THE 



November, 1863. 



CULTUEE OF CLIANTHUS, 



HE Glory Pea of Australia and JS'ew Zealand 

 is one of the grandest ornaments of the sandy 

 wastes and barren hillsides of those interest- 

 ing countries, and among the first objects to 

 arrest the attention and claim the admiration 

 (^ of new settlers when they make excursions 



^ into uncultivated districts. There are probably many 

 species in the interiors of those countries of which we 

 shall hear accounts, and obtain specimens as the spirit 

 of adventure brings to light the botanical resources of 

 these new homes of the Anglo-Saxon race. IS'one of 

 the species of Clianthus have been long in this country, 

 and the best of them is quite a recent intro- 

 duction. In Don's " Diehlamydeous Plants" (1832), three 

 species are described under the generic name Donia, namely, 

 Bonia piinicea, D. sjyeciosa, and B.formosa, and that they were then not 

 known in cultivation is proved by the remark, " Should ever any of the 

 species be introduced to our gardens we should recommend," etc. etc. 

 The genus was first named in honour of Mr. George Don, of Eorfar, and 

 was afterwards renamed from the Greek Kleios, glory^ and anthos, a 

 flower. The Clianthus is one of the showiest members of the great 

 natural order Leguminosce, and closely resembles the Sutherlandia of the 

 Cape, and the Kennedya of Australia, both in structure, habit, and appear- 

 ance. The species of Clianthus known include the three just cited from 

 Don, and two others named respectively carneus and magnijicus. The 

 J), speciosa of Don is the species now known as G. Dampieri. They 

 are all herbaceous or sub- shrubby, evergreen if sufficiently protected 

 during winter, but deciduous if exposed to a low temperature ; but when 

 they become deciduous they are in danger of perishing. C. carneus is a 

 free-growing shrubby species from the Philippine Islands, producing flesh 

 coloured flowers. C. puniceus is also shrubby, and nearly hardy. It is 

 a native of New Zealand, and was introduced in 1832. It produce 5 

 gorgeous crimson flowers, and is a very noble object when in bloom. C. 

 formosa is an herbaceous species, of procumbent habit, native of the north- 



VOL. VI. — NO. XI. M 



