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only evidence to Europeans of the existence of this truly 

 magnificent plant, the beauty of whose blossoms, surpasses 

 every thing known in the vegetable world. That the 

 Chinese suspend in baskets from the ceilings of their 

 rooms several of the tribe of plants to which this l>elongs, 

 some for the sake of their fine flowers, and some on 

 account qf their delightful fragrance, is familar to every 

 one. Many, if not all, of this description, have been intro- 

 duced from time to time ; and a few have flowered with 

 us. Among those which bid defiance to the skill of the 

 cultivator, has long been recognised a species, introduced 

 sometime previous to 1817, with long leafy stems, some- 

 times attaining the height of 8 or 10 feet, and fleshy, vein- 

 less leaves ; it is frequently imported from China, and is 

 now to be found in almost every collection of which para- 

 sitical Orchideae form a part, attaching itself by means of 

 its Jong tortuous roots to a damp wallj columns, or other 

 bodies placed as its support. This is Renanthera coccinea. 



• The cause of previous want of success in inducing it 

 to flower, has resided in its having been cultivated in too 

 dry an atmosphere. Mr. Fairbairn, gardener to His Royal 

 Highness Prince Leopold, at Claremont, impressed with 

 this opinion, tried the effect of tying moss around the 

 stems, and keeping it constantly damp, exposed as much 

 as possible to the influence of the sun. With what suc- 

 cess his experiment has been rewarded, appears from the 

 accompanying representation of a portion of a panicle, 

 2i feet long, which was finally produced in the Hothouse 

 at Claremont, in October 1827. 



To Botanists it has been as little known as to the rest 

 of the world,— almost every systematist having omitted it. 

 And yet the language of Loureiro is far from unsatisfac- 

 tory, allowance being made for certain peculiarities of 

 diction. 



J 



A native of woods in Cochinchina, where it climbs over 

 trees. Propagated without difficulty by cuttings. When 

 m flower, the plant may be safely removed to a dwelling 

 apartment, where the blossoms, which are very durable, 

 will remain in perfection many weeks. 



^ Stemohen 8 or 10 feet in length, round, leafy, slightly 

 branched, the low^r part sheathed with the persistent 



