3G THE FLORIcrT. 



most lovely of all Mexican Orchids. The flowers are large, lemon-scented, pro- 

 duced on a pendulous raceme, from one to two feet long; the sepals and petals 

 are white tinged with lilac, and the lahellum is yellow, with lilac or rose-colour. 

 Figured in the Magazine of Botany for December, 



On'Cidium variegatum. a very pretty dwarf Orchid, having an erect panicle 

 a foot and a half high of flat pink flowers richly stained with crimson. It is 

 a native of the West Indies, and was first introduced by Sir C. Lemon from the 

 llavannah. Paxton^s Flower-Garden for January. 



DiDYMOCARPLS CRiNiTA. An interesting evergreen stove herb, growing only 

 a few inches high, having an erect stem, and leaves of a dark coppery green, with 

 a velvety lustre, and purplish red beneath. Various species of dwarf plants are 

 in cultivation that are exceedingly beautiful in foliage, but the flowers are gene- 

 rally of an insignificant description and void of beauty. In the present species 

 they are white. It is a native of Pulo-Penang and Singapore. 



IIydromestus maculatus. a soft-wooded evergreen stove under-shrub, 

 rather showy, belonging to Acanthads. It is a free-flowering plant in a voung 

 state, but like the generality of the order, soon becomes naked at the bottom, 

 unless kept cut back. The flowers are of a bright yellow, and spring from a 

 singularly nitid imbricated spike of large bracts, like the scales of some Pine 

 cone. A native of Mexico. 



Myrtl's orbiculata. An erect and much-branching glabrous evergreen stove- 

 shrub, attaining the height of from six to seven feet, having thick roundish 

 coriaceous leaves, and yellowish white flowers, resembling the common Myrtle, 

 and very sweet-scented. This is an old plant, having been introduced to Kew 

 in 1824 from the Mauritius. Its season of flowering is late in autumn. J'he 

 above three plants are figured in the Botanical Magazine for January. 



MouTAN officinalis, atrosanguinea. a very large showy double-flowering 

 variety of tree Peony ; the flowers have dark blood-coloured petals, which are 

 nearly as broad in the centre as at the edge, and much resemble the common 

 ISIoutan papyraceaj. It is quite hardy, of vigorous growth, and has foliage of a 

 deep green tinged with red. This is one of the finest varieties introduced by 

 the Horticultural Society, through Mr. Fortune, from China. 



loNEsiA asoca. This is stated to be one of the most beautiful of flowering 

 trees in its native climate. It is an evergreen stove-tree, with orange-scarlet 

 flowers, which are sweet-scented. It is a native of various parts of the East 

 Indies, and has flowered at Chatsworth. The two last-named plants are figured 

 in Paxtons Flotcer-Garden for January. 



Royal Botanic Gardens, Kcto. J. IIoulston. 



DESCRIPTIVE LISTS OF FRUITS. 



No. II. 



PEARS. 



For some years after the establishment of the Horticultural Society 

 of London, a part of its extensive resources was employed in getting 

 together every known variety of all the fruits usually cultivated in 

 British gardens ; and the result was, the most extensive collection 

 that perhaps ever existed in one establishment. After a considerable 

 time spent in proving these numerous varieties, such as were found 

 to be the most worthy of cultivation were distributed amongst the 

 fellows of the Society ; and by this means most of the best kinds 

 then existing, especially of Pears and Apples, were made extensively 

 known. But although widely distributed, many of the most useful 

 sorts are less generally known than they deserve ; in fact, there are 

 gardens in remote country districts wheie even the Marie Louise, 



