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Copyright, 1898, by 

 rbORISTS' PUBUISnilNG CO., 520-535 Caxton Building, CtllGAGO. 



VoI.IL 



CHICAGO AND NEW YORK, JULY 7, 1898. 



No. 32. 



LATANIA RUBRA. 



The true latanias, among which the 

 above species is numbered, are com- 



mixing of botanical names ia unfor- 

 tunately quite frequent among the 

 palms, and makes these noble plants 

 a decidedly perplexing study to the 



Latania Rubra. 



paratlvely rare palms, and are quite 

 distinct from the plant we so com- 

 monly term latania, the latter palm 

 being correctly named livistona. This 



beginner, for in many instances what 

 has doubtless been merely a provision- 

 al name has been handed down as the 

 proper title, and naturally results in 



much confusion whenever the revision 

 of any particular genus is attempted. 



Latania rubra, or L. Comniersonii, 

 as recent authorities designate it, is 

 by no means common in trade collec- 

 tions, though introduced from Mauri- 

 tius about 120 years ago, and beauti- 

 ful as this species undoubtedly is, it is 

 hardly probable that It will take a 

 prominent place among florist's palms, 

 owing to the fact that in a young state 

 it is too slow a grower. 



The leaves of this latania are fan- 

 shaped, dark bronzy green In color, 

 and deeply divided into narrow seg- 

 ments, the latter being ed9:ed with 

 dull chocolate color and slishtly armed 

 with fine spines. The leaf stems or 

 petioles form quite an ornamental fea- 

 ture in this plant, these being com- 

 paratively long, quite smooth and dull 

 crimson in color. So far as can be 

 gathered the latania in question may 

 be safply counted among dwarf palms, 

 its ultimate heieht beine placed at 

 seven to eight feet, and while the larg- 

 est plant that T have seen was only 

 about five to six feet high, yet this 

 gave no evidence of having cnmnleted 

 its growth, and under arood cultivation 

 it is quite likely these dimensions may 

 be considerably exceeded. 



As an East Indian species and being 

 probably found in the lowlands near 

 the coast, we find that this latania en- 

 joys warm house treatment, and also 

 abundant moisture. The soil should 

 bp rather liebt. and nrefpr!)b1v con- 

 taining a enod nroDortion of peat, and 

 the pots wpll-drainpd. lar?e tints and 

 frentipnt disturbances of the roots be- 

 ing thiners to he avoided. A shaded 

 house and a temperature spldora be- 

 low 70 degrees are other points to be 

 remembered, while attacks of scale In- 

 sects should he watched for. and 

 promntlv met, for thnueh the leaves 

 are auite hard yet they are soon mark- 

 ed bv Insects. 



Pronaeation Is effected bv seeds, and 

 in regard to the seeds is fouhd one 

 strong distinction between the lata- 

 nias and the llvistonas, the former 



