304 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTUBB AND COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 



[ April 20, 1876. 



yielding a maes of rich parpUah blue, white, and porcelain- 

 white flowers during the aummer months. It is propagated 

 by seed and divisions. 



4. Golden Pyrethrnm. 



5. Fankia undulata. — This is a beautiful dwarf plant. The 

 variegation is of a pearly white, and all through the spring 

 and summer it is exceedingly attractive. It is hardy, and is 

 propagated by divisions. 



6. Oxalis cornioulata rubra. — This is a very dwarf and 

 effective plant for covering the ground as a carpet. The colour 

 of the leaves is a rich velvety dark brown colour. It is hardy, 

 and increased by runners. — N. Colb. 



NOVELTIES IN THE ROYAL GAEDENS, KEW. 



Eddgea maceophtlla, producing a large head of pure white 

 flowers, is blooming in the stove. The leaves are of large 

 size and have been compared to Medinilla, with which in habit 

 the plant has some similarity, though from so small a plant 

 much cannot be said. It is about a foot high, and the 

 inflorescence in size is quite out of proportion. The flowers 

 are very beautiful, and have been used in the bridal bouquet of 

 a Eoyal marriage. Individually they last only a short time, 

 but a large number of buds open in succession, and these 

 alone are of great beauty. The corolla is funnel-shaped and 

 about an inch in diameter. It was figured in the "Botanical 

 Magazine" of 1867, where it is described as "a magnificent 

 plant, and belonging to a genus which, though containing 

 many species, had never previously, so far as I am aware, been 

 introduced into European gardens." It is yet quite rare. The 

 specimen from which the portrait was drawn was sent by Mr. 

 Henderson of Pine Apple Place. It is a native of Rio Janeiro, 

 and is described as attaining a height of 6 feet. Hitherto it 

 has not been tried with different soils or temperatures, but 

 has succeeded in the stove, using a soO of peat and loam as 

 for the generality of ftove plants. 



Passing through the Orchid house we observe a few species 

 in particular. Aiirides japouioum is very pretty and sweetly 

 scented. It would, perhaps, do with greenhouse temperature, 

 but is here flourishing in the warm division. It was first in- 

 troduced by M. Linden, and since by Messrs. Teitch, though 

 up to recent importations it was rather rare. The raceme is 

 pendant and many-flowered. The flowers are white, or nearly 

 so, with the lateral sepals brown barred near the base, and 

 the epoon-shaped lip is edged with purple, the ridge being 

 marked with spots. It was figured in the "Botanical Maga- 

 zine" of 1869. Dsndrobium BuUerianum, or, as it is more 

 often Oilled, D. gratiosissimum, is very attractive. D. Pierardi 

 still continues in beauty. Several pots of Cypripedium spec- 

 tabile are novel as well as handsome. The forcing of hardy 

 Cypripediums is likely to continue in future years. These 

 have submitted well to the treatment, but the flowers are 

 much paler in the coloured part, which is scarcely a deteriora- 

 tion. C. niveum is another chaste species now in flower. 

 Some cultivators have found it grow well in loam. Many 

 Orchids usually grown in peat and sphagnum would, perhaps, 

 like to find loam within reach, though to pot them wholly in 

 that material would not be the same to them as their laying 

 hold of it in a wild state. It is interesting to observe that a 

 clever cultivator considers it beneficial, after dipping his block 

 plants, to dust over the roots some dry peat, so that they may 

 obtain nutriment from the adhering particles. Of the true 

 Oncidium sarcodes there is a very fine spike. Odontoglossum 

 nebulosum is represented by the best variety. Among other 

 Orchids are Eulophia streptopetala, Chysis aurea var. Lem- 

 minghii, and Leptotes bicolor. At the cool end several Sarra- 

 cenias are in flower. These are S. flava, S. Drummondi, 

 S. purpurea, and S. Moorei. 



In the Orchid house porch are many plants of beauty and 

 interest. Ficus radicaus has been recently introduced, and is 

 suitable for covering walls and for baskets. It has a similar 

 habit to F. stipulata, but the leaves are much larger and of 

 di£ferent form. They are ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acumi- 

 nate, and cordate at the base, with a length of 3 or i inches, 

 and of a bright shade of green. It will be news to many that 

 F. stipulata is but a young and sterile growth of F. pumila, 

 and that in one or two cases when allowed free development it 

 has grown into the aspect and character of the mature form. 

 So different are the two growths that without knowing they 

 came from the same stem it would be difficult to believe in 

 their being one plant. We saw an instance of this about three 

 years ago in the collection of W. W. Saunders, Esq., at 



Keigate, and have just heard of what is perhaps another. It 

 is of great interest to know that different parts of what could 

 easily have been the same plant were described as distinct 

 species ; but this is not a solitary case. It is better known 

 that Marcgravia umbellata grows in two forms— the one creep- 

 ing by means of curious rootlets under the shortly petioled 

 leaves, which are small and closely adpressed to the surface for 

 support; the other a growth of spreading branches, bearing 

 leaves of large size and distinct form. These, we believe it 

 correct to say, when rooted separately have been offered as 

 distinct. Ficus radicans strikes with the greatest ease, and the 

 above-mentioned plant clings to the stem of a Tree Fern. 

 Albuca juncifolia is quite new, but is only of interest to those 

 who take a special interest in bulbs. It has pendant yellow 

 flowers, with leaves well described by the specific title. Amphi- 

 come Emodi is an extremely rare but old and beautiful plant. 

 It produces a dwarf and compact tuft of pinnate leaves, with 

 flowers shaped like Bignonias ; the throat pale yellow, but other- 

 wise pink, and only sufficiently raieed above the foliage to be 

 well seen. Orychophragmus sonchifolius is a promising and 

 perhaps hardy annual from North China. The leaves are pale 

 green with cruciferous flowers of violet colour in various shades, 

 and in addition to their beauty are sweetly scented. It grows 

 from 6 to perhaps 18 inches high. Among several other bulbs, 

 including several IrideaB, Cyclobothra casrnlea and Stenomesson 

 suspensum may be mentioned as the rarest. 



The Eockwork is now commencing to be attractive, and 

 several others besides those we shall mention as novelties are 

 beautifully in flower. Parenthetically we may mention Primula 

 nivea, Cardamine trifolia, Androsace Lapgfri, and Myosotis 

 dissitiflora. Iris caucasica is rare, as well as distinct and 

 curious. The leaves are different from all others, being sickle- 

 shaped with long points, and of a bluish green colour. The 

 flowers are yellow, on stalks about 4 inches long. The sepals 

 spread upwards, though corresponding in position with the 

 "falls" of the German Iri", and form the conspicuous part cf 

 the flower, while the petals are very narrow and descending. 

 Eomanzoffia sitchensis we have before referred to, and nebd 

 only again mention it as being a pretty white-flowered Saxi- 

 fragalike plant, and very suitable for the choicest rockwork. 

 Saxifraga aretioides var. primnlina is a very fine form of the 

 species. It has large yellow Primula-like flowers, and the very 

 appropriate name was given by Mr. Niven some short time ago. 

 We believe the plant was brought to notice by Mr. Atkins. 



CONOCLINIUM lANTHINUM. 



This Mexican shrub, introduced in 1849, is the same as 

 Hebeclinium and Eupatorium ianthinum. It is of stiff, erect, 

 or slightly branched habit, with broad, oblong, lanceolate 

 leaves, and a paniculate inflorescence of terminal and axillary 

 corymbs of flower heads, composed of numerous lavender and 

 violet-coloured florets. The corymbs being large and rather 

 loose have a fine effect at midwinter, at which time the plants 

 usually flower, but I have had them flowering in December 

 and up to February. 



Its culture is of the easiest among stove plants, doing exceed- 

 ingly well in a cool stove or a warm greenhouse, an intermediate 

 house suiting it. In choice cf soil it is not very fastidious, 

 doing well in a compost of three parts light fibrous loam, with a 

 part leaf soil and a free admixture of sand. Cuttings inserted 

 now strike freely in gentle heat. I select cuttings of the ripe 

 shoots — i e., those that have flowered ; these are made with 

 two joints, removing the leaves from the lowest joint, cutting 

 transversely below it, and are inserted in f andy soil around the 

 sides of a 4-inch pot, and plunged in a hotbed and shaded from 

 bright sun, keeping moist. Cuttings of the young shoots also 

 strike freely, having two joints and the growing point, and 

 such inserted in June, potted singly when rooted, and shifted 

 into 6-inch pots will flower well in winter, having a large 

 terminal head of bloom. The cuttings put in earlier will by 

 pottirg-off when well rooted and growing-on, shifting from 4 to 

 6-inch pots, and from 6 to 8-inch, make fine plants by autumn, 

 fine in foliage and sturdy in growth if kept near the glass, 

 producing in due course large heads of bloom. 



The old plants are cut-in after flowering, each shoot being 

 out to two joints of the old wood, or to one joint if the shoots 

 are weak, the plants being kept rather dry for a few days pre- 

 viously, and carefully watered afterwards nntU the plants 

 break ; and when the shoots are an inch long turning the 

 plants out of the pots, removing most of the old soil and 

 returning to the same size of pot, sprinkling overhead twice 



