88 THE FLORIST. 



coloured flowers, and, as ornamental plants, are particularly inte- 

 resting. The present, which is of recent introduction, was received 

 at Kew last year from Messrs. Henderson, of the Wellington Eoad 

 Nursery, St. John's Wood. It is of a much-branching habit: grows 

 about a foot high, with very slender reddish branches and small 

 lanceolate light-green leaves ; the flowers are white tinged with 

 purple, and are borne on the ends of all the branchlets throughout 

 the whole plant. 



Centradenl\ rosea. This species is now pretty generally known, 

 having been in cultivation for several years. It is of a close and 

 much-branching habit, has narrow lanceolate leaves, dark -green 

 above and redddish beneath; the flowers are whitish, and rather 

 insignificant, yet, on account of its pretty foliage, it is one of the 

 most conspicuous little shrubs in our stoves. If a few plants of it 

 are grown in small shallow pans or ornamental baskets, and sus- 

 pended to the roof of the hothouse, they have a very neat appear- 

 ance; and for this purpose young healthy plants must be preferred. 



Centradenia floribunda. This species is of a more robust habit 

 than Rosea. It is a close and much-branching shrub, and forms a 

 very compact bush about two feet high. It has slender reddish 

 branches, and lanceolate leaves of a light-green colour ; the flowers 

 are smallish and rather insignificant. 



Crossandra flava. a low -growing evergreen hothouse plant, 

 "with leaves six to nine inches long, and not much unlike those of 

 the common Dandelion ; the flowers are of a very bright yellow, in 

 imbricated spikes, but only a few expand at one time. It is an 

 Acanthad from Sierra Leone ; and flowering as it is at the present 

 time, it must be regarded as a valuable winter plant. 



It may interest some, especially those* who study coniferae, to 

 know that the Araucaria imbricata at Kew has produced cones 

 several times ; and that there are at present half a dozen upon the 

 plant. They are very handsome, large, and of a globose form; but 

 as there are no male plants of it here that have flowered (if, indeed, 

 there are any flowering male ones in Britain), the seeds are in con- 

 sequence all abortive, and, as a matter of course, plants cannot be 

 raised from them. 



The following are a few of the best plants in flower here at pre- 

 sent: 



Orchids. 



Stove. 



Aphelandra pulcherrima. 

 Poinsettia pulcherrima. 

 Rogiera eordata. 

 Medinilla acuminata. 

 Greenhouse. 

 Anopteris glandulosa. 

 Beaufortia decussata. 

 Canarina campanula. 



Orchids. 

 Dendrobium Kingianum. 



Dendrobium heterocarptim. 

 Neottia speciosa. 

 Laelia anceps. 

 Ansellia africana. 

 Phalcenopsis amabilis. 

 Oncidium excavatum. 



„ papilio. 



„ cebolleti 

 Trichopilia tortilis. 

 Eria convallarioides. 



In the hot-houses, the Begonias form one of the principal features 

 at present, as they are mostly in flower ; one or two species deserve 



