October 17, 1863. ] 



JOUENAL OF HOBTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



319 



cioB of rcoont introduction, as, for example, Authnrium cordi- 

 foliuin, <W/.M luiiHiiilicuni, iiml granile, furuisli, indeed, leaves 

 which vie witli those of almost any otlier plants we cultivate — so 

 graceful is their outline, so soft the blemliugs of tlieir velvety 

 coloiu-s, and so pleasing the contrast afforded by tlio flowing 

 lines of ivory white, marking tlio course of tlioir nerves and 

 nervures; but these, and indeed the majority of the species, 

 can claim no importance from an ornamental )inint of view, in 

 regard to (lieir inllorescence, wliicli comprisos a spathe of dull 

 green, and a spudix of an cfiually dull tone of colour. 



" lu the subject of our present plate we have floral beauty 

 combined with brilliancy of hue in no common degree, win- 

 ning for its subject one of the foremost jihiccs amongst stove 

 plants recently introduced to our gardens. Its improvement 

 since first brought into notice, too, has been wonderful. Shown 

 first in 1S(12 in eominiuy with the glorious Lilium auratum, it 

 was, indeed, admired, but elicited little warmtli of admiration ; 

 and the (igure, which about that time appeared in the " Botani- 

 cal Magazine," shows the plant in a state ludicrously inferior 

 to that in which it has been shown the present year, as repre- 

 sented in our plate. In the older figure just mentioned the 

 spathe measures IJ inch in length, and three-quarters of an 

 inch in breadth, while as now grown, it measures about S inches 

 in length and 15 in breadth. In this improved state it ranks, 

 indeed, amongst the finest of decorative plants. 



" Anthurium Scherzeriannm is a native of Guatemala and 

 Costa Eica. It w-as introduced in 18G2 by M. WentUand to the 

 Eoyal Gardens of Hanover, and from this source, we believe, 

 was received by Mr. Veitch, of Chelsea, by wliom it was first 

 exhibited in this country, and by whinu the wonderfully im- 

 proved plants just adverted to were also produced. It is a 

 dwarf-habited herbaceous plant, having a short erect stem, on 

 which the petiolate, elongate-oblong, acuminate, leathery leaves 

 are closely packed, and from which roots are protimded between 

 the leafstalks. From between the leaves spring np the flower- 

 stalks, which are coloured red, and terminated by an oblong, 

 ovate, rich scarlet spathe, which forms tlie most attractive part 

 of the inflorescence, and is always bent back against the stalk. 

 The spadix, which is orange-coloured, is quite exposed, and 

 vermiform. The plant is easily cultivated in the stove." — 

 (Florut ami PoiiwlorjM, No. xlvi., p. 209.) 



PAULOWNIA IMPEPJALIS BLOSSOM-BUDS. 



I SEE an inquiry in your Journal from " M. E. G.," regard- 

 ing Paulownia imperialis. Its blossom-buds will stand through 

 any moderate winter, and will open before the leaves appear in 

 the spring. It has been so with me in Somersetshire. . 



GLEANINGS FPv,OM PvOCK AND FIELD 

 TOWAPDS ROME.— No, 7. 



Amongst the ruins of Rome, most affecting in their stupen- 

 dous magnitude and majestic loneliness of decay, are the vast 

 remains of the Thermnj, or Baths, of Antoninus Caracalla, where 

 the Ai'butus uuedo and Viburnum tinus clothe with their dark 

 verdiu'e the summit of stupendous walls, each leaf and cluster 

 of blossoms stanthng out clear against the soft blue sky. We 

 read, and we do not wonder to read, that Shelley loved these 

 ruins. The aerial height of the tremendous arches, the touch- 

 ing sight of so much beauty in decay, which Nature's kindly 

 hand seeks to hide witli new and wondrous forms of loveliness, 

 are calculated to turn the dullest prose to poetry, and give a 

 poet's spirit inspiration half divine. Built to accommodate 

 1600 bathers at a time, they occupy nearly a mile in circuit ; 

 and you can pass many an hour wanderiug about the deserted 

 halls, cUmbiug up crumbling walls, or examining the remains 

 of mosaics which lie scattered about in huge fragments of 

 ceiling or floor. Many portions of the ancient mosaic pave- 

 ment remain still in the same position they occupied perchance 

 some 1400 years ago. Some of these mosaics are entirely 

 broken up ; and I plead guilty to having gathered up a handful 

 of tiny morsels, some of green or red porphyry, some of white 

 marble, which I brought away to adorn my English ternerj'. 



The water for the Baths of Caracalla was brought in part by 

 the Claudian Aqueduct from a distance of forty-six miles, ten 

 miles being carried over arches ! — six of which still exist 

 Striding over the Campagna, and forming one of the most pic- 

 turesque remains of ancient Eome. 



The walls and the giass-grown chambers of the Baths aboimd 



in interesting plants. Besides the wild Ijaurustinus and Ar- 

 butus, the ruins are in many parts quite hidden by trees and 

 flowering shrubs. The Evergreen Eoso (Kosa semjiervirens), 

 mixes its long trailing branches of bright shining green with 

 largo quantities of Corouilla, with its profusion of yellow blos- 

 soms scenting the air. I believe 1 gathered the Coronilla 

 glauca, called in olden times the Pay-smelling Coronilla ; but 

 I managed to lose my specimen, retaining only liranches of a 

 plant very like C. gbiuca, which Professor I'arlatore pronounced 

 to be only a Modicago (tribuloidos ?), of which seven varieties 

 are to be found about the ruins of Rome ; and a tolerable spe- 

 cimen of tho Coronilla stipularia, tlie Coronilla valcntina of 

 some botanists. 



In " Curtis's Botanical Magazine" for 1788, t. 185, I find 

 the Coronilla valentina figured, and described as a native only 

 of Spain ; and this information is also added — that the largo 

 stipula', the drstinguishiug feature of C. valentina, drop off 

 when the jdant comes into bloom. Another handsome plant 

 I saw for tlie first time at Caracalla, as the enormous Therma? are 

 familiarly called, was the Asphodelus microcarpus or ramosus. 

 This Asphodel is abundant in some parts of the Campagna, 

 and its large raceme of blossoms rising from amidst the broad 

 grass-like leaves makes it a very striking object, while its fleshy 

 roots are sought after and eaten by the foxes. There is a much 

 smaller Asphodel — the A. fistixlosus, which only grows on the 

 Colosseum, but I did not find it there myself. 



Vjing in size with Asphodelus microcarpus was the Reseda 

 alba, its long close spikes of blossoms varying from S to 5 feet 

 in height. This Eeseda is not so beautiful as it is remarkable 

 in its appearance, be ng almost like an ornamental shrub. It 

 has whitish-looking petals, buff-coloured stamens, and large 

 pinnated leaves. It gives you rather the idea of Mignonette 

 striving to make itself suitable in size to tlie vast building 

 which it has to adorn. But the botanist will not find large 

 flowers alone strewn over the green carpet. He will find the 

 Ailemone horteusis, so faithful to Italian soil, the Muscaris, 

 the Hyaciuthus ; there also I believe he may find the tiny 

 Ornithopus eompressus, with its soft grey leaves and little 

 yellow flowers, for it was there I think I first foiind it peeping 

 up amidst the gayer bloom around. 



It gave one a strange feeling, gathering those simple blossoms 

 from amongst the shattered ruins of such glorious works of 

 art. Strangely, too, came the thought that though the sun in 

 the blue heavens shone never so brightly above, lighting up 

 the noble expanse of building so unspeakably touching in its 

 utter decay, and glancing so merrily from bougli to bough and 

 from leaf to leaf — yet in this spot, where Nature seemed so at 

 uuit3' with herself, the fatal malaria reigns supreme, preventing 

 the custodier of the Thermal from remaining in the ruins at 

 night. How I hated tho mysterious malaria I could never 

 tell. It is worse than the brigands, for when once it seizes 

 you, no ransom will effect your escape. It is worse than 

 assassins — more stealthy in approach, more difliciJt to elude. 

 Taking innocent country drives, you return with a headache, 

 yon tremble — it is the malaria. IJnwittingly you have invaded 

 its territory and you are caught. Sometimes it comes stealing 

 up from its invisible lurking-place quite early in spring, and 

 monks and nuns have to flee before it, away from their counti-y 

 monasteries to the town, into which it follows them, house by 

 house, and street by street, into the very Corso itself. Some- 

 times it waits for summer ; but sooner or later it comes, bring- 

 ing fever and death in its train. The contadini have to shut 

 up their cottages and find homes elsewhere for the unhealthy 

 season, so that one misses in their dwellings tlie home-like 

 look of the English labourer's cottage garden. 



Leaving the Baths of Caracalla, a very slight detour bringi? 

 yon into the Via Appia, or ancient Appian Way, the very road 

 along which St. Paul travelled when, met at Appii Forum by 

 the " brethren," he accompanied them to Eome. St. PaiJ 

 was On his w-ay to prison and to death ; we, in a luxurioug 

 carriage, were taking our easy way to the Catacombs of St. 

 Sebastiano. We passed by the tombs of the Scipios, by the 

 little church of " Domine quo vadis ? " said to be built on the 

 spot where our Lord met St. Peter trying to escape from mar- 

 tyrdom. The legend states that St. Peter, startled at seeing 

 our Lord, exclaimed, " Wliither goest thou. Lord?" and that 

 Jesus replied in a voice of tenderest pity, " To Eome, to be 

 crucified for my servant Peter." Then St. Peter turned and 

 retraced his steps to sufferings and deatli, counting it joy to 

 suffer for his Lord ; and then the legend adds that our Lord 

 left the print of His feet in the stone where He stood ; and 

 they show you a copy of the stone, and sell you medals com- 



