260 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 2, 1866. 



when in another. At Rome no fungus is allowed to be sold 

 until it has been examined and passed by a government official 

 fully cognisant of the species. There are fungi which are 

 easily recognised, and are always safe. A guide to these are 

 the coloured drawings in the little volume entitled " Eatable 

 Funguses," published at our office.] 



EARLY DWARF ULM SAVOY. 



You have done well to commend this excellent Savoy. It 

 has, however, been somewhat largely grown for years past 

 under the name of Dwarf Marcellan Savoy. Mr. Turner, of 

 Slough, and others have catalogued it for several years under 

 the latter name. It is very early, and is always tender, even 

 in the mildest autumn weather. It requires but little room, 

 and grows close to the ground. Messrs. Veitch's examples of 

 Savoy comprised four varieties — the Drumhead, Green Curled, 

 Yellow, and the Early Ulm ; the Yellow has a more conical 

 shape than either of the others, readers will infer from your 

 report that it has a flat Drumhead shape. The Yellow Savoy 

 is very hardy, and very tender when it has been subjected to 

 frost. 



Messrs. Wrench produced some heads of Little Pixie Cab- 

 bage, as well as the Early York which you notice, in order to 

 disprove the opinion expressed from a trial at Chiswick that 

 the varieties were identical. The difference was " clear and 

 palpable," Little Pixie being not only the earlier, but having 

 a very different style of growth. — R. Dean, Ealing. 



VERONICAS AND ORCHIDS NATIVES OF 

 NEW ZEALAND. 



The flora of New Zealand has hitherto been chiefly distin- 

 guished by curious rather than attractive ornamental plants. 

 Our native Veronicas are a striking exception to this rule, 

 and lead us to anticipate much more favourably of the .yet 

 unexplored regions of this vast country. It is well known 

 to botanists that there are still beautiful shrubby species of 

 Veronica not yet in cultivation amongst us. I recollect seeing 

 the species of Veronica called V. speciosa, exhibited for the 

 first time in the year 1845 at one of the great exhibitions of 

 the London Horticultural Society, from the Royal Gardens at 

 Frogmore, and in spite of unfavourable predictions, it fully 

 established its merits as a first-rate greenhouse plant. 



Among other merits pertaining to our Veronicas is their easy 

 propagation, so that no difficulty is likely to occur in keeping 

 up a stock of them; they seed freely, and cuttings strike freely 

 in common garden soil. The flowers are usually scentless, 

 sometimes azure blue, but generally white, and are produced 

 in great profusion. 



Dr. Hooker states that Veronicas are more numerous in New 

 Zealand than in Europe. I will enumerate a few of the recent 

 additions made to our stock of them for ornamental purposes. 



Veronica Bidwilli. — Named after Mr. T. J. Bidwill, of Sydney. 

 He was the first explorer of the Southern Alps, making exten- 

 sive and very important collections on the Nelson Mountains. 



V. lavenduhtfolia. — The Laveuder-flowered variety. Westland. 



V. tetratheeasfolia. — The Tetratheca-leaved variety. Westland. 



V. epaeridifolia. — The Epacri6-leaved variety. Westland. 



V. Haastii. — This pretty little alpine shrub should be in every 

 gardeD, 



V. cupressifolia. — The Cypress-leaved variety. This is an- 

 other very handsome dwarf-growing kind, and should be in 

 every garden. 



V. Weldii.— Named after our late eminent Prime Minister ; 

 I presume in compliment. If the name is merely given in 

 compliment, without reference to his being the individual dis- 

 coverer, or the species being described by him, the name should 

 be rendered in an adjective form, with termination ana; as 

 Veronica Weldiana. 



Veronica sp., found on Mount Sinclair, has a very dwarf 

 habit, and very distinct from the rest. I think a very fit name 

 for it would be V. Sinclairiana, in memory of Dr. A. Sinclair, 

 for his great attainments in many ways. 



There are many other varieties growing in our gardens which 

 I have not enumerated; among them is V. salicifolia, or the 

 Willow-leaved variety. I can recollect this being introduced 

 into England in the year 1846 as a very gay shrub. 



The following is an enumeration of the Orchids known to us : 



1. Thelymitra Forsteri.— In dry, open, Fern grounds. Bay 



of Islands, Wangaroa, &c. ; flowering in spring (September and 

 October). 



2. Diuris novae-zealandia?. 



3. Microtis Forsteri. — In the open timberless tracks, among 

 Fern. Bay of Islands, &c. 



4. Acianthus rivularis. — Dj the rocky bed of a rivulet, in a 

 ravine, in the vicinity of Wangaroa harbour ; North Island, on 

 the eastern coast. 1826. Flowers in November. 



5. Pterostylis Banksii. — On the soft alluvial banks of the 

 Kaua-Kaua river, Bay of Islands. 1826. 



We have two indigenous species of Orchis, which grow here 

 on the plains — viz. : 



6. Epipactis. — Flowers white ; makes its appearance here in 

 November, in dry old river beds. 1865. 



7. Orchis. — Very like the green meadow Orchis in England, 

 the outer calyx being a purple green, forming a sort of helmet 

 over the rest of the flower. In flower in November, and grows 

 in old river beds. 1865. There may be added to these two the 

 three species which have been seen on the west coast very 

 recently. — William Swale, Avonside Botanic Gardens. 



GRASSES FOR LAWNS. 



Lolium peeense TENUE (Slender Perennial Eye Grass). — 

 No Grass can be much worse for lawns than the common Rye 

 Grass, Lolium perenne ; but this variety of that species, if 

 grown on well-drained and well-managed lawns, is one of the 

 best of Grasses for the purpose. The common Rye Grass is 

 coarse and tufty, but this variety is fine in its herbage, and 

 under the discipline of the scythe and roller forms a soft, close 

 turf. 



Roots few, fibrous. Stems several, less than a foot high, 

 round, smooth, stiff, almost without leaves ; the joints purplish, 

 swollen, the lowermost being bent. Leaves few iu number, 

 dark green, very narrow, pointed, flat, smooth, and streaked. 

 Leaf-sheaths flattened, streaked, smooth. Stipules short, entire, 

 acutely eared at each side. Flower-head a slender spike, nearly 



upright ; central stalk smooth. Spikelets longer than the calyx, 

 numerous, alternate, distant, erect, spear-head shaped, few- 

 flowered. Outer valve of the corolla narrow spear-head-shaped, 

 keeled, pointed, awnless. Styles very short. Seed hue-shaped, 

 very small, only half as long as that of the common Lolium 



