BUDDLEA, a genus of plants named after Adam Middle, a botanist of the time of who contributed to Ray's 'Synopsis,' and whose Herbarium is now in the British Museum. Butldlea belongs to the natural order Scropitu/ariecas. It has a campanulate 5•toothed calyx ; tubular corolla with the limb 4.5-cleft, equal, spreading ; 4-5 stamens nearly equal, inclosed, the anthers composed of two parallel distinct cells; the stigma elevate, 2-lobed ; the capsule crustaceous with a diasepiment formed from the inflexed edges of the valves, inserted in • the thick spongy placenta; the seeds angular ; testa loose, membra nous; albumen fleshy. The species are shrubs, with mostly quad rangular branches, opposite leaves; terminal, capitate, spioate or panieled, usually orange-coloured flowers.
B. globosa has branches clothed with hairy tomentum as well as the under sides of the loaves; the leaves lanceolate, acuminate, petiolate, crenate; the heads terminal, globose, pedunculate. This plaut, now so common in our gardens, is a native of Chili.
B. Americana has branchlets clothed with hairy tomentum ; leaves ovate, acuminate, narrow at the base, crenate, rather pilots) above, but clothed with a yellowish tomentum beneath ; spike pauieled ; flowers glomerate. It is a native of the mountains of Peru and also of the West Indies. Browne says that it is used in Jamaica as an emollient. its properties however are not active.
There are about 60 species of Iluddlea, all of which are worth cul tivating on account of their showy blossoms. B. Neruda, a native of the peninsula of India, is said to be one of the most beautiful plants of that country. B. globosa will bear, with a little care, our winters as well as the B. salrifolia. All the flowers are sweet-scented. They grow best in a light rich soil. Cuttings will strike readily in mould under a hand-glass. Those of the stove species require heat.
(Loudon, Encylorurdia of Plants; G. Don, Gardener's Dictionary.)