86 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
CALAMUS. 
the sucker-like shoots which spring up 
from the crowns of the fleshy tubers. 
These can always be had in the spring from 
plants started a month or two previous. 
The roots should be potted and started in 
a heat of 65°. When the shoots are 5 inches 
or 6 inches long, they should be cut off 
with some of the fibrous roots which they 
will have formed above the tubers. Put 
them singly in 3-inch or 4-inch pots ; they 
will grow in either peat or loam to which 
has been added a moderate quantity of 
sand, with some rotten manure when the 
plants get larger. Keep the newly taken 
off shoots warm and close until they have 
begun to grow, after which remove the 
propagating glasses, and when they have 
filled the pots with roots move them into 
others considerably larger ; the stronger 
growing kinds, such as C. bicolor, need 
much more root-room than small growers 
like C. argyrites, nice plants of which can 
be grown in 6-inch or 7-inch pots. Through 
the latter part of spring and during the 
summer they will bear as much heat as 
most occupants of the stove, say 70° by 
night and 80° or 85° in the day. They 
should be placed where they will get full 
light, with a moderate amount of air in the 
daytime, and a thin shade when the sun 
is powerful. All required further is 
to give pot-room as needed. If large 
specimens of the large kinds are wanted, 
the tubers in the course of two or three 
years will require 15 or 16 inch pots. In 
the autumn, when the plants have ceased 
to make young leaves and show signs of 
going to rest, gradually withhold water, 
and when the foliage has died off keep the 
soil in the pots quite dry in a temperature 
of about 60°; in this state they should 
remain until they are to be started, which 
it is well to do at two or three different 
times from January to March. By this 
means a succession of plants with healthy 
leaves will be secured. 
There is now in cultivation a very 
large number of Caladiums, many of 
which do not differ enough from each other 
to make them worth growing. The fol- 
lowing are amongst the best and most 
distinct :—- 
C. Adolphe Adams. Leaves pale green, 
mottled with white ; centre nerve red. 
C. Alfred Bleu. Pale green, spotted with 
white, pale pink centre. 
C. argyrites. A very small kind, suitable 
for growing in little pots ; its leaves look 
_ well mixed with cut flowers; they are 
light green, blotched and freckled with 
white. 
C. Auguste Lemonier. 
Shaded green, 
midrib and nerves crimson. 
C. Baraquinianum. Dark green, with 
broad crimson centre. 
C. Belleymet. Large leaves, beautifully 
variegated. 
C. bicolor splendens. A very strong 
grower, lovely green ground colour, with 
deep crimson blotches. 
C¢. Dr. Boisduwval. Centre of leaves 
crimson, pure white spots. 
C. Calypso. Large foliage, red in centre, 
outer margin mottled with red. 
C. Chantini fulgens. Green ground, 
crimson centre, outer part of leaf-blade 
spotted white. 
C. Chelsoni. Deep green, blotched with 
crimson and bright red. 
C. Emilie Verdier. Leaves pale pink, 
freckled with red; a distinct and hand- 
some kind. 
C. Herold. Light green centre with 
red veins, white speckled, outer margin of 
leaf a deeper shade of green. 
C. La Perle du Bresil. Large leaves, 
with white ground colour, spotted with 
rose ; nerves and midrib green. 
C. Madame Alfred Bleu. Even blotches 
of clear white on a dark green ground, 
nerves very bright red. 
C. Minerve. Middle of leaves white, 
outer part green, dotted with white. 
C. Napoleon III. Bright red centre, 
outer portion of leaf green, spotted with 
crimson. 
C. Prince Albert Edward. Bright green, 
profusely spotted with white, crimson mid- 
rib and veins. 
0. Rameau. Middle of leaves red, shad- 
ing to green towards the margin, which is 
spotted white and pink. 
C. Reine Victoria. Nerves and margins of 
leaves green, spotted with white and crim- 
son. 
Insects do not trouble Caladiums much, 
their smooth leaves and acrid juices not 
offering either shelter or food for them ; 
aphides and red spider, however, will 
sometimes make their appearance, and 
these can be destroyed by syringing and 
fumigation. 
CALAMPELIS SCABRA. 
An evergreen greenhouse climber of free 
habit, suitable for covering a considerable 
space. 
It can be increased by seeds or cuttings 
struck and grown on lke the Tacsonias, 
which see. 
The flowers are orange-coloured, and are 
produced in summer. From Chili. 
CALAMUS. 
A genus of stove Palms of moderate 
growth. 
