Scopolia
(named in honour of John Anthony Scopoli, 1732-1788, Professor of Natural History at Pavia, and author of botanical works). SYN. Scopolina. Including Anisodus and Whitleya. ORD. Solanaceae. A small genus (three species) of hardy, erect, scarcely branched, perennial herbs; one is European, the second Japanese, and the third Himalayan. Flowers lurid-purple or greenish, veined, nodding; calyx truncate or broadly and shortly five-lobed; corolla ample, the limb five-angled or very shortly five-lobed; stamens five; pedicels solitary, filiform. Leaves membranous, entire. Two of the species have been introduced. They thrive in a light, dry soil, and in a shady situation. Propagation may be effected by division of the roots. S. carniolica is a very desirable plant, on account of its pretty flowers being produced in spring.
S. carniolica (Carniolan).* fl. 3/4in. long, solitary, axillary, nodding; corolla lurid-red, yellow or green within; peduncles 3/4in. to 1 1/4in. long. April. l. entire, petiolate, 3in. to 3 1/4in. long, ovate or obovate-oblong, sub-cuspidate; petioles 1/2in. long. h. 1ft. or more. Russia, &c., 1780. (B. M. 1126, under name of Hyoscyamus Scopolia.) S. lurida (lurid). fl. axillary; corolla at first green, then yellowish, at length purplish; peduncles 1/2in. to 2in. long. September. l. petiolate, ovate, acute, undulated, wrinkled, the larger ones 6in. to 7in. long, mostly unequal, g'abrous above, slenderly-tomentose and canescent beneath. h. 4ft. to 6ft. Nepaul, 1824. (S. B. F. G. 125, under name of Whitleya stramonifolia.)