THEOPHRASTA. 
Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 
331 
For propagation and cultivation, see 
Ferns, general details of culture. 
T. australasica. New South Wales. 
T. Nidus. East Indies. 
THEA. 
(The Tea Plant.) 
The so-called different kinds of the Tea 
plant, if different they really are, are re- 
lated to the genus Camellia, and are much 
inferior so far as appearance goes to the 
many fine sorts of that magnificent flower- 
ing shrub; yet these, with other plants of 
commerce, are prized by some for the as- 
sociations connected with them. 
They require the same treatment as 
Camellias, which see. 
The following represent the different 
varieties :— 
T. assamica. Flowers white. Assam. 
T. Bohea. White. China. 
T. viridis. White. China. 
THEOPHRASTA IMPERIALIS. 
There are one or two other species of 
Theophrasta known in cultivation, but 
they are so far inferior to this that we have 
deemed it not necessary to further allude 
to them. ‘TT. imperialis is an evergreen 
stove plant from Brazil. To grow so as to 
fully develop its leaves, it should have a 
strong heat through the growing season ; 
it grows freely when once rooted, but is 
one of the most difficult plants in cultiva- 
tion to strike from shoot cuttings. We 
have seen cuttings made from young shoots, 
taken off with a heel, stand in a strong 
heat fresh and green in appearance for two 
years without emitting a root, although 
they have callused over at the base com- 
pletely, and some ultimately form roots. 
It strikes readily from root cuttings, 
where these are procurable, treated in the 
ordinary way, or it may be propagated 
from seeds, but as it rarely, if ever, pro- 
duces these under cultivation, it is better 
for the generality of those who purpose 
growing it to procure young plants from 
those who grow such for sale ; they can be 
bought in 6-inch or 8-inch pots. If got in 
the spring they should, about the begin- 
ning of April, have a shift into pots 
4 inches larger ; turfy loam is the best soil 
for them ; afterwards place in a tempera- 
ture of 65° or 70° in the night, with pro- 
portionately more warmth in the day. The 
leaves are very hard in texture, and not 
likely to suffer from a moderate amount 
of sun reaching them unless they are so 
exposed as to get scorched, yet it 1s best to 
shade when the weather is bright, for if 
the leaves are once injured, there is no 
way of rectifying the mischief except head- 
ing down and bringing up another growth, 
which takes a considerable time to accom- 
plish. Keep the atmosphere fairly moist 
with air when favourable and syringe daily. 
The plant is a free-rooter, and by the 
beginning of August pots 3 inches larger 
will most likely be required, after which 
continue to treat as before until the days 
get cool ; then reduce the heat to 60° or 65° 
in the winter during the night. 
By the spring, if all has gone well, the 
plants will have attained a handsome size, 
and will want pots 16 inches or 18 inches 
in diameter, which are as large as will ever 
be required ; increase the warmth as in 
the year before, and treat as advised for 
the preceding summer. As increased 
strength is acquired, the large spiny-edged 
leaves will be produced in considerable 
numbers at atime. The height the plants 
are allowed to grow will be regulated by 
the height of the house in which they are 
to stand and the condition the lower leaves 
keep in, as, in common with all things of 
single stem (which is the form to which 
this Theophrasta requires to be confined) 
it should never be allowed to go on after 
the bottom leaves begin to get shabby ; 
when this occurs the plants should be 
headed down in the spring or early enough 
in the summer, so that the young shoots 
to be grown up from the old stool may 
have time to make some progress before 
the season of lower temperature has arrived. 
When cut down keep the stools in a brisk 
heat, where they will soon break out 
several shoots ; choose the best placed of 
these, removing the remainder, and after 
10 inches or 12 inches of growth has been 
made shake away three-fourths of the old 
material, placing the plants in fresh soil in 
pots about half the size of those they have 
occupied before. Manage as previously in 
every way, giving additional pot-room as 
required ; they will make handsome speci- 
mens after being thus treated, with big 
leaves drooping down, so as completely to 
cover the pots. This Theophrasta grows 
well with the help of manure-water, by 
which means somewhat smaller pots will 
suffice, but still it can never be grown to 
a handsome size without more root-room 
than is required by many things. 
InsEcts.—Its leaves are so hard in tex- 
ture that, when the syringe is used, few 
insects can effect a lodgment except scale, 
which can be removed with a soft brush or 
sponge. 
