THE FLORIST. 



THE NEW PLANTS OF 1858. 



We offer with the new year our usual summary of the novelties of the 

 past season. In doing this we wish it to be understood that it is the 

 most prominent of those which have appeared in public, or have been 

 figured or noticed in the various botanical and horticultural publications, 

 that we here bring together for ready reference. There are, no doubt, 

 others, which have found their way into gardens, which have not taken 

 so prominent a position, or which we shall hear of hereafter. Our 

 notes are necessarily brief, on account of the space they would otherwise 

 have occupied, but we trust sufficient to give some general idea of the 

 several plants. We have thought it useful, moreover, to record the 

 accessible figures of the plants which have been issued. Florists' flowers 

 are excluded from our plan, and we have arranged our notes under the 

 heads of Orchids, Stove Plants, and Greenhouse and Hardy 

 Plants, for the purpose of greater distinctness. 



GREENHOUSE AND HARDY PLANTS. 



As ornaments to the conservatory and greenhouse, we have several 

 very choice kinds of Indian Azaleas, offering variety and advance ; one 

 or two very nice new Camellias ; and some of the new Indian Rhododen- 

 drons, of which R. Nuttalli carries the palm over all previously known ; 

 R. Boothianum is interesting on account of its colour — a clear primrose 

 yellow ; while the dwarf R. virgatum is a little gem. Of another 

 character, but possessed of considerable merit, are the Clianthus Dampieri, 

 with its oddly-shaped richly-coloured flowers ; Cynoglossum nobile, the 

 Forget-me-not of the Chatham Isles ; Solanum capsicastrum, a dwarf 

 bush studded with vermilion-coloured fruit about the size of nuts ; 

 Lobelia trigonocaulis, a dwarf blue-flowered plant likely to be useful for 

 bedding ; and Darlingtonia californica, a singular and novel kind of 

 Pitcher-plant. 



To the class of hardy trees and shrubs we add — JEsculus californica, 

 Amygdalus persica v. caryophylleseflora, and Rhododendron Bylsianum, 

 all charming showy flowering plants ; and Ilex cornuta, I. Fortuni, 

 Olea ilicifolia, and Torreya grandis. 



The out-door flower garden has received as acquisitions the blue 

 Pentstemon Jaffrayanum, the purple Saxifraga purpurascens, the striped 

 Phlox Triomphe de Twickel, and a rose-coloured Solomon's Seal, among 

 perennials ; and Cosmanthus grandiflorus, Oenothera bistorta v. 

 Veitchiana, and Tropseolum majus, a dwarf scarlet variety called Tom 

 Thumb. 



jEsculus californica. (Bot. Mag. t. 5077-) The Californian Horse Ches- 

 nut forms a low spreading deciduous tree, probably hardy, the leaves palmate, 

 the flowers (produced on young plants) white, crowded, forming dense terminal 

 thyrses often a foot in length. The flowers are said to be rose-coloured in the 

 wild plants, so that it probably varies. California. Messrs. Veitch ^ Son. 



Amygdalus (persica) caryophylle^eflora. (Florist, t. 144.) The 



Carnation-flowered Peach. A charming variety of the Peach introduced from 



China, the blossoms large, nearly full, double, pink, flaked with rose colour. 



Mr. Glendinning. 



Apteranthes Gussoniana. (Bot. Mag. t. 5087.) One of the curious 



