46 



Gretiiliuust and Stove Plants. 



APHELEXIS. 



niiless very large specimens are required, 

 •will be fuunrl big enough to grow the plants 

 in for a number of years, proviiled that a 

 portion of the old soil is reijlaoed by new 

 as hitherto in the spring, and in addition 

 a liberal supply of manure- water is given 

 through the growing season ; so managed, 

 they will last for a dozen or more years. 



In addition to A. cristata the under- 

 mentioned kinds are all deserving a place ; 

 the)'' vary considerably in size, but all 

 succeed with similar treatment, except 

 that the smaller growers must not have so 

 much pot-room. 



A. aurantiaca. A handsome medium- 

 sized plant from South America, with 

 bright orange-coloured flowers, produced 

 freely. 



A. aurantiaca Roezlii. A beautiful 

 species that produces splendid large flowers 

 on small plants, deserving of a place in the 

 most select collections of stove plants. 



A . Fascinator. A remarkalily fine species 

 from New Grenada, with handsome varie- 

 gated leaves, producing very large spikes 

 of bright vermilion flowers. 



A. LcopolHi. A robust growing plant, 

 with broad shining foliage, and handsome 

 briglit yellow flowers produced in summer. 

 A native of Brazil. 



..4. Leopoldii variegata. A form ol the 

 above that, in addition to its yellow flowers, 

 has the leaves conspicuously variegated 

 with creamy white ; it blooms in summer. 



A. nitens. A New Grenada species, with 

 bright vermilion scarlet flowers springing 

 from shoots bearing highly polished, deep 

 green leaves. 



A. Porteana. This grows to a medium 

 size ; it has orange- coloured flowers, pro- 

 duced freely towards the end of summer. 

 From Brazil. 



Insects. — Red spider and thrips will 

 live on all the species, but are not very 

 troublesome, being easily kept under by 

 the daily use of the syringe in the growing 

 season ; all that is necessary is to see that 

 the water gets well to the under side of 

 the leaves. Mealy bug and brown scale 

 Avill also infest them, but, from the com- 

 paratively few leaves which they make 

 each season, these are easily kept down by 

 .a timely use of the sponge. 



APHELEXIS. 



The several species of Aphelexis are 

 natives of the Cape of Gocd Hope, and 

 are fine greenhouse plants, either for 

 exhibition or decorative purposes ; while 

 their flowers, if cut when fresh and nicely 

 'dried, will last for many months. They 

 ..are subject to brown scale, and from the 



peculiar form and arrangement of their 

 leaves, it is not easy to thoroughly eradi- 

 cate the pest, even wlii'e the plants are 

 small ; the difficulty becomes much greater 

 as they get larger ; and although it does 

 not increase so fast as on plants that are 

 grown in strong heat, such as are affected 

 with it never thrive or look as they ought to. 

 Cuttings, such as are usually obtained from 

 about the base oi established plants, or 

 from the points of the principal branches 

 after flowering, will be in right condition 

 about August. Put them an inch apart in 

 5 or 6 inch pots in sand, keep close, mode- 

 rately moist, ana in a little warmth through 

 the autumn and winter ; by spring they 

 will have got well-rooted, and should be 

 moved singly into 3-inch pots in good 

 fibrous peat, mixed with enough sand. 

 Pinch out the points of the shoots to cause 

 them to break, and keep through the 

 summer in a light house or pit, standing on 

 a moist bottom. They will be nice little 

 plants by autumn, furnished with several 

 shoots. Through the winter let them have 

 a temperature of about 45° ; in spring as 

 soon as signs of growth are discernible 

 move them into pots an inch or two larger 

 using good peat, with enou'^h sand mixed 

 with it, again pinching out the points. The 

 usual greenhouse treatment, without shade, 

 is all they will require during the summer ; 

 winter as before. In spring give them pots 

 2 or 3 inches larger, according to the state 

 of the roots ; use nothing but good fibrous 

 peat, broken to about the size of Aval nuts, 

 and sufficient silver-sand to ensure porosity 

 — say, one part sand to six or seven of peat. 

 Pot firm and drain well, for these plants, 

 in conmion with all others ot a hard- 

 wooded character from the same country, 

 cannot endure stagnant water near their 

 roots. After potting keep them shaded 

 from strong sun, and as far from where the 

 air is admitted as convenient. Keep the 

 stage on which they stand syringed two or 

 three times a day, as well as the outside 

 of the pots ; this will make it unnecessary 

 to apply water to the roots for a long 

 time after potting, and this is of the 

 first importance in all tender-rooted plants, 

 as it gives them time to commence pushing 

 their roots into the new soil, after which 

 they are much more likely to grow freely. 

 In the course of a month they will stand 

 exposure to the full sun and air. Through 

 the earlier part of the growing season close 

 the house by 5 o'clock, so as to shut in sun- 

 heat, and syringe the plants at the same 

 time, which will greatly assist the growth 

 of these and all tilings (if a similar character. 

 By midsummer, if allgoes on right, they 

 ought to have made considerable progress 



