140 THE FLORAL WOELD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



though, sufficiently distinct from both to occasion no perplexity to the 

 botanist. The plants composing the order are mostly trees and shrubs, 

 ■with entire, opposite leaves, hermaphrodite flowers, a tubular calyx, corolla 

 monopetalous, inserted in the summit of the tube of the calyx in four or 

 six divisions, the stamens alternating with the lobes of tbe corolla, ovary 

 inferior, and the fruit a capsule or berry with two or many cells, and the 

 cells one or many seeded. They are mostly tropical plants, but extend 

 to the regions bordering on the tropics, and are there very abundant. 

 The tribe Gardeniece comprises a considerable number of useful and beau- 

 tiful trees and shrubs. The timber of a bard-wooded tree called Bur- 

 cJiellia capensis, is much prized at the Cape, and locallj^ known as BilfFel- 

 horn. Mussmida landia is used in the Mauritius as a substitute for Peru- 

 vian bark ; Genipa marian(c in Surinam, and G. esculenta in Cochin China, 

 are valued for their edible fruit ; G. Americana is cultivated in many 

 parts of South America for its fruit, which is as large as an orange, and 

 contains a rich vinous pulp. All the true Gardenias are applied to useful 

 purposes in the countries where they are natives. G. Florida and G. 

 radicans are grown as hedge plants in China and Japan, and the fruits are 

 used both for dyeing and for medicinal purposes. 



Stove Gardenias. — When grown in the stove, damp and shade are very 

 essential, and the most important matter of all is to give them a good 

 start in spring. The proper soil for all the species is a mixture of equal 

 parts loam from rotted turves, fibrous peat, and silver sand, well mixed and 

 rather rough, the nodules of turf being the size of walnuts, and the finer 

 and more sandy parts of the compost being used to fill in next the roots. 

 They should be repotted annually after flowering, the old soil being in 

 great part shaken away, and the plants returned to the same pots, or at 

 least only one size larger, in the fresh compost, which must be pressed 

 in firmly after repotting ; place them on a bed of fermenting dung, leaves, 

 or tan, and supply plenty of water till they have completed their seasonal 

 growth ; then remove them to a stage or slate platform, and let them go 

 tolerably dry and have the help of sunshine to ripen the wood. Keep 

 them tolerably dry and cool all winter, and in spring place on a moist 

 heat, but the pots should not be plunged, and they will flower abundantly. 

 Pruning should be performed immediately the bloom is over, but as a rule 

 they do best without pruning, as they have naturally a neat shrubby 

 habit. "VVe subjoin a list of the most valuable stove species. 



Armata, native of West Indies, forms a handsome spinous tree, ten or 

 twelve feet high, white flowers in July, requires the stove, and needs 

 special care only after repotting. 



Devoniana, native of Sierra Leone, forms a handsome shrub, six feet 

 high, and produces white flowers in August. Requires the stove. 



Latifolia, native of the East Indies, produces lemon -coloured blossoms 

 in May. This may be grown in a warm greenhouse by the method de- 

 scribed below, but as a greenhouse plant will not bear any neglect or it 

 may be lost. 



Lucida, also a native of the East Indies, has shining leaves, and pro- 

 duces its white flowers in June. 



Nitida is a diminutive species from Sierra Leone. It attains a height 

 of two and a half feet, and by occasional stopping may be made very 

 dense and bushy. Its usual season of blooming is October, but by re- 

 tarding it may be turned to good account for flowers in the depth of 



