TO THE FLOWER GAEDEN. 81 



cuttings. C. lohatus requires the same treatment as alpine 

 plants ; flowers blue, in August. 



CYANELLA. [Liliaceae.] Pretty little greenhouse or 

 half-hardy bulbous perennials. Soil, three parts of turfy peat 

 to one of sandy loam, with one-sixth sand. Increased by 

 offsets. They succeed on a warm dry border if planted deep 

 — six inches at least beneath the surface. 



CYATHEA. [Polypodiaceae.] A genus of hothouse tree 

 ferns, including some greenhouse species. Soil, peat and 

 loam. Increased from the spores, or from occasional off- 

 shoots; but young plants are a long time acquirinf^ a size 

 which displays their beauty, and it is much preferable, now that 

 the means of communication are so facile, to iiuport good- 

 sized trunks from their native habitats. The best are C. 

 dealhata and C. medullar is. 



CYCAS. [Cycadacese.] A genus of palm-like plants, 

 nearly allied to Zamia, requiring the stove temperature. 

 The foliage of the species of Cycas is very elegantly feathered, 

 and the plants are veiy desirable in a stove collection : they 

 flower but seldom, the beauty of the plants resting in their 

 evergreen foliage, or fronds. Soil, rich sandy loam. In- 

 creased slowly from suckers. 



CYCLAMEN. Sowbread. [Primulacese.] A beautiful 

 genus of dwarf, tuberous, hardy, and half-hardy perennials. 

 From their tuberous roots proceeds a crown of handsome 

 leaves, above which rise the flowers almost of the form of a 

 shuttlecock, the petals reflexing completely, and pointing up- 

 wards. The bloom is profuse, and in some of the kinds 

 highly scented. The greenhouse sorts should be grown in a 

 light position near the glass. The tubers require but one 

 annual potting, which should be done in autumn, when they 

 commence growing, and continue through the winter, so as to 

 flower very early in the spring, except in the case of the 

 summer and autumn-blooming species, which should be potted 

 when at rest. The plants seed freely, and are best raised 

 from seed, because they do often admit of division, and divi- 

 sion generally produces unsound plants veiw liable to rot. 

 Sow the seed as soon as ripe in pans, in soil composed of loam 

 and peat in equal quantities, with a sixth part of sand ; sow 

 thinly, so that they may not come up too close to each other ; 



G 



