108 



Greenhouse and iStove Flants. 



in the attempt to destroy the insects. 

 Thrips and red spider are sometimes trouble- 

 some, but rarely affect them if the cultiva- 

 tion is such as advised. Dipping in a 

 weak solution of insecticide will kill the 

 spider ; fumigate for thrips. 



CISSUS. 



(Stove.) 



Among all the vaiiegated stove plants 

 that have lieen introduced to this country 

 there are few, if any, that have attracted 

 so much attention as Cissus discolor, the 

 exquisite markings of its leaves being very 

 handsome. It is a climber, easily propa- 

 gated, and its subsequent management is 

 equally easy. Cuttings made of the young 

 shoots, consisting of some three or four 

 joints each, put singly into small pots in 

 sand and kept in a close, moist atmosphere 

 in a brisk heat form roots quickly, after 

 which they should be inured to the air of 

 the house and moved into proportionately 

 larger pots. Use good open rich soil — 

 either peat or loam will answer — as the 

 plants are such free-rooters that they grow 

 and do well in anything, provided it is not 

 retentive of moisture, so that the large 

 quantity of water they need can pass freely 

 off. 



If to be trained on trellises theyshould not 

 be put on these until in the pots which 

 tliey are for some time to occupy ; conse- 

 quently, in their younger stages, the shoots 

 should be trained round a few sticks till 

 they are large enough to be placed in the 

 pots in which they are to be confined. One 

 stojaping will generally be sufficient to 

 cause enough shoots to bi'eak to furnish 

 the specimens sufficiently. A brisk stove 

 tempei'ature, with shade when the sun is 

 powerful, is requisite to grow them well ; 

 shade is especially necessary in the case of 

 C. discolor, the variegation of which can- 

 not be preserved if the plants are too much 

 exposed to the sun. Large pots are required 

 to grow the more vigorous kinds, such as 

 C. discolor, which will fill a 12-inch or 

 15-inch pot in six or eight months after it 

 is struck. When to be planted out so as 

 to cover a pillar or jjortion of a wall in the 

 stove, for which purpose they are well 

 adapted, the plants may be turned out as 

 soon as they have filled 6-inch pots with 

 their roots. In all stages of their growth 

 they require to be plentifully su]>plied with 

 water and syringed overhead daily during 

 the growing season. In the winter tliey may 

 be cut in freely to keep their heads in 

 bounds. If grown in pots, they may, as 

 soon as they have broken again into 

 growth, be partially shaken out and fresh 



soil given. When planted out they soon 

 exhaust the material in which their roots 

 are placed, and should be assisted by sur- 

 face dressings of good loam, enriched with 

 decomposed manure. The plants can be 

 used for filling large baskets for hanging 

 up, where they can be kejit in a stove tem- 

 perature, without which they make little 

 progress. 



There are a number of species in culti- 

 vation, but the undermentioned kinds are 

 the ones that find most favour with the 

 generality of cultivators : — 



0. discolor. This is a climbing plant 

 from Java, of very free growth, with ob- 

 long cordate leaves, deeply ribbed, ground 

 colour deep green, beautifully marbled with 

 white, and while young with pinkish red. 



O.gloriosa. Another free-growiugclimber, 

 with velvety gieen leaves, veined with red. 

 Introduced from Costa Rica. 



0. Lindeni. Also a climber, like C. 

 discolor, with tendrilled branches ; the 

 leaves are medium-sized, bright green, 

 mottled with white. It comes from 

 Colombia. 



C. porphyro2)hylla. A free grower, very 

 suitable for covering a wall in a hothouse 

 where there is not so much light as most 

 plants require. A native of India, not 

 nearly so handsome as the preceding. 



Insects. — Thrips, aphides, mealy bug, 

 and scale will all live on these plants, but 

 the daily use of the syringe will usually 

 be found sufficient to keep the least trouble- 

 some in check, and should bugs or scale 

 affect them sponging must be resorted to. 



CISSUS. 



(Greenhouse.) 



Most of this genus are stove species, but 

 there are a few that will thrive with green- 

 house treatment. They are climbing plants, 

 and have handsome foliage ; the fi(jwers 

 are insignificant. 



The mode of increase is by cuttings 

 struck in spring in the usual way ; when 

 they are rooted pot them, and giow on in 

 moderate heat until they have got well 

 established, after which give pot-room as 

 required until they are large enough for 

 planting out in the positions they are to 

 occupy. 



The ibllowing are the most suitable foi 

 growing in this way : — 



C. antarctica. New South Wales. 



C. capeiisis. Cape of Good H(jpe. 



C. quinata. Cape of Good Hope. 



Insects. — Aphides are frequently trouble- 

 some on the young shoots ; as soon as dis- 

 covered they 'must be destroyed by fumiga- 



