16 THE FLORIST. 



should be sought for, if not aheady obtained. Another promising 

 annual of the half-hardy class, or probably best suited for greenhouse 

 put culture, is the Acrolinium roseum, an exceedingly gay, pink- 

 tiowered " Everlasting," introduced from Swan River. 



Of half-hardy perennials the most prominent which has appeared is 

 Lysimachia Leschenaulti, a densely-branched prostrate plant with 

 heads of rosy flowers, which will probably be found useful for flower- 

 beds and borders during summer. 



Greenhouse shrubs have been more numerous. Acacia Drum- 

 mondi and Boronia Drummondi are among the best of their respective 

 families ; the former has flowers of the usual colour — yellow — in oblong 

 heads, and the latter has gay pink blossoms. Oxylobium Osborni has 

 profuse bright orange Papilionaceous flowers, and, as well as the pre- 

 ceding, is remarkably ornamental. Pittosporum flavum is a bold, strong 

 plant, of a different character, but worth growing where there is space 

 for it ; it has broad Laurel-like leaves, and heads of large yellow flowers. 



In the Continental botanic gardens has been raised an exceedingly 

 ornamental Cestrum, called Ptegeli, which, it appears, rivals the now 

 well-known C. aurantiacum, and requires similar management. 

 Salvia porphyracantha is a new and brilliant scarlet-flowered species 

 which has originated in the French gardens ; and from the same 

 scource, it may be mentioned, has been re-introduced, under the name 

 of Echites Pellieri, the old and rare Echites suberecta, now called 

 Neriandra suberecta. A fine greenhouse evergreen perennial, with the 

 habit of Chvia, has been added, or at least bloomed for the first time, 

 during the past year ; it is called Imantophyllum miniatum, and bears 

 an umbel of very showy vermilion-coloured flowers. Another curious 

 and really showy greenhouse perennial, from the Southern United 

 States, is the Sabbatia stellaris, whose flowers are deep rose, with a 

 yellowish- green, star-shaped eye. 



Belonging probably to the cool greenhouse, rather than to the hardy 

 class, are several species of Rhododendron, which have been introduced 

 from the mountains of Bootan. As none of them have as yet, we 

 believe, flowered in this country, little more can be reported of them 

 than that they comprise novelty and distinctness in their foliage, and 

 in some instances the flowers are stated to be very showy ; one of them, 

 R. Nuttalli, having, it is said, the largest blossoms of any known 

 species of the genus, and these are said to be white, with a tint of 

 yellow and rose, and to be delightfully' fragrant. It is probably in the 

 way of R. Dalhousiae. 



Among the novel stove plants occurs, probably, the most decidedly 

 popular of the plants of the year, a beautiful variegated-leaved, dwarf- 

 branching, sub-shrubby perennial, called Sonerila Margaritacea. Its 

 foliage, which looks as if so\\m with pearls, is in itself very lively, and 

 its ornamental blooms, which are for some time produced in great pro- 

 fusion, are of a gay rose-colour, enlivened in a remarkable manner by 

 the large prominent yellow anthers. It is quite a gem. IMaranta 

 Warczewitzi and Aphelandra squarrosa Leopoldi are two otlicr gay, 

 variegated-leaved plants, very desirable for general cultivation. 

 Gesnera Donkelaari is a very rich-looking plant of hybrid origin, its 



