ALOCASIA 



THE lUJLB liOOK 



ALPINIA 



A. Reginae. — An elegant species 

 from Borneo, with ovate, heart- 

 shaped leaves, wavy on the margins, 

 the under-surface being of a sombre 

 brownish-purple, while the stalks are 

 spotted with chestnut-purple {III. 

 Hon. 1885, 544). 



A. reversa, from the Philippine 

 Islands, has ovate-sagittate leaves 

 of a grey-green colour, relieved by 

 deep green bands along the main 

 veins. A pretty plant about a foot 

 high. (Jiot. Mag. t. 7498.) 



A. Sanderiana.— A very ornamental 

 species from the Malayan Archi- 

 pelago, having drooping sagittate 

 leaves, with three lobes on each side. 

 The ground colour is soft green with 

 a bluish metallic sheen, while the 

 main veins and margins are con- 

 spicuously banded with ivory white. 

 The stalks are brownish-green, 

 streaked and mottled with purple. 

 {Rev. Ilort. Belg. 1884, 181.) The 

 variety gandavensis has purplish 

 young leaves with vermilion veins. 

 This colouring remains constant on 

 the under-surface, but gradually 

 changes to green on the upper. {III. 

 Hart. 1896, t. 65.) 



A. scabriuscula. — A noble-looking 

 Bornean plant, 4 to 5 ft. high, with 

 spreading sagittate leaves of a deep 

 shining green above, pale green 

 beneath, and often as much as 2 ft. 

 to 2i ft. in length. 



A. Sedenl.— A hybrid between A. 

 cujjvea and A. Lowi, and somewhat 

 resembling the latter. Leaves oval, 

 heart-shaped, deflexed, bronzy green 

 above, with distinct ivory-white veins, 

 the under-surface being purple. 



A. sinuata. — A species from the 

 Philippine Islands with sagittate 

 leaves having sinuate margins, and 

 of a deep green colour above, and 

 whitish or grey-green beneath. 



A. spectabllis. — This is similar to 

 A. rul-ifi/si, having large metallic 



green leaves veined and laced with 

 grey, the under-surface being dark 

 purple. 



A. Thibautiana. — A magnificent 

 Bornean plant, with ovate, acute, 

 deeply heart-shaped leaves, greyish 

 olive green above, with whitish midrib 

 and grey veinings, the under-surface 

 being purple in colour {Rev. Hort. 

 Behj. 1884, 37). 



A. Villeneuvei. — A Bornean species 

 closely related to A. longiloba, with 

 irregularly shaped leaves, the stalks 

 of which are heavily spotted with 

 brown (///. Ilort. 1887, t. 21). 



A. 'Watsoniana. — A fine Sumatran 

 species with cordately lobed leaves, 

 wavy on the margins, and coloured 

 olive green and dark purple on the 

 upper surface, dark purple beneath 

 {Gard. Chron. 1893, xiii. 442, 569, 

 f . 83). 



A. Wavriniana. — An ornamental 

 species 3 to 4 ft. high, the stem being 

 mottled with light and dark green 

 and suffused with bronze. The 

 lance-shaped, sinuate leaves are deep 

 green, beautifully feathered with 

 raised veins, which are still more 

 prominent beneath on a purple 

 ground. 



A. zebrina.— A strong - growing 

 species 4 to 5 ft. high, from the 

 Philippine Islands, having erect, 

 broadly sagittate leaves of a rich 

 dark green, and pale green stalks 

 marbled with zigzag bands of dark 

 green {Fl. d. Ser. xv. 1541-1542). 



ALPINIA (after Prosper Alpini, an 

 Italian botanist). Nat. Ord. Scita- 

 mineaj.— A genus containing about 

 forty-five species of graceful peren- 

 nials, natives of Tropical and sub- 

 tropical Asia, Australia, and the 

 islands of the Pacific Ocean. They 

 have horizontal or creeping root- 

 stocks like the Ginger plant, erect 

 ornamental leaves, and flowers 



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