388 



The Weekly Florists^ Review, 



SEPTEMBKR S, IsHS. 



and sappy specimens have an unfortu- 

 nate habit of rotting oft at times. 



P. Veitchii has been in cultivation 

 for the past thirty years, and has 

 proved itself one of the most satisfac- 

 tory introductions among foliage 

 plants of the famous London firm 

 whose name it bears. 



The second species in importance in 

 the trade is P. utilis, a species that has 

 been in cultivation longer than the 

 preceding, and is usually to be had in 

 much greater quantities owing to the 

 readiness with which seeds may be ob- 

 tained and germinated. This species, 

 like P. Veitchii, is native in some of 

 the South Sea Islands, notably Mada- 

 gascar and the island of Bourbon, and 

 on the latter island P. utilis is said to 



tie trouble in its management, unless 

 it may be in those cases where an out- 

 break of "spot" is developed. The lat- 

 ter trouble is caused by the burrowing 

 of a minute insect in the tissues of the 

 leaf, and its progress seems to be fav- 

 ored by overwatering. If plants become 

 badly affected with this disease it is 

 most profitable to throw them away at 

 once, as they are likely to be perma- 

 nently disfigured by it. but light at- 

 tacks may be satisfactorily treated by 

 keeping the plant somewhat drier and 

 dosing them with sulphur. 



P. candelabrum variegatuni, perhaps 

 more readily recognized under the 

 name of P. Javanicus var.. is another 

 handsome variegated form, and a 

 more recent introduction than P. Veit- 



Pandanus Graminifolino. 



reach a height of 60 feet, forming a 

 much branched tree. 



The specific name of this pandanus, 

 utilis. which signifies useful, seems to 

 be especially applicable to the plant 

 in Mauritius, where it is cultivated for 

 its leaves, these being used in weav- 

 ing the coarse matting from which 

 sugar-bags are made. 



As a florist's plant P. utilis is most 

 useful in small sizes, for example, in 

 pots of 4-inch to S-inch sizes, there be- 

 ing but a limited demand for plants 

 larger than these. 



This species is a rapid grower, and 

 requires generous treatment in regard 

 to soil and watering, and gives but lit- 



chii, having been introduced from Ja- 

 va in 1875. Our illustration indicates 

 the very graceful habit of this plant, 

 the leaves of which are narrow and 

 pendulous, and grow to a length of 3 

 to 6 feet, the white variegation being 

 very clear and sharply defined on the 

 dark green ground color. I^nfortunate- 

 ly this plant is very thoroughly armed, 

 the leaves being edged with sharp 

 spines, while the midrib possesses an- 

 other line of spines which are turned 

 the reverse way to those on the edges, 

 thus making it almost impossible to 

 handle the plant without getting 

 caught. 

 P. candelabrani var. forms side 



growths freely even in a young state, 

 and cuttings made from these growths 

 root readily, but owing to its abund- 

 ance of spines it has never become a 

 very popular plant in the trade. 



P. graminifolius is one of the small 

 growing pandanus that has been 

 found useful to a limited extent in the 

 trade, being at its best in a 4-inch or 

 5-inch pot, and only reaching a height 

 of 2 to 3 feet when fully developed. 

 This species is of tufted habit, being 

 much branched, and having dark 

 green leaves about half an inch wide, 

 not so stiff as those of most of the 

 species of pandanus, and armed with 

 short whitish spines. 



P. graminifolius is readily increased 

 b.v means of cuttings, and in small 

 plants n>ay be considered among avail- 

 able stock for the centres of fern pans. 

 The illustration has been prepared 

 from a good photograph of this plant, 

 and gives an excellent idea of its gen- 

 eral character. 



P. heterocarpus. also known as P. 

 ornatus. is one of the handsomest of 

 the green leaved pandanus, being a 

 strong growing species with broad, 

 dark green foliage, edged with whitish 

 spines. The under side of the leaves of 

 this species is lighter in color and 

 slightly glaucous, a well grown plant 

 forming a noble specimen. 



P. heterocanius is rather susceptible 

 to overwatering during the winter, and 

 in that ease may develop "spot," but 

 with a little caution in that particular 

 there is no special ditliculty in its cul- 

 ture. I have never seen this species 

 produce suckers, and it seems probable 

 that the only means of increase is 

 from seeds. P. heterocarpus is a na- 

 tive of the Philippine Islands, from 

 whence it was introduced about 1866. 



P. reflexus is another notably hand- 

 some species, and though one of the 

 oldest in cultivation is by no means 

 common. This species produces very 

 long and pendulous leaves, in a large 

 specimen often growing 5 to 6 feet in 

 length, dark green and shining and 

 profusely armed with strong spines, 

 those on the under side of the midrib 

 being turned the opposite direction to 

 those on the edges of the leaves, simi- 

 larly to the arrangement of spines on 

 P. candelabrum. 



The leaves of P. reflexus are so much 

 recurved that they frequently hide the 

 pot in a well-grown plant, and really 

 have a very graceful effect, as will be 

 readily seen from our illustration, but 

 owing to its ever-ready armor of 

 spines this plant is a most unpleasant 

 one to handle, and is consequently not 

 likely to become a popular one. 



P. Vandermeechii is a comparative- 

 ly rare species that would probably be 

 useful in the trade if grown in quan- 

 tity, being of somewhat similar char- 

 acter to P. utilis, but stDuter in growth 

 and usually more upright. The leaves 

 of P. Vandermeechii are broad and 

 stiff, dark green and slightly glaucous, 

 the edges of the leaves and also the 

 spines being dark red, and the same 



