete sy- nonym. reptans. Unaware of Sim's prior publication, Michaux used the name reptans for the same plant, and has been followed considerably in horticul- tural literature, in spite of the fact that the earlier description and nam- ing appeared in Curtis's Botanical Magazine, which is devoted largely to cultivated plants. This later name should be discarded, as a mere sy- nonym. violacea. The preferable designa- tion for the lovely violet-flowered form of the species. Hybrids of P. stolonijera and P. suhulata (X P- procumbens Lehmann) As already noted under Phlox amoena, this name is almost univer- sally misapplied in horticultural lit- erature to a hybrid for which the valid name is X P- procumbens (also some- times labelled P. verna Hort.) This hybrid appears to have been produced in Germany in the early 1800's, being first mentioned in a catalog of seeds issued by the Hamburg Botanical Garden in 1828. It is a verv attrac- tive and vigorous plant producing a wealth of bright phlox-purple flowers in Spring, toward the end of the blooming season of P. subulata, and before the flowers of the true P, amoena appear. How different the latter is from this hybrid can be seen on comparing the illustrations, that of P. stolonijera serving for procumbens. While various opinions have been expressed as to the parentage of this hybrid, consideration of its features points unmistakably to the two here designated. In development of stol- ons, outline and size of leaves, glandu- larity of herbage, outline of corolla-

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