214 



The Cotmtry Gentlemaii s Magazhie 



found by Lieut.-Col. Benson in Burmah, and 

 the Aralia Osyana and Croton Veitchii, by 

 the late J. G. Veitch, whose enterprising 

 energy we have had oftener than once to pay 

 tribute to. That gentleman found them 

 among many other valuable decorative plants, 

 in the South Sea Islands, and they have had, 

 since they were sent out, an extensive sale. 



ARALIA O-SVANA. 



This Aralia Osyana, fig. 2, is a handsome 

 hard-wood-like growing plant, of the most 

 elegant proportions. As will be seen on 

 reference to the engraving, the leaves are 

 oblong, and with very prominent mid and 

 inferior ribs. The ground colour of the 

 foliage is a pleasing green, contrasting well 

 with the chocolate brown of the mid-rib 

 venation, and extremity of the leaves. They 

 are generally placed on very decided foot- 

 stalks, and are placed wide enough apart to 

 shew their distinctness of character. They 

 also arch very gracefully over, and stand 

 upon the stalks, arranged rather on an elevated 

 plane. This plant is particularly useful for 

 taking a place among Palms, Ferns, as a part 

 of furnishing, that contrasts well with flower- 

 ing plants, be they of tall stature, such as the 

 trained Allaraandas Bouvardias, and such- 

 like beautiful plants that are to be seen in all 

 collections, or among the lesser deciduous 

 floweringplants, such as Gloxinias, Achimenes, 

 and other things that come in so well in sum- 

 mer for filling up the gap that takes place by 

 the transference of half-hardy flowering plants 

 out-of-doors. 



This plant is best cultivated in a peaty 

 loam, with the usual proportion of sand, and 

 should be placed in a house of intermediate 

 heat, where, in fact, air plays freely among 

 its foliage in summer, and where a sort of 

 moist mild temperature is maintained in 

 winter. It is a very distinct and beautiful 

 ornamental plant. 



one of its members for illustration, are of the 

 highest ornamental aspect. They take rank in 

 the stove conservatory, at the flower shows, 

 and as individuals for bouquet-making of all 

 kinds. We do not know a more beautiful 

 or a more distinct coloured plant than the 

 famous Vanda ccerulea. We present, for our 

 readers' notice, a plant beautiful in itself, but 

 by no means an equal for the one to which 

 we compare it. All plants are not showy 

 alike. Many please the multitude that do 

 not please those who are apt judges, and 

 some do not please the multitude that please 

 these so-called apt judges. The subject of 

 our engraving, fig. 3, is one of the latter. It 

 is a plant that adds to the importance of 

 an Orchid collection without being one that 

 would be selected as of the first decorative 

 importance. 



In habit it partakes much of the one from 

 which it has been m a measure named, and 

 in flowering character it is not at all unlike 

 it. It has the same azure colour, the same 

 strain of venation, but it wants the size of 

 flower. The spike is longer — you may count 

 more flowers upon it, but these flowers, col- 

 lectively, do not make the same appearance 

 as the glorious Vanda ccerulea. We do not 

 require to say much more to give an idea of 

 its importance amongst a collection of Orchids. 

 Some may think that these Orchids are with- 

 out the means of many villa owners or 

 occupiers, and so they are ; but they are not 

 without the pale of the wealthier portion of 

 this class ; indeed, it is to them, and to them 

 mainly, that we are indebted for propagating 

 a taste for Orchid cultivation, and we all the 

 more cheerfully present the portrait, to give 

 those who do not know about its flowering, 

 or other habits, some idea of the character 

 of this lovely Burmese plant. It grows in 

 its native home 1500 feet above sea level, 

 and should be cultivated in the cool end 

 of the East India house. 



VANDA CCERULESCENS. 



The division of Vande» are more or less 

 beautiful. They are not only interesting, but 

 many of the species, and none certainly more 

 than the family of wiiich we have -selected 



CODI^UM (croton) veitchii. 



We were all much delighted at the intro- 

 ductionof the various novelties in Crotons. We 

 felt that it was augmenting the list of a class, 

 that was already well up in popular estimation. 



