JUNE. 123 



Four or five kinds are known in cultivation. There is, first, 

 Tritoma uvaria, a hardy perennial, producing a flower-scape about a 

 foot and a half, or, when vigorous, two feet in height, and bearing 

 its orange-red flower-tubes in the autumnal months. This has her- 

 baceous pale-green channelled foliage, and produces abundance of 

 suckers close around the stem, so that it rapidly forms a considerable 

 mass. This, as well as all the rest, comes from the Cape of Good 

 Hope. 



Then there is T. Burchelli, which is no doubt half-hardy, but is 

 generally kept- in a greenhouse. This is larger and more rigid than 

 the last, its leaves being stifF and rough-edged, and its flowering 

 stem, which is produced in summer, growing two feet high at least. 

 It does not increase readily by suckers, but perfects plenty of seeds. 



T. Rooperi is another, recently introduced by Captain Rooper of 

 the Royal Artillery, from Caffraria. It has much the aspect of 

 T. Burchelli ; but is larger, with the leaves much longer, less rigid 

 in texture, and recurved towards the points, forming a graceful curve ; 

 and it is further distinguished, botanically, by its flowers having 

 their anthers included within the tube, or scarcely exserted beyond 

 it, and by the bracts at the apex of the spike forming a kind of 

 crown or tuft above the developed flowers. It blossoms in winter and 

 spring. 



These are the best known Tritomas ; but there are two other 

 hardy sorts, as T. pumila and T. media, which somewhat resemble 

 T. uvaria, but are smaller than it, and the first smaller than the 

 second. They are also from the Cape ; flowering in the latter part of 

 summer and in the autumn with orange-coloured blossoms, pendent 

 at the top of a stem, varying from nine to eighteen inches high. 



As to their culture, which is very simple, they all thrive in rich 

 sandy loam, and propagate readily either by seeds or suckers. Being 

 rather fleshy at the root, and not capable of bearing excessive cold, 

 they should be planted where the soil is tolerably drained and mode- 

 rately sheltered in winter : they seem to like such situations as a 

 sand-bank of rockwork in a snug warm nook, or near the foot of a 

 wall ; and under such circumstances grow very vigorously, pro- 

 ducing fine, strong, richly-coloured flower-spikes. T. Rooperi and 

 T. Burchelli would probably succeed under similar treatment ; but I 

 am not aware if they have been grown fully exposed ; the former is, 

 however, certainly half-hardy. They are both worth growing well in 

 a pot; and when this is attempted, the airiest situation in a cool 

 greenhouse should be given to them. The colour of the flowers, 

 which is orange-red of different shades in all, is much improved and 

 heightened by their being developed under any other condition than 

 that of close confinement. 



T. M. 



