Of the several species of Colutea cultivated in our garden the one here figured, is distinguished by the brilliancy of its' flowers, the largeness of its pods, and the downy appearance of the under side of its leaves. It appears from the _Hortus Kewensis_ to have been cultivated by Mr. JAMES SUTHERLAND as long since as the year 1683 it was not however generally introduced to our gardens till the time of MILLER, who figured it in his _Icones_, it was then understood to be an AEthiopian plant; Mr. AITON since describes it as a native of the Cape also; of course, we find it more tender than most of its kindred, and hence it is usually regarded as a greenhouse plant; yet, as it is not destroyed by a small degree of frost, it will frequently, like the myrtle survive a mild winter in the open border, especially if trained to a wall: it is rarely of more than two or three years duration. It is readily raised from seeds sown in the open ground, plants from which flower the August following, and, in favourable seasons, ripen their seeds; in order, however, that they may ripen them with more certainty, MILLER, recommends the sowing them early on a gentle hot-bed. A dry soil suits this species best. [Illustration] [Illustration] [182] SALVIA AUREA. GOLDEN SAGE. _Class And Order._ DECANDRIA MONOGYNIA. _Generic Character._ _Cor._ inaequalis. _Filamenta_ transverse pedicello affixa. _Specific Character and Synonyms._ SALVIA _aurea_ foliis subrotundis integerrimis, basi truncatis dentatis. _Linn. Syst. Veget. ed. 14. Murr. p. 71._ _Ait. Hort. Kew. V. 1. p. 45._ SALVIA _Africana_ frutescens folio subrotundo glauco, flore magno aureo. _Comm. Hort. 2. 183. t. 92._ Such as are delighted with the singular rather than the beautiful appearances of plants, cannot fail of ranking the present species of sage among their favourites. It been called _aurea_, from the colour of its flowers, _ferruginea_ would perhaps have been more expressive of them; when they first open indeed they are of a yellow colour, but they quickly and constantly become of the colour of rusty iron.