404 



JOURNAL Of HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE. 



[ May 21, 1874. 



\re were attracted was a very fine specimen of Rugcus androgynus 

 in a tub, trained in cylindrical shape, about 25 feet hisb- It was 

 remarkably well grown, and, standing apart as it did, stood 

 out in a prominent position. Then we had the magnificent 

 group of Prince Demidoff, containing a collection of Palms such 

 as are rarely to be seen. Among these were Corypha australis, 

 Areca rubra, Cocos australis, a splendid Seaforthia elegans, 

 Areca Verechaffeiti and lutescens. Phoenix dactylifera. Phoenix 

 dactylifera sylvestris. Phoenix spinosa, Brahia dulcis, Caryota 

 urens, and Pritchardia pacifica. Interspersed among these were 

 noble specimens of Dasylirion serratifolium, and D. longifolium, 

 remarkably fine specimens of Cycas revoluta, Lettica gemini- 

 fnlia, and Hechtia planifolia. We also observed very tall plants 

 of Dracaena arborea, Coccoloba Blumei, Agnostus sinuata, and 

 Banksia serrata. Altogether this was a fine collection, and the 

 plants were well grown, and correctly as well as distinctly 

 named. We must not omit to notice a fine plant of Brownia 

 grandiceps, which towered up among the Palms, rivalling in 

 height the lofty Caryota urens, and crested with a plume of its 

 delicate feathery-looking pinnate young leaves. 



The next we came to was the collection of the Marquis Corsi- 

 Salviati, to whom we are personally indebted for many kind- 

 nesses and attentions received during the Exhibition. This 

 occupied a space equal to that filled by Prince Demidoff, but the 

 plants though more varied were not so large, yet they con- 

 tributed very importantly to the effect of the Exhibition. Here 

 there were fine plants of Cycas revoluta, Cocos oleracea and 

 australis, Corypha australis. Phoenix dactylifera, Chamiedorea 

 elegans, Ehapis flabelliformis, Carludovica palmata, Pandanus 

 furcatus, Strelitzia angusta, Pandanus utilis, and Seaforthia 

 elegans. At the farther end of this S. di Conti-Salviati exhibited 

 a fine group of Ferns, consisting of excellent plants of Cibotium 

 Schiedei, C. spectabile, and C. princeps, Lomaria cycada?folia, 

 Alsophila contaminans, Cyathea dealbata, and C. funebris, Di- 

 plaziuni arborescens, Asplenium nidus-avis, and Dicksonia 

 arborescens ; but perhaps the gem of the Ferns was an enormous 

 mass of Todea africana in a pot 4J feet in diameter and 3J feet 

 high. The mass itself stood 3 feet high, and was 3 feet 6 inches 

 ■wide. 



There were also some very handsome Tree Ferns exhibited by 

 Cav. Sen. Emanuele Fenzi, one of the Secretaries of the Society, 

 such as Dicksonia antarctica, Cyathea dealbata, Balantium ant- 

 arcticnm, and a fine mass of Todea barbara, the stipes of which 

 was over 2 feet high and 25 feet in diameter. 



Corresponding with the Ruscus on the right we had on the 

 left of the centre area a fine specimen of Cocos oleracea from the 

 Museum of Natural History of Florence. The earthenware pot 

 in which this was grown was worthy of notice, it being 5 feet 

 high, and 4 feet G inches wide at the top, a size which we in 

 England never dream of. 



The collection from the Museum of National History of Flo- 

 rence was a rich one, containing some very fine and well-grown 

 specimens, among which were Elais guineensis, Livistonia 

 Skinueri, Arenga obtusifolia, Pandanus odoratissimus, Latania 

 borbonica and rubra, Areca rubra, (Enocarpus filamentosus, 

 Acrocoraia sclerocarpa, Cham^doreaSchiediana, Sabal umbracu- 

 lifera, Ceratozamia mexicana, Encephalartoa caffer, Cycas revo- 

 luta, Ehynchospermum jasminoides, Tiipidanthus calyptratus, 

 Pandanus utilis, Pandanus javanicua fol. var., and these were 

 interspersed with flowering Azaleas, Dracrenas with coloured 

 foliage, and other plants of a similar character to give colour and 

 brightness to a mass which would otherwise have been heavy 

 and sombre. 



There were some very fine plants in the collection sent from 

 the garden of the Municipality of Florence, among which were 

 most notable fine specimens of Pandanus odoratissimus, Also- 

 phila australis, Monstera deliciosa, or as it was called Dra- 

 contium pertusum, Dracronafragrans, Alocasia odora, Coccoloba 

 excoriata, Cinnamomum albiilorum, Antidesma alexiteria, 

 Coffea arabica, and a large Ficus elastica. 



Immediately adjoining this collection there was a fine group 

 of Ferns from the Botanic Garden, including good specimens of 

 Dicksonia antarctica, Todea rivularis, Cyathea dealbata, Ci- 

 botium princeps, and Alsophila australis. 



These were the most prominent features which were to be 

 seen in the nave, and we shall now simply note some of the 

 leading plants and special objects that were to be met within the 

 Exhibition. To describe in detail the whole of the objects ex- 

 hibited would be useless labour to ourselves and tedious to our 

 readers. In this as in all other exhibitions of the kind there 

 were numerous things which helped to give effect and to make up 

 the whole, which, when examined in detail, had no individual 

 interest. We shall therefore without any particular order make 

 note of the various things as we met with them ; and here we 

 may remark that the absence of any catalogue on the third day 

 after the opening was a great deprivation. 



Let us begin first with the new plants. Here it was that our 

 own countrymen, Messrs. Veiteh &: Sons, of Chelsea, and Dr. 

 David Moore, of Dublin, were to be found. The former exhibited a 

 collection of all the n3W things fcr which they had from time t) 



time received certificates at the meetings and exhibitions of the 

 Royal Horticultural Society during the past season ; and especi- 

 ally a collection of Pitcher-plants, which attracted great at- 

 tention from the visitors. These were Nepenthes Hookeri, 

 N. distillatoria, N. ampullacea variegata, N. hybrida, N. hybrida 

 maculata, and N. Sedeni, the three latter hybrids raised in the 

 nursery of Messrs. Veiteh between N. distillatoria and a species 

 from Borneo. The other plants were Dieffenbachia Bausei, 

 Drac^na Baptisii, Chelsoni, Amabilis magnifica and imperialis 

 Hendersoni, and striatifolia ; Croton Weismauni, Youngi, and 

 undulatum; Aralia elegantissima and Veitchii ; Tillandsia 

 Zahnii, Abutilon Sellowianum marmoratum, Cypripedium Argus, 

 C. Dominianum, Ficus Parcelli, and Bpidendrum pseud-Epi- 

 dendrum. Dr. Moore had a hybrid Sarracenia raised between 

 S. flava and S. Drummondi. Its habit is the strong free growth 

 of S, flava, while it has the highly-coloured pitchers of Drum- 

 mondi. The flowers are yellow internally, and deeply stained 

 with red on the outside. "This is, we believe, the first instance 

 of hybridisation having been effected artificially between species 

 of Sarracenias ; and though it has been exhibited under the pro- 

 visional name of S. hybrida, it would only be proper that Dr. 

 Moore's name should be associated with it, and that it be hence- 

 forth known as X Sarracenia Moorei. Dr. Moore also brought 

 with him a good plant of Ouvirandra fenestralis, which appeared 

 to have travelled in excellent condition, also some plants of 

 Cepbalotus foUicnlaris, which appeared to attract much attention. 



Mr. Auguste Van Geert, of Ghent, had a collection of new- 

 plants, consisting of Pandanus Van Geertii, Areca Dicksoai, 

 Kentia Fosteriana, Corypha australis var. ferruginea, and Coper- 

 nicia cerifera. 



Mr. Linden, of Ghent, occupied a large space with a collection 

 of remarkable plants, among which we noted a splendid speci- 

 men of Dracaena gloriosa beautifully coloured, Phormium atro- 

 purpureum, Dieffenbachia Baumanni, Phormium Colensoi, 

 Artooarpus grandis, Dieffenbachia Parlatorei, Draca-na Beali - 

 Araucaria robusta glauca is a fine variety of excelsa, dense in 

 habit and with a glaucous bloom on the leaves ; Zamia Roezli, 

 Philodeudron parimense, and Phyllotffinium Lindeni. Mr. Lin- 

 den had a group of Acers, including A. palmatum roseo-dissec- 

 tum, palmatum sanguineum, atro-purpureum, reticulatum, and 

 crispum ; and also some choice Palms, of which Cocos elegant- 

 issima, the only plant in Europe of the species, was the most 

 attractive from its graceful habit and novelty. 



M. L. Buchner, of Monaco, exhibited a fine lot of Araliacese, 

 to which he appears to devote especial attention. We remarked 

 Aralia dentata, trifoliata, pulchra, peltata, dactyhfoha, reticu- 

 lata, Sieboldi variegata, papyrifera, quercifolia, nymphiefolia, 

 digitata, mexicana, lucida, heteromorpha, parasitica, grana- 

 tensis, Thibautii, crassifolia, leptophylla, pentaphylla variegata, 

 Osyana, Shepherdii, Guilfoylii, Lindeni, ambomensis, and novie- 

 zelandia?. 



A beautiful group of Crotons was shown by Prince Demidoff, 

 which occupied a large space in one of the pavihons, and we 

 could not but remark in examining these plants how much more 

 richly-coloured the leaves are than with us, due, no doubt, to tne 

 greater amount of light they receive in this southern chmate. 



The centre of one of the pavilions was filled by a mass of well- 

 grown plants belonging to Marquis Torrigiani, of Florence. 

 This produced a very good effect, and contained some excellently- 

 grown Crotons, a Phcenicophorium sechellarum, Areca alba, 

 and numerous Draca-nas, Caladiums, Dieffeubachias, and Cypn- 

 pediums. en a 



The centre of a corresponding pavilion to the former was niiea 

 by plants from the garden of the Marquis Corsi-Salviati ; and 

 here we observed some that were remarkably well grown. Of 

 these the most striking were Anthurium regale, Angiopteris 

 evecta, Dieffenbachia gipantea, Areca Verschaffelti, Sphajrogyne 

 latifoUa, and Verschaffeltia splendida. In the same pavilion 

 the same nobleman had collections of Crotons, Dracaenas, 

 Marantas, and Orchids, which displayed meritorious cultiva- 

 tion. We especially remarked among the latter a good specimen 

 of the Foxbrush (Acrides Fieldingii). also Vanda suavis, Cat- 

 tleya amethystina, and C. elegans. Here also was a good speci- 

 men of Adiantum farleyense. 



In this same pavilion Mr. WiUinck, of Amsterdam, had E, 

 very attractive specimen of Selaginella caesia arborea, a woB- 

 derifully strong-growing variety of this beautiful plant. It was 

 fi feet wide and 3 feet high, and glistening beautifully m rta 

 iridescent blue and green. 



There were not many Orchids shown. With the exception of 

 a few Cattleva Mossi,T,"Vanda tricolor, and Cypripediums there 

 were few more than we have already noted in the collections. 

 Orchids do not seem to have much attraction for Itahan horti- 

 culturists, if we may judge by the limited number to be met 

 with here. i « , ^ 



Azalea indiea contributed the greatest amount of colour to 



the Show, and these were supplied by Cavaliere Cesare Fran- 



chetti, Conti Ugolino della Gherardesca, Marquis NicoloRudolfi, 



and Prince Demidoff. . 



Palms were in great abundance besides those mentionea m 



