Copyright, 1899, by 

 rUORISTS' PUBUISnilNG GO., 520-535 Caxton Bulldlnft, CmOAGO. 



Vol. m. 



CHICAGO AND NEW YORK, APRIL 6, 1899. 



No. 71. 



PHRYNIUM VARIEGATUM. 



Public opinion in regard to plants is 

 frequently quite fickle, and he is a 

 wise grower who knows just when the 

 market is ready and ripe tor a change. 



aud is able to prepare his stock accord- 

 ingly. 



The subject of this note, Phrynium 

 variegatum, is one of those plants that 

 once held a more prominent place 

 among trade stock than is now accord- 



Phrynium Variegatum. 



ed it, but owing to the fact that its 

 foliage has much in common with that 

 of the tender marantas (to which it is 

 nearly related) this plant did not 

 prove quite hardy enough for general 

 use as a decorative subject, and in con- 

 sequence has been retired in a meas- 

 ure for several seasons past. But 

 though unable to bear as much hard- 

 ship as an aspidistra or a ficus, yet 

 Phrynium variegatum is a beautiful 

 plant, and one for which, a place may 

 be found in the multitude of small con- 

 servatories that require attention from 

 our city florists, for many of these 

 small houses are all right for keeping 

 plants in, even though they may not 

 bo ideal edifices for growing plants. 



The plant in question is one of a 

 small family of tropical subjects that 

 are found growing in the lowlands of 

 India, some of the East Indies and 

 tropical America, and are very similar 

 in habit to some of the calatheas. The 

 leaves of Phrynium variegatum range 

 from six to twelve inches long, and 

 three to four inches wide, the ground 

 color being dark green, but striped 

 and blotched with white, a good idea 

 of the variegation being given by our 

 illustration. 



This plant is very free in growth 

 and easy to increase by means of cut- 

 tings formed from the suckers that are 

 thi-own up around the base of the 

 plant, these cuttings rooting in a very 

 short time when planted in sand or 

 light soil, kept moist and shaded from 

 the full sun. As to temperature, we 

 find P. variegatum grows best when 

 kept at 65 to 70 degrees, and unless 

 well watered and syringed is liable to 

 attacks of red spider, an insect that 

 soon plays havoc with its foliage. 



During the summer months this 

 phrynium grows well in a rather deep 

 and shaded frame outdoors, the pots 

 being plunged in hops or some other 

 substance that will prevent the plants 

 from drying out too much, but when 

 treated this way it is not safe to allow 



