XOVKMBtH. 255 



and Mr. M'Ewing a dish of Keens' seedling Strawberries, middling- 

 sized but rather acid. There were also some Pine Apples and Grapes, 

 of which Mr. Davis of Oak Hill sent an excellent basket of Muscats. 

 Of Orchids, a fine specimen of Vanda coerulea, than which few plants 

 are more striking at this season, was shewn by Messrs. Lucombe and 

 Pince ; and a smaller example of the same showy plant by Mr. Wool- 

 ley. The Pvev. .Mr. Ellis sent Dendrobium flexuosum, with white 

 flowers striped on the lip with orange. Of other plants, Messrs. 

 Standish and Noble contributed a new evergreen shrub, Skimmia 

 japonica, bearing a profusion of beautiful red berries, which, rising in 

 clusters above tlie handsome foliage, are exceedingly attractive at this 

 season. It is believed to be hardy, but of this further proof is re- 

 quired. A charming Gesnera, with cherry-coloured flowers having a 

 pale throat, was exhibited by Mr. Glendinning of Turnham Green. 

 Mr. Snow sent cut specimens of Araiia japonica; Mr. Cole, Medinilla 

 Sieboldii, and a well-grown Gusmania tricolor ; Messrs. Low of 

 Clapton communicated Plectranthus concolor picta, a hothouse plant, 

 with tender pale- green leaves, prettily blotched with deep brown ; 

 Mr. Francis furnished cut Hoses in beautiful condition. Among 

 other plants from the Societ}''s garden came the pretty little winter 

 Violet Grass (Cochlearia acaulis), which, if sown in an American 

 border, or similar place, grows and blooms from this season up to 

 Christmas. A little patch of it taken up and put in a saucer, in 

 water, will also keep flowering a long time, rendering it an interest- 

 ing plant for the drawing-room window. Along with it were the 

 Golden Lachenalia (L. aurea), a new and very handsome species, 

 producing long spikes of bright yellow tubular flowers. Chrysan- 

 themum Hendersonii, an early sort, and a collection of hardy annuals, 

 among which were Tropseolum Lobbianum, brilliant orange-scarlet; 

 Tagetes signata, a little-known and rather handsome sort ; Cosmos 

 bipinnata atro-pnrpurea, with large starry purple flowers ; the Zebra 

 Mallow, Lupinus pubescens, and Hartwegii, and others. 



BRITISH PLANTS. 



jEnothera biennis is a very showy plant, which is often cultivated 

 in herbaceous borders. 1 have seen it in a clover-field in this locality, 

 and in other situations ; but unquestionably it is an outcast from our 

 gardens. 



Saxi/raga granulata is often cultivated, and is well deserving of 

 that attention. In favourable soil, the stem is about twelve inches 

 high. The flowers are white, and somewhat large. 



C'altha palustris, agreeably with its specific name, is found to 

 inhabit situations that are swampy. The flowers greatly enliven our 

 meadows during spring : they consist of large petals of a deep yel- 

 low. Division of the roots is the most successful mode of propa- 

 gating this plant. The assignment of it to the parterre, in situations 

 corresponding with that in which it is found in our meadows, would 



