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NOTES ON NEW PLANTS. 



The following are introduced to the notice 

 of readers of the " Floral World," as no- 

 velties in every way worthy of cultivation. 

 It would be neither interesting nor profitable 

 to our amateur readers were we to notice all 

 the new things that are from time to time 

 offered to the Horticultural public; many 

 such are of interest only to botanists, or those 

 possessing extensive collections of plants, — 

 and subjects that come strictly within the 

 range of amateur operations are too often 

 none the more acceptable because new and 

 expensive. The plants here briefly described 

 are such as will prove useful to the pos- 

 sessors of even small gardens and limited 

 facilities for plant culture. The prices are 

 attached, to meet the expressed wishes of 

 many of our readers. The notes will be con- 

 tinued from time to time, as circumstances 

 render necessary. 



LEPTODACXYLON OALIFORNICUM. 



This is a most valuable addition to our 

 lists of bedding-out plants. It belongs to 

 the natural order, Pokmoniacece, or Phlox- 

 worts, and was first introduced by Mr. Douglas. 

 In habit of growth it bears some resemblance to 

 the young sprays of our own Ulex Europeus, 

 the branches being covered with small bright 

 green awl-shaped leaves, of a light, cheerful 

 colour. The corolla is divided into five 



wedge-shaped lobes, and its colour is bright 

 rose. It was first cultivated, we believe, by 

 the Messrs. Veitch, but it is now extensively 

 grown by the trade, in consequence of the 

 demand for it for bedding. It is of a very 

 dwarf habit, and has a slight tendency to 

 creep on the ground, and it blooms so pro- 

 fusely as to completely cover a bed with its 

 brightly-tinted flowers. Its propagation is 

 as easy as a verbena, and it requires much 



the same treatment to keep it through winter. 

 Cuttings struck in sand in autumn make good 

 plants for the decoration of houses in early 

 spring; but, for bedding out in May or June, 

 the cuttings should be taken from January 

 to March. It thrives best in a compost of 

 sandy peat with a little fibrous loam added. 

 Damp is one of its worst enemies, and in 

 winter it is likely to rot off, unless kept 

 moderately dry and well aired. The heath- 

 house is, perhaps, the best place for it at 

 that season. — [Price 18s. per dozen.] 



TORREYA GRANDIS. 



This is a hardy evergreen coniferous tree, 

 belonging to the natural order Taxacece, It 

 was discovered by Mr. Fortune when search- 

 ing for cones of the golden pine on the moun- 

 tains of Chekiang in China, who sent home 

 seeds of it in 1850. Mr. Fortune describes 

 the specimens which he saw as being even 

 more beautiful than the two species of Cepha- 

 lotaxus, formerly introduced from China ; 

 many of them were from sixty to eighty feet 

 high, with fine round heads and rich j'ew- 

 like foliage. It is proved to be quite hardy 

 in this country, and will soon take its place 

 in all collections of ornamental conifers. Dr. 

 Lindley states that he planted a specimen, 

 last September, in a cold, low, damp place, 

 and it now looks as healthy as when first 

 received. — [Price 21s. per plant.] 



DOUBLE CHLNF.SE PEACHES. 



Messrs. Glendinning, of Chiswick, purpose 

 sending out, in the autumn, three Double 

 Chinese Peaches, which were sent home from 

 China by Mr. Fortune. Specimens were 

 exhibited at the spring exhibition of the 

 Horticultural Society, on the 21st and 22nd 

 of last month, and an extra prize awarded 

 for them. The flowers are double and pro- 

 duced in great profusion; some are striped 

 like a carnation, and Dr. Lindley has named 

 one — which was figured in the Florist, 

 in October last — the Camellia -flowered 

 Peach. For conservatory and drawing-room 

 decoration, these peaches will be highly 

 prized, as we understand they force well. 

 They are also quite hardy, and bloom abun- 

 dantly in the open ground. — [Price 21s. 

 each.] 



IIOLCUS SACCHARATUS ; OR, CHINESE 

 SUGAR-CANE. 



Though of more importance to farmers 

 than gardeners, this huge grass will soon be- 

 come a favourite with the growers of ferns 

 and grasses, on account of its highly orna- 

 mental uses in wilderness decoration, and 

 about rockeries and water scenes. At the 



