ARISTOLOCHIA. 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
51 
lively green colour. A native of the Isle 
of Bourbon. 
A. Baueri. A robust grower, with large, 
handsome pinnate leaves. The plant will 
bear a temperature in winter a little above 
that of a cool greenhouse. It comes from 
Norfolk Island. 
A. catechu. A stately, tall-growing 
species, with bold pinnate leaves of a bright 
ereen colour. It is a useful decorative 
kind whilst in a small state, and is inte- 
resting as being the species that produces 
the Betel Nut, so much used in the coun- 
tries where it grows. From India. 
A. lutescens. A favourite species, that 
thrives with a little more warmth than a 
greenhouse. It is an elegant plant, with 
slender, yellowish-green stem, and hand- 
some, plume-like, pinnate leaves. It will 
bear the temperature of a greenhouse in 
summer. A native of the Mascaren Is- 
lands. 
A. sapida (syn.: A. Banksit). A hand- 
some kind, with distinct appearance. Es- 
pecially desirable whilst in a small state. 
Norfolk Island. 
A. Verschaffeltti. A very elegant Palm, 
with drooping pinnate leaves, that can be 
kept for years in a small state. It requires 
to be kept moderately warm in the winter. 
Mascaren Islands. 
ARENGA. 
An interesting genus of stove Palms, not 
many in number, but well worth growing. 
The method of propagation and after 
management will be found under Palms, 
general details of culture. 
A. saccharifera. A sugar-producing 
species, which also affords fibre for rope- 
making in its native country. From the 
Philippines and Mollucas. 
A. Wightit. A handsome dwarf species 
with pinnate leaves. It comes from India. 
ARGYREIA. 
A limited genus of evergreen stove plants, 
few of which are much in favour with 
cultivators. They are of climbing or 
twining habit, requiring a good deal of 
room to grow in. 
They can be propagated by shoot cuttings 
put in in spring in sand, and kept close, 
moist, and shaded in a brisk heat. When 
rooted pot singly, and grow on under 
ordinary warm stove treatment, giving pot- 
room as the plants increase in size, until 
they are large enough to plant out. They 
will grow in either peat or loam, but the 
latter is best for these and other things that 
are inclined to make a deal of growth. 
The following are the best of the kinds 
in cultivation :— 
A. cuneata. 
Flowers purple. An 
autumn bloomer. <A native of India. 
A. ornata. A white-flowered species 
that blooms in summer. India. 
A. splendens. Flowers pink, produced 
in summer or autumn, according to the 
degree of heat it receives. India. 
Insects.—Thrips and mealy bug are 
often troublesome on these plants. Syringe 
freely during summer with clean water, and 
in winter, when they are at rest, with in- 
secticide to destroy the bugs ; for thrips 
fumigate. 
ARISTOLOCHIA. 
Amongst the immense number of plants 
in cultivation few can take precedence of 
these in regard to the singular formation 
and colouring of the flowers, which are 
totally unlike anything else in the whole 
vegetable kingdom, so much so as in ap- 
pearance not to convey the idea of a flower 
at all, but rather of a grotesque imitation 
of some imaginary animal. Aristolochias 
are remarkably free-growing plants, mostly 
from the hot, damp regions of the western 
hemisphere, and, as such, particularly suited 
for clothing pillars or rafters in warm stoves. 
They are also easily grown in the shape of 
trained specimens if required, and so man- 
aged their singular flowers can be more 
easily examined. They are very readily 
struck from cuttings made from half-ripened 
shoots, taken off with a heel. This is 
necessary, as, if the strong succulent 
growths are used, they are very liable to 
damp off unless the base of the cutting 
consists of a portion of the more solid 
wood, formed at its junction with the 
mature shoot from which it has sprung. 
They will strike any time of the year with 
sufficient heat, but are generally in the 
most suitable condition about the end of 
March, Put them singly in small pots, 
with a little drainage in the bottom, on 
which is placed a mixture of half-sifted 
peat and sand, with a little clean sand on 
the surface ; place them under a propagat- 
ing glass, and keep the soil moist, as succu- 
lent cuttings of the nature of these Aristo- 
lochias require a good deal of moisture. 
Tf this is not given them they are likely to 
flag, and the formation of roots is seriously 
retarded ; let them be in a temperature of 
70°, and shade closely from the sun. They 
will root in a few weeks, when at once trans- 
fer them to 6-in. pots. Being mostly strong 
erowers, they will succeed in almost any 
description of good soil sufficiently porous 
to allow the large quantity of water they 
