MAY. 101 



probably be superseded by No. 6, Sovereign, also raised by Mr. Low, 

 which much resembles it, but surpasses it in roundness of petal, 

 clearness of colour, and greater freedom from streaks of colour, to 

 which both are liable. Magnifica owes its name to its fine large 

 deep-green glossy foliage, which sets off its flowers to great advan- 

 tage. They are very beautiful, but not regular in form ; as is also the 

 case with those of Delicatissima, which is one of the earliest flower- 

 ing, opening its pure white blossoms, with me, at Christmas, when 

 a bouquet is more than usually acceptable, and for which its habit 

 peculiarly qualifies it, the shoots being thin, straight, and long be- 

 tween the joints: 11 and 12 are fine large flowers, with round 

 Anemone-formed centres. 



Sect. II. 



Of the striped varieties, on white grounds, the first place must 

 be assigned to Low's Jubilee, a fine, large, beautifully-formed flower, 

 regularly and delicately streaked, and surpassing in size and sym- 

 metry of form all the striped varieties with which I am acquainted. 

 Alexina, another of Mr. Low's raising, is nearly allied to Marguerite 

 Gouillon, and the Duchess of Orleans, two beautiful foreign varieties. 

 All these are finely-formed, and striped, but flatter, and not so rich 

 and full as Jubilee, which, however, they excel in purity of colour. 

 Colvillii, Picturata, and Wellsii, are three fine varieties, closely allied 

 together, the last (Wellsii) being decidedly the finest in vigour of 

 habit, and size and purity of colour in the flower. All partake of 

 the pceniform character, as more fully exhibited in the old Pomponne. 

 Eclipse and Pulcherrima striata (Nos. 20 and 21), though handsome, 

 are too much stained with colour to appear to advantage by the side 

 of the others of this class. 



Sect. III. 



Mathotiana is said to be the finest of the reds ; but my plant has 

 not yet flowered, nor have I seen it elsewhere, so that I can express 

 no opinion about it. The brightest in colour that I am acquainted 

 with is Caroline (33). This is a true scarlet; all others that I 

 know have more or less of crimson in their tint ; the deepest of them 

 is Altheseflora, an old and very fine species, with an irregular Ane- 

 mone centre, and a profuse bloomer. Of this form the Waratah is 

 the most perfect example, and of striking beauty ; but the singular 

 mechanical effect of the hard brown calyx, in causing the flower to 

 fall almost as soon as expanded, has almost excluded it from collec- 

 tions generally. Low's Centifolia, though differing in foliage from 

 the old Speciosa, appears to have the same stinted and churlish 

 habit; the flowers of both are very rich, bursting, as it were, with ex- 

 uberance of petals. Caroline I have already referred to ; the foliage 

 is very large, deep-green, and glossy ; the flower large, brilliant, and 

 very shewy, but irregular in form, the centre petals confused, with 

 the stamens appearing among them. Monarch (34) is another flue 

 species, with rich foliage and flowers, resembling those of Chandleri, 

 but larger and more expanded. Chandleri is well known, and very 



