GLEANINGS AND ORIGINAL MEMORANDA. 
ISA 
five perfect short stamens, and five long sterile fila- 
ments. Style divided at the top into five reflexed 
branches. This is a tree, of quick and robust growth, 
soon arriving at a height that renders it unsuitable 
for hothouses of the ordinary dimensions. In the 
Royal Gardens it has rapidly attained the height of 
upwards of twenty feet ; but, as it branches freely, it 
may, with management, be kept within bounds by ' 
frequently cutting back the leading shoots. It grows 
readily in light loam, and should be rather freely 
supplied with water, as its numerous fibrous roots 
take it up very quickly, and the size and texture of 
its leaves present a large and free evaporating sur- 
face. It is easily increased by cuttings, planted under 
a bell-glass, the pot being plunged in bottom-heat. 
BoL Mag. t. 4544. 
246. Frezieratheoides. Swartz. (alias 
Eroteum theoides Swartz.) 
A green-house 
with 
plant. Flowers white. Belongs to Theads. 
Blossomed at Kew in September. (Fig. 119.) 
A Jamaica shrub or small tree, inhabiting the 
higher mountains of that island, and remarkable 
for its very near resemblance, both in the 
leaves and flowers, to the black tea of China. 
Dr. M'Fadyen informs us, in his useful 
1 Flora of Jamaica/ that the leaves are 
astringent, and in taste resemble those of the 
green tea. A smooth shrub four or five feet 
high in our stove ; in Jamaica, it attains a 
height of twenty feet. Leaves alternate, on 
short stalks, leathery, very dark green, ellip- 
tical-lanceolate, acute, serrated. Peduncles 
all solitary, axillary, curved down, single- 
flowered. Flower an inch and a half across. 
Calyx bibracteolate at the base, five-sepaled ; 
sepals broad ovate, acute, green, margined 
with red. Petals cream-white, obcordate. 
Stamens numerous, attached to the base of 
the petals. Anthers oblong, opening by two 
pores, furnished with a tuft or pencil of hairs 
at the back. Fruit "a berry, the size of a 
small cherry, globose, purple, juicy, three- or 
four-celled. Although not a showy plant, its 
neat evergreen habit renders it worthy of a 
place in general collections. It resembles 
the well-known Ardisia crenulata, but grows 
more luxuriantly ; as, however, it bears 
cutting back, it may be kept to a proper size, 
and will form a neat bush. It should be 
grown in a moderate stove temperature, and 
will thrive in any kind of light loam, water 
being freely given it during dry weather in 
summer. It is readily propagated by cuttings, 
planted in sand, under a bell-glass, and 
plunged in a moderate bottom-heat. — BoL 
Mag. t. 454G. 
