JANUARY. 27 



the advantage of bottom heat, particularly in the spring months, 

 when starting- into growth. It is a native of Madagascar. 



Dipladenia crassinoda is another charming creeper, having deep 

 rosy-pink flowers, with an orange throat ; it is a free-growing plant, 

 with neat glossy green foliage, requiring a moist atmosphere to grow 

 it well, and when favourably treated will bloom thi'oughout the sum- 

 mer ; the flowers have also the advantage of remaining a long time 

 in perfection. Two parts turfy loam, one part turfy sandy peat, one 

 part leaf-mould, and plenty of sand and broken charcoal, is a very 

 excellent compost. It was introduced here from the Continent, but 

 Brazil is its native country. 



Passijlora Bonapartei. This werj handsome species should be 

 grown in the most select collection ; it is a robust-growing sort, 

 with large handsome foliage, and very free bloomer ; the flowers are 

 deep red and green, with a purple and white crown, and fine fra- 

 grance. It requires planting out where the roots will have plenty 

 of room to spread ; and if it can have the addition of bottom heat 

 it will thrive well. A plant which I have growing in my stove, 

 planted out in a border where the hot- water pipes pass underneath, 

 was scarcely ever out of flower all last year ; it was only planted out 

 in September 1848, and in March following it bloomed in succession 

 nearly two hundred flowers ; it again came into flower the end of 

 June in greater profusion ; and after this blooming was over, which 

 was towards the end of July, I cut away many of the strongest 

 shoots, and shortened the others well in, and about the middle of 

 August it began again to bloom for the third time, and had on an 

 average from six to eight of its lovely flowers out every day, up to 

 the close of September, when I cut it well in for the winter, and by 

 degrees discontinued water. The flowers of this, and also several of 

 the other species, if impregnated with the pollen of other kinds, will 

 fruit freely ; the fruit is of an orange colour, similar in shape and 

 size to a lemon, and when hanging on the plant in the autumn has 

 a very handsome eff^ect. 



P. quadrangular is insignis is a fine hybrid variety, similar to the 

 above, only the flowers are deeper in colour ; the fragrance, how- 

 ever, is not near so strong. 



P. alata is a fine old species, introduced from the West Indies 

 in 1772. The flowers are something similar to Bonapartei; the 

 only difference is in the colour of the crown, which is more of a blue 

 than purple ; it is also deficient in fragrance. 



P. quadrangularis is another fine old species, with large deep 

 red and green flowers, and purple and white crown ; the filaments 

 are long and tasselled, quite distinct from the preceding. A native 

 of Jamaica, from whence it was introduced in 1763. 



P. kermesina, a slender- growing handsome variety, with deep 

 crimson flowers, and white rays ; a very free bloomer : introduced 

 in 1831. 



P. kermesina Lemicheziana. This is a very handsome hybrid, 

 raised in Paris, and recently introduced here. It is of a luxuriant 

 habit, with dark green foliage, and abundant bloomer ; the flowers 

 are deep crimson, after the manner of P. kermesina. 



