1869.] NEW PLANTS OF THE PAST MONTH. 219 



was so tall that the spike of bloom appeared to be lost in a well of 

 vigorous green leaves. 



A first-class certificate was awarded to a distinct dwarf -habited Agave, 

 named De Smetiana, one of the smaller-growing species, in which 

 the leaves have a pale-brownish margin, broken up by irregular, coarse, 

 flattened spines of the same colour, varying in form and curving in 

 difi'erent directions. It was exhibited by Mr Green, gardener to W. 

 Wilson Saunders, Esq. of Keigate. 



The same award was made to Messrs E. G. Henderson & Son, for 

 Spirea (Hoteia) Japonica variegata, a variegated form of S. Japonica, of 

 a very striking appearance, the red-stalked leaves having all the main 

 veins marked out with creamy white, producing a pale-golden reticulated 

 variegation. It had been imported from Japan by the exhibitors. 



In the way of Orchids, a first-class certificate was awarded to Mr B. 

 S. Williams for a Coelogyne, supposed to be Ocellata, though in the form 

 shown it was new to Orchid-growers. It formed a pretty dwarf plant, 

 and had a raceme of pure white flowers, marked on the lip with a large 

 yellow blotch, which was bordered by a red line. Second-class certifi- 

 cates were awarded to Messrs Veitch & Sons for Cymbidium tigrinum, 

 a very distinct-looking plant, with long olive-tinted sepals and petals, 

 and a white lip marked with transverse bands of purple ; and to a 

 very fine variety of Oncidium nubigenum, named Ocellatum, from Mr 

 William Bull. 



A first-class certificate was also awarded to Mr W. Bull for Ficus 

 Eburnea, a fine species of bold character, with large, shining, ovate, green 

 leaves, marked with white ribs. A very curious species of Lilium, in 

 some respects very like an Ornithogalum in appearance, was exhibited 

 by George F. Wilson, Esq., who had received it from Mons. Leichtlin 

 of Carlsruhe. It was named L. Thomsonianum, and had an inflor- 

 escence branching from the very base, about a foot and a half high, 

 bearing numerous narrow-petaled, pale-pinkish flowers, the leaves long, 

 narrow, and flaccid. This plant was the occasion of a sharp debate as 

 to its value, but was eventually awarded a first-class certificate. 



A like award was made to Messrs Veitch & Sons for a yellow- 

 flowered Eastern Rhododendron, with long narrow leaves and showy 

 clear yellow flowers, which was supposed to be the same as one pre- 

 viously shown under the name of R. Brookeanum flavum, but to 

 which the designation of R. Lobbianum had been applied. A bold 

 and showy truss of flowers of R. Batemani, a Bhotan sj^ecies, with 

 purplish-crimson black-spotted flowers, came from James Bateman, Esq., 

 Congleton. It was said to be adapted only for indoor culture, and in 

 this respect was not superior to others in cultivation. 



From Mr Atkins, Painswick, the raiser of Cyclamen Atkinsi, came 



