Cheiranthus
(from Cheiri or Kheyry, the Arabic name of a plant with very red sweet-scented flowers, and anthos, a flower; or perhaps from cheir, the hand, and anthos, a flower-hand-flower). Wallflower. ORD. Cruciferae. Biennial, perennial, or suffruticose herbs. Racemes elongated; pedicels bractless, filiform; siliqua long and narrow. Leaves oblong or lanceolate, entire or toothed. The hardy shrubby varieties of the common sort should be increased by young cuttings, which will soon root outside, if covered with a hand glass. The half-hardy kinds will thrive well in a light rich soil; young cuttings will strike freely under a hand glass, in a cold frame, and may be kept there, or in a cool house, through the winter. The herbaceous perennials may also be increased by young cuttings or seeds. The biennial and annual kinds are propagated by seeds, sown in the open border, from March to July. All the species thrive well if planted on the rockwork, and even the tenderer sorts, thus treated, will survive mild winters. The common Wallflowers-varieties of C. Cheiri--will thrive almost anywhere.
C. asper (rough). fl. yellow, rather large, in dense corymbs. June. l. linear-lanceolate, more or less toothed or entire, tapering much to the base, and are, as well as the stem, covered with close-pressed, two-parted hairs. Stem branched. h. 1ft. California, &c., 1826. Half-hardy. SYN. C. capitatus. C. capitatus (headed). A synonym of C. asper.
C. Cheiri (Cheiri).* Common Wallflower. fl. greatly varying in size and colour, but all fragrant. Early spring and summer. l. lanceolate, quite entire, covered with two-parted pressed hairs, or smooth. h. 1ft. to 2ft. Europe, 1573. Of this universally grown and admired spring perennial there are a great number of varieties, both double and single. The Double German strains are particularly good; their habit is very dwarf and compact. The following sorts are worth growing. Double varieties; Yellow, light brown, dark brown. Single varieties: BLOOD RED, HARBINGER, BELVOIR CASTLE, and GOLDEN TOM THUMB. C. C. flore-pleno (double-flowered). fl. varying considerably in colour, from clear yellow to very dark red. Seeds of a good strain will yield a large proportion of double flowers.
C. Marshalli (Marshall's).* fl. deep clear orange, nearly 3/4 in. across, very freely produced. Spring. l., lower ones more or less spathulate, crowded; upper ones narrowly lanceolate. h. 1ft. to 1 1/2 ft. Supposed hybrid. C. Menziesii (Menzies'). fl. bright purple. Spring. l. radical, oblong-lanceolate, 2in. to 4in. long, densely covered with a short stellate pubescence. h. 6in. to 8in. California. A half-hardy perennial, with a thick, long, persistent branching root-stock.
C. mutabilis (changing).* fl. at first cream-coloured, afterwards becoming purple, or striped. March. l. linear, lanceolate, pointed, finely serrated, somewhat downy, with two-parted hairs. Stem frutescent, branched. h. 2ft. to 3ft. Madeira, 1777. Half-hardy shrub. (B. M. 195.) C. ochroleucus. See Erysimum ochroleucum.
C. scoparius (broom). fl. white, then purple. May. l. linear-lanceolate, acuminated, entire, rather pubescent, with appressed two-parted hairs. Stems shrubby, branched. h. 2ft. to 3ft. Teneriffe, 1812. Half-hardy. (B. R. 219.) C. semperflorens (ever-flowering). fl. yellow or white; pedicels one-half shorter than the calyx. January to December. l. linear-lanceolate, quite entire, roughish. Stem shrubby, branched. h. 1ft. to 2ft. Marocco, 1815. Half-hardy.