SPHHROGYNE. 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
317 
root, and in this way cover a much larger 
surface than they would do if only sup- 
ported from the stem first rooted. The 
soil through the growing season should be 
kept moderately moist, but not too wet. 
Syringe once a day, but only in bright 
weather, so that the moisture may dry off 
them soon, or sometimes the shoots will 
damp if the water hangs on them too long. 
To counteract this the plants should be 
stood tolerably near the glass, but must be 
shaded slightly from the sun when the 
weather is hot ; they should have air daily 
through the growing season, but must not 
be where the air admitted will dry the 
atmosphere too much. During the latter 
part of spring and through the summer the 
plants will bear a temperature of 70° in 
the night and 85° by day. Nothing further 
is required but to give additional pot- 
room, as this becomes necessary, and reduce 
the heat as the autumn comes on, and also 
discontinue shading and syringing. In 
the winter a night temperature of 60° to 
65° will be sufficient. Young plants are 
preferable to old ones, as the latter some- 
times are liable to damp off after flowering ; 
this is more likely to occur if, when the 
flowers drop, the falling petals are not 
shaken away, as if left to decay on the 
shoots they will cause them to rot. But, 
independent of this, young plants propa- 
gated early each spring are preferable to 
old ones. There are three varieties of 
this plant—S. margaritacea, S. margari- 
tacea alba, and 8S. margaritacea superba, 
similar in habit, but differing in appear- 
ance. 
Insects.—Scale, mealy bug, and other 
insects will sometimes attack Sonerilas. 
Those that can be destroyed by fumigation 
are easily got rid of by that means, but the 
scale and mealy bug are difficult to deal 
with when they get established on the 
brittle stems and leaves, which are im- 
patient of any but very gentle handling ; 
and, like other plants with delicate foliage, 
they will not bear the use of insecticide, 
sponge and water being the best means by 
which to clean them. 
SPARMANNIA AFRICANA, 
A handsome flowering evergreen green- 
house plant that grows to the height of a 
small tree in its native country, but blooms 
freely in a small state under cultivation. 
The flowers are quite distinct from those 
of most other things ; they are produced 
in large bunches at the extremities of the 
shoots, and last for a considerable time in 
fresh condition. The plant strikes freely 
from shoot cuttings in spring, put singly 
in small pots in sand, keep moist, close,, 
and shaded in a temperature of 70°. As 
soon as well-rooted give more air, and in a 
few weeks they will require moving to 
6-inch pots. It does well in good ordinary 
loam, to which has been added some rotten 
manure and a good portion of sand. Keep 
the young plants in a growing temperature 
similar to that in which they were struck 
until they get to moving freely, when re- 
duce the heat to that of an ordinary green- 
house. Stop the shoots when they have 
made a little progress—the plant has an 
erect habit and requires attending to in this 
respect. By midsummer more root-room 
will be required ; it is a free grower, and 
10 or 12 inch pots will not be too large ; 
the soil now used should be in a lumpy 
state and contain more manure. Again 
stop the shoots, tying them well out; all 
through the growing season give plenty of 
air and light, with a little shade in very 
bright weather, and syringe well in the 
afternoons before taking the air off. When 
the flowering is over cut the shoots back 
freely and keep the soil drier, wintering in 
a temperature of 40° by night. In spring 
turn them out of the pots, removing part 
of the soil, and give others a size larger. 
The plant will last for many years if well 
attended to. It comes from the Cape of 
Good Hope. 
Insects.—Most of the insects that are 
troublesome on indoor plants will live on 
this Sparmannia ; the frequent syringing 
advised will keep down red spider and 
aphides. If scale affect it syringe with 
insecticide. 
SPHAROGYNE. 
These handsome stove Melastomads are 
remarkably distinct plants, especially S. 
latifolia, which is much the finest and 
most desirable species to cultivate. In 
appearance it is like Cyanophyllum magni- 
ficum, but its leaves, although not nearly 
so large as those of the Cyanophyllum, are 
more beautiful ; the colour of the upper 
surface is a shade of olive-green, shin- 
ing like velvet; their beauty is much 
heightened by the singular corrugation 
which extends in a complete network over 
the whole leaf, imparting to the plant a 
particularly handsome and unique cha- 
racter. Besides S. latifolia there are two 
or three other kinds in cultivation—S. 
ferruginea, S. imperialis, and S. cinna- 
momea ; the latter comes from Costa Rica, 
S. imperialis from Peru, and the two first- 
named from South America. All are alike 
as to their cultural requirements, and a 
high temperature is necessary to grow 
