]52 THE FLORIST. 



of five or six feet. This and the following species are flowering profusely in one 

 of the greenhouses at Kew. 



Melaleuca iiypericifglia. A much-branching and rather graceful-growing 

 kind, with an inflorescence similar to INI. fulgens. It grows five or six feet high, 

 and has flowers of a dull red or rose-colour. It is an old species, long since intro- 

 duced from New South Wales. 



EpiscfA bicolor. a dwarf perennial herbaceous stove-plant, belonging to 

 the natural order Gesneriaceai. It is a free-blooming species, producing flowers 

 in succession for several weeks together, and requiring the same treatment in 

 cultivation as Gloxinias, Nipheas, and similar plants. It has large spreading 

 hairy leaves, with very lively-looking flowers, which are white with a purple 

 border. It is not anew plant, having ))een raised at Kew from seed sent by Mr. 

 Purdie from New Grenada, about five years ago. 



Pulten.ea ericoides. a very distinct and pretty-flowering evergreen green- 

 house shrub, having small leaves similar to an Erica, and flowers of a yellow, 

 brown, and somewhat rosy-purple hue, produced in heads on the apex of the 

 branches. It is said to be a profuse bloomer, and one that may easily be trained 

 to form a very handsome compact bush, as it never attains a large size; con- 

 sequently it Avill be an acquisition to our greenhouses. It was raised by Mr. 

 Henderson, Pine-Apple Place, from seed sent by Mr. Drummond from the Swan 

 River Colony. 



Erica Leeana, var. viridis. This pretty and interesting variety, although 

 introduced to English collections many- years ago, is at present rare in cultivation. 

 Like most of its congeners, it is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, where a 

 large tract of country is adorned with these truly beautiful plants, which are 

 justly styled "the glory of the Cape." The flowers of this variety being green, 

 are not so striking as those of gayer colours, but they serve to produce contrast. 

 There are several Heaths with green-coloured flowers; but for cultivation, the 

 present appears the most preferable of them. These three are figured in the 

 Magazine of Botany for June. 



Habrothahinus corymbosus. a hardy free-flowering shrub, introduced a 

 few years ago from Mexico, and is a valuable acquisition to our jiarterre. It 

 grows freely in any kind of garden soil, and succeeds admirably planted against 

 a wall. A plant of it against a west wall at Kew is at present literally covered 

 with its deep rose-coloured flowers, Avhich harmonising in colour with Roses, 

 Jasmines, &c., have a very nice eff"ect. 



Bigxgnia speciosa. This charming evergreen stove-climber is one of the 

 best of the genus, and is very managable in pot-culture, as it grows and flowers 

 freely if coiled round a trellis, and produces a nice eflfect, its large light purple- 

 coloured flowers and glossy foliage forming a good contrast. But like most other 

 robust-growing kinds, to attain any thing like perfection, it requires to be planted 

 out where it can be trained on a trellis or against a wall. A plant of it was 

 planted about eighteen months ago in the palm-house at Kew, and trained on 

 a trellis near the glass, where it is now covering a space of 14 feet by G, and in 

 May was literally covered with its large showy flowers. This is not a new species, 

 having been introduced some years ago from Buenos Ayres. 



BiGNONiA capreolata. A grecnhousc species from North America. It is 

 not a very showy kind, although admirably adapted for covering walls, pillars, 

 or other unsightly objects. The flowers are small compared with 15. speciosa, and 

 are of a dull red colour. It flowered in May in one of the greenhouses at Kew.^ 



Aponogeton distachyon. A very interesting hardy aquatic herb, having daik- 

 looking bulbs about the size of a small hen's egg^ with floating leaves, and a 

 forked inflorescence, producing abundance of delicate fragrant white flowers 

 throughout the summer, and even into January in the South of England. It 

 is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, and has been long in cultivation. Figured 

 in Paxtnn's Flcicer-Garden. 



Siphocampylos microstoma. This is one of the best of the genus. It is a 

 half-climbing herb:;ceous stove-plant, about two feet high, having a compact 

 leafy terminal umbel of bright scarlet flowers. Although not a new species, it 

 richly merits cultivation, as it may be kept in a flowering state nearly the whole 

 summer. Native of New Grenada; introduced to Kew a few years ago. 



Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. J. Houlston. 



