180 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



variegated sports, alia and cmrea. The former has white and the 

 latter yellow markings on the foliage, and iu about equal portions 

 with the green, giving the whole plant a pleasing and novel appear- 

 ance. The leaves resemble very closely in form those of tlie fig-tree, 

 and are of a beautiful deep glossy green, margined, in the case of the 

 varieties, with yellow or white. On moderately large plants they 

 are at least three times the size of those of the fig. They are very 

 hardy ; I can speak of that to a certainty, as during the whole of the 

 severe winter of 1866-G7 we had a large plant of the green form in a 

 conservatory that was not heated, and of course the frost had its 

 own way with the plants; and the soil for some time was as hard as 

 a brick. There are also several plants in the shrubbery in the 

 recess at the head of the Serpentine in Hyde Park, which have been 

 out several winters without having i-eceived the slightest injury. 

 But the plant was not in the least injured ; on the contrary, it has 

 flowered beautifully since. I will describe this, as it was the first 

 plant of its kind that ever I saw in bloom. The flower-stem was 

 thrown up through the heart of the plant about a foot high, whilst 

 the blossoms, if such they could be called, were borne on side shoots 

 of the stem, and resembled as much as anything dirty balls of white 

 cotton, of sizes varying from a waluut down to a nutmeg, and 

 covered all over with tine silky hairs standing erect. It was very 

 curious and interesting, this crown of about fifty flufiy balls on top 

 of the plant, and it continued for about six weeks in perfection. I 

 was afraid at the time that the plant was spoilt by having flowered ; 

 but my fears were soon at an end, for at the base of the flower- 

 stem there soon formed a fresh centre, which resembled very much 

 a crown of the common rhubarb. 



There is also another variety of Sieboldi, of more recent intro- 

 duction. The leaves are of the same size and form, but the surface 

 is covered with a network, or, as the botanists say, a reticulation of 

 gold. This is known as A. Sieboldi aurea reticulata, and is very 

 pretty, but as yet expensive. 



The strong-growing A. papyrifera, popularly described as the 

 " Chinese paper-plant," is well known by reason of its being em- 

 ployed rather extensively in the sub-tropical gardens in the public 

 parks, and its large spreading dark-green leaves are not readily for- 

 gotten when once seen. It is very graceful iu its growth, and 

 exceedingly interesting. The same may be said of A. reticulata, 

 with its narrow pendulous foliage, nicely marked with faint yellow 

 bands, sometimes with purple down the mid-rib, on a pea-green 

 ground. This, it must be borne in mind, is quite distinct from the 

 reticulated variety of Sieboldi. A. leptophylla has a greenish 

 purple shade on the leaves, whilst the stems are of a still darker 

 purple, giving the plant a striking appearance when grouped with 

 other plants of different characters. A. crassifoUa, A. Thibatitii, 

 A. tri/oliata, and A. umbraculifera are also good species, and all 

 different in foliage and growth ; but the kinds first named would be 

 the best and cheapest for our purpose. 



It is really not needful to say much in reference to the cultural 

 details, because they require none of the tying and training common 



