June 18, 1874. ) 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTORE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



485 



a plant of a good variety Krowinp; in a 12-incb pot, and fur- 

 nished, perhaps, with a hundred or more unpinched shoots 

 2 or 3 feet in lenRth, and loaded with bloom — a, circular ball, 

 in fact, but graceful, and perfectly free from anything like that 

 trained formaUty which we too often see at exhibitions. A 

 group of such massive specimens on an exhibition table would 

 make the attenuated pyramids which we have hitherto been 

 accustomed to admire, to appear more attenuated still, and in 

 a less favourable light. Not so long ago I saw a number of 

 specimens of the kind I have described : they had not been 

 grown for exhibition, but had simply been allowed to assume 

 the bush habit, because the gardener had no time to attend to 

 pinching and training ; but he had succeeded nevertheless in 

 producing a lot of plants for vase, &e., work in the house such 

 as one seldom sees. 



The advantages of this, which may be called the natural 

 system, are that the plants can be grown with less than one- 

 tenth of the labour usually bestowed upon specimens so-called, 

 flower better, and are better suited, as a rule, for decorative 

 purposes. 



It is not difficult to get up a stock of such plants. Those 

 ■who have Fuchsias one year old or more, have only to cut them 

 down to the pot, and they will break away from the bottom the 

 first year, perhaps only six, eight, or twelve shoots, according 

 to the age of the stool ; but in such a case the number may be 

 increased by pinchiug the shoots when they are about 2 inches 

 in height. This will multiply them considerably ; but no 

 further stopping must be done. Plants may be cut down at 

 any time while they have still growing vigour in them. At 

 the end of the season the plants must be cut down again, and 

 stored away till spring, when they should bo partially shaken 

 out, and potted at once in the pots that are to last them for 

 the season, as, when grown in this way, any interruption of 

 growth through " shifting on " is not desii-able. The size of pot 

 will, of course, depend upon the size of plant that is wished ; 

 the size of the specimen will just be in proportion to the root- 

 room, and the room and light which they receive. Neat little 

 plants in 4 and 5-inch pots may be had, or they may be grown 

 j3 feet in diameter, and of proportionate height, according to 

 fancy or requirement. I need scarcely add that good rich soil 

 and liberal waterings should be given to promote a vigorous 

 growth and long-continued bloom. — J. S. (iu Tlic Gardener). 



NOVELTIES IN THE ROYAL GAKDENS, KEW. 

 Decabelone ei.egans, Dene., a new and very rare plant of 

 unusual interest, is in flower in the Succulent house. It has 

 the habit and general appearance of a Stapelia, to which it is 

 allied. The stems are numerous, seven to nine-angled, of 

 which the small tapering elevations close together bear three 

 branched spines. The lateral branches are at right angles with 

 the central, like the top of a cross. The flower is borne at the 

 base of a young shoot, and would be pendulous but for the 

 pot on which it rests. The corolla is funnel-shaped, with five 

 ■triangular acute teeth curving outwards. It measures about 

 2 inches in length, and l.J inch across the mouth, extreme 

 breadth. The interior is covered with papilla?, minute at the 

 mouth, increasing in size and number towards the base. The 

 corona is remarkable ; it consists of five parts, each cleft 

 nearly to the base into two divisions, tapering to a slender thread 

 •with a pear-shaped termination. It was in reference to these 

 that the generic name, meaning ten pins, was given. The co- 

 ToUa is yellowish white, and on the inside has port-wine-coloured 

 spots, larger and more numerous towards the bottom ; the 

 outside is covered with short linear marks and dots of the 

 same colour a few shades lighter, and more dull. It is a 

 native of Angola and southward to the Orange River, seeming 

 •to have a wide range of distribution, and was collected by 

 Dr. Welwitsch on the sandy coast of LoanJa, in 18511. It was 

 figured by M. Decaisne (who received it from M. Pfersdorf as 

 Stapelia digitaliflora) under the above name. It requires the 

 same cultivation as Stapelias, and will do well in a house where 

 the lowest winter temperature is about 55' V. It should be on 

 a shelf near the glass. Here also in flower are Ceropegia 

 fiaudersoni and C. stapeliajformis, perhaps the most easily 

 cultivated, curious, and showy of the genus, presenting also 

 the greatest contrast of form. The former was introduced to 

 Kew a few years ago, and figured in the " Botanical Magazine " 

 of 18G!t. 



In the Cape house are Crinum ornatum, a fine species of 

 moderate dimensions, having scented well-formed flowers ; the 

 beautiful pink-flowered Zephyranthes carinata; Eichardia albo- 



maculata, smaller than R. retbiopica, with much the same 

 habit, and the addition of white spots on the leaves. 



Of the Begonias in the next house, B. Sutherlandi is in- 

 teresting from its being a parent of B. weltoniensis, one of 

 the most valuable of all Major T. Clarke's hybrids. The other 

 parent was B. Dregei. It is curious that the orange of the 

 one and the white of the other should have produced a piiik- 

 flowered offspring. B. Sutherlandi is a very elegant species, 

 found only in choice collections. 



Recently open iu the Orchid house are LffiUa purpurata, 

 Aiirides Lindleyanum, Oncidium urophyllum, with flowers re- 

 sembling those of 0. biloUum, but smaller; O. Janeirense, the 

 flowers, of which there are several, scarcely rise above the 

 numerous leaves, forming a neat and compact plant ; the 

 white Dendrobium cretaceum, D. albo-sanguineum, the beau- 

 tiful D. crystallinum, and D. Pariahi. The very fine variety of 

 Phalajnopsis granditlora, having produced flowers averaging 

 4i inches across for the last six months, has tho last now 

 fading. 



At the Rockwork the new Gymuogramma triangularis (see 

 p. 468 last week) is planted out and growing freely ; it should 

 doubtless be under glass in winter. It is a native of Van- 

 couver's Island and southward to Ecuador. Lewisia rediviva, 

 now producing its flowers, is a plant of considerable interest 

 and beauty. The individual Portulaca-like flowers are larger 

 than the plant itself ; they are pink, shading off to white in ' 

 the centre. It is the " Spatlum " of the Indians of North- 

 west America, and the root is eaten by them as a vegetable. 

 It is remarkable for its extreme tenacity of life. In the 

 " Botanical Magazine " we are told that " The specimen from 

 which our figure is taken is one of many which, when gathered 

 with a view of being preserved for the herbarium, iu Britith 

 Columbia by Dr. Lyall, R.N., of the Boundary Expedition, 

 was immersed in boiling water on account of its well-known 

 tenacity of life. More than a year and a half after, it notwith- 

 standing showed symptoms of vitality, and produced its 

 beautiful flowers in great perfection iu May of the present 

 year in the Royal Gardens, Kew." Aphyllanthes monspeli- 

 ensis has pretty blue flowers much like those of Triteleia uui- 

 flora, but smaller and of the darkest shade ; no one could ex- 

 pect them from so Rush-like a plant. Chlorogalum pomeri- 

 dianum, the Soap Plant of California, bears a fine panicle 

 with racemose branches of white flowers. A few plants of 

 Primula farinosa have a very attractive appearance. Scilla 

 peruviana, var. Hughii, here in flower, is a variety almost 

 everywhere doing duty for the species ; it is often seen bearing 

 the two names. S. peruviana is rare in this country; it has 

 longer leaves than the above, with a distinctly ciliated margin ; 

 the difference in the inflorescence, if any, is slight. It has 

 been received from the Continent as S. ciliaris, so that posses 

 sors of a plant with that name will probably find they have 

 the true S. peruviana. A fine form of Iris lusitanica has the 

 erect segments a very dark purple, the others have a golden 

 blotch with a broad band of light brown. 

 I In thellerbaceous Ground in flower are Kniphofia cauleseens, 

 new, and perhaps not yet in commerce. It was introduced by 

 Mr. W. Saunders. The possession of a stem distinguishes it 

 from all others ; the leaves are glaucous, with but little in- 

 I clination to fall over; the flowers in bud are red, fading to 

 pale yellow as they open. It is ornamental in tiower and 

 foliage, therefore well worth cultivation ; it appears to be hardy 

 in sheltered positions. Iris Monnieri and I. ochroleuca are 

 very fine, of erect habit, with dark green foliage. They are 

 much alike except in colour ; the former is a golden self, 

 and the latter pure white, with a golden blotch on three of 

 the segments. Linaria maroccana is a new and pretty annual 

 with plum- coloured flowers. It was discovered in Marocco, 

 and brought home by Dr. Hooker, who says of it in the 

 " Botanical Magazine " that it " was conspicuous in one 

 district for its abundance and brilliant colour." Tropa;olum 

 poljphyllum is densely covered with flowers ; it seems a very 

 suitable plant to scramble over rockwork. Diauthus brachy- 

 authus, a native of Spain, is of much interest, and has nut 

 yet appeared in the trade. It is in height about lA inch; 

 the branches are straggling; the leaves are closely arranged, 

 glaucous, and in size and shape like those of Silene acaalia ; 

 the flowers are no larger than those of Saponaria ocymoides, 

 and almost identical iu colour and form. The Thaliotruois 

 are in fine condition. T. aquilegifolium, from its white fila- 

 ments, is the most showy in flower ; though otherwise dis- 

 tinct, it may be known as the only one in cultivation having 

 stalked carpels. The leaves of the different forms of T. minus 



