PANCRATIUM. 
of room they grow to a large size, forming 
a number of crowns with some dozens of 
leaves, in which case they usually flower, 
and the seeds vegetate readily. There are 
two kinds— O. Berneriana and O. fene- 
stralis; the leaves of O. Berneriana are 
blunter than those of O. fenestralis, and 
the former is by some thought to be the 
best grower. 
OXYLOBIUM. 
Dwarf evergreen greenhouse shrubs of 
bushy habit that bloom freely, but are 
inferior to many hardwooded plants now 
in cultivation. They require similar treat- 
ment to Polygalas, which see. 
The undermentioned are the best kinds. 
O. capitatum. Flowers yellow; asummer 
bloomer. Swan River. 
O. ellipticum. Yellow, also a summer 
bloomer. Van Dieman’s Land. 
O. Osbornii. Has yellow flowers pro- 
duced in summer. From Australia. 
O. Pultenee. Deep orange ; blooms in 
spring. New Holland. 
PANAX FRUTICOSUM. 
A pretty evergreen stove plant, with alter- 
nate, bipinnate, drooping leaves, toothed 
on the edge. It is suitable for use in any 
way where fine-leaved plants of moderate 
size are required. It will thrive under 
ordinary stove treatment, such as answers 
for other inhabitants of warm countries. 
It comes from Java. 
PANCRATIUM. 
These constitute a somewhat numerous 
family of bulbous plants, the greatest por- 
tion of which are stove species ; nearly all 
of them have white and generally highly 
fragrant flowers, which, for beauty and 
elegance, have few equals. They are found 
indigenous over a wide range of mostly 
warm countries, extending from South 
America, the West Indian Islands, to 
eastern continental India. With few ex- 
ceptions they require a warm house to 
grow in; consequently, the remarks fol- 
lowing on their cultivation will refer to 
such kinds as do the most satisfactorily 
with stove heat. Like most bulbs, they 
succeed best in a close, somewhat strong 
loamy soil, made firm in the pots. They 
can be raised from seed sown as soon as it 
is ripe, which will generally be in the 
autumn, in pans of sifted loam with a little 
sand added ; press the material firmly down, 
scatter the seeds thinly on it, and cover 
them slightly, after which stand the pans 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
265 
in a temperature of 60°, and shade so as to 
keep the soil from getting dried and re- 
quiring more water than should be given 
before the seeds vegetate. As soon as the 
young plants have made their appearance 
give them more light. Keep them in a 
temperature such as that just advised until 
the solar heat increases, when it may be 
increased proportionately, and air given 
daily and water when needed; they will 
not require much, if any, shade. As soon 
as they have got large enough to handle 
they should be pricked out 2 inches apart 
in soil similar to that in which the seeds 
were sown, pressing it quite firm. They 
will through the summer and autumn bear 
an ordinary stove temperature, which 
should be reduced proportionately in 
winter. In spring put them singly in 
3-inch pots, making the soil quite solid 
and draining the pots well. They will 
require nothing further during the summer 
and ensuing winter, except treatment as to 
heat, air, and water as in the previous 
season. 
In spring they will again want more 
room. The largest will take 7-inch pots ; 
for the weaker plants those an inch less 
will be big enough. Treat in every way 
as in the past season. By autumn some of 
the strongest may be large enough to 
flower, but nothing will be gained by 
attempting to hurry them to this ; it is far 
better to let them have another season’s 
crowth before blooming, as they will then 
flower so much stronger. Move them in 
spring into 9 or 10 inch pots, and treat 
liberally in all respects so as to get the 
bulbs as large as possible ; in the autumn 
gradually withhold water, letting the soil 
vet as dry as the plants will bear without 
injury. They will stand keeping in a 
semi-dry state through the winter. In the 
spring, when the temperature is increased 
and water given, they will again commence 
crowing, and the strongest may be expected 
to bloom during the summer. All that is 
further required is to treat generally as so 
far advised, giving larger pots as the plants 
seem to require it, but these, in common 
with most other bulbous subjects, do best 
with no more disturbance of their roots than 
can be avoided. With fair usage the bulbs 
will go on increasing in size and will make 
offsets, which can be taken off and treated 
as recommended for the young bulbs raised 
from seed, the difference being that the 
offsets can be induced to bloom in less 
time than seedling plants. 
The undermentioned are a few of the 
most desirable kinds :— 
P. fragrans. A very free-flowering, 
handsome species, the most, generally eulti- 
