134 



Greenhouse and Stoue Planf!<. 



CYANOPHYLLUM. 



subjected to a low temperature, or they 

 will be liable to rot. Keej) them through 

 their season of rest about 60°, and early in 

 spring turn them out of the jjots, removing 

 the old soil completely, and repotting in 

 new material as recommended for the pre- 

 ceding season. 



The following are well worth cultiva- 

 tion : — 



C. Amada. A variety which comes from 

 Bengal, a fine kind, whose red and yellow 

 flowers are produced during the summer. 



C. aromatica. Has yellow flowei's, which 

 are produced in the summer ; it comes 

 from the East Indies. 



0. cordata. Another East Indian orange 

 and rose coloured sort, which blooms in 

 July and August. 



C Roscoecma. An East Indian kind, 

 with orange bracts and red flowers, which 

 are produced in July and following months. 



G. rubricaulis. JFrom the East Indies, 

 generally blooms somewhat earlier than 

 the sorts just named ; its flowers are red- 

 dish yellow in colour. 



Insects. — The continued use of the 

 syringe through the giowing season keeps 

 in check red spider and thrips. Scale and 

 mealy bug will live upon them, but they 

 can be easily removed by sponging, and 

 the yearly decay of the leaves effectually 

 destroys any perfect insects or their eggs 

 that may have got on the plants during the 

 summer. 



CYANOPHYLLUM MAGNIFICUM. 



This is the best of all the Cyanophyllums 

 — so much so, indeed, as to make the others 

 not worth growing. We shall, therefore, 

 confine the details of cultivation to this 

 species, which is rightly named, for amongst 

 all thetine-leavedstoveplantsthathavebeen 

 introduced, if we except some of the best 

 of the Palms and their allies, there are 

 none yet that equal the majestic foliage 

 which this plant when well grown pio- 

 duces. A vigorous specimen will make 

 leaves a yard long, by over 20 inches broad, 

 their almost black-green silky upper, and 

 reddish-purple under surface, affording a 

 striking contrast to all other cultivated 

 forms of vegetation. It is a Melastomad 

 capable of bearing as high a temperature 

 as the hottest stove plants require. A 

 single stem is all the form ol growth worth 

 encouraging, although when strong it breaks 

 freely. 



These side shoots or the extreme top 

 make cuttings that will root in a few 

 weeks, placed singly in 3-inch or 4-inch 

 pots, half filled with peaty soil, the upper 

 surface all sand, kept moist, confined, and 



shaded when requisite, in a temperature of 

 75° or 80°. Under such conditions they 

 may be struck at any time of the year 

 when cuttings are at hand, but, supposing 

 them to be rooted in April, they should at 

 once be stood where they will receive 

 enough light, otherwise the leaves formed 

 ■will be thin, and not able to last long. To' 

 grow this Cyanophyllum large it must have 

 plenty of loot-i'oom ; the first move from 

 the cutting state should be into pots 7 

 inches or 8 inches in diameter, using good 

 peat, in which the growth is quicker than 

 in loani. Although the plant cannot be 

 grown too near the glass, still its leaves are 

 thin in texture, and if not shaded when, 

 the sun comes directly upon them with 

 any considerable foi'ce they are liable to get 

 injured ; but the shading should only be 

 used when the sun is likely to do harm. 

 Give air when the weather is mild, if only 

 for a short time each day ; plenty of water 

 must also be given. As soon as the roots 

 have got well hold of the soil, move into 

 pots 15 inches in diameter, using peat in a 

 lumpy state, with a good sprinkling of sand 

 and some rotten manure, for it is a gross 

 . feeder, and wlien the soil is full of roots it 

 will take manure-water freely, which will 

 much assist the leaves both in size and in 

 the lustrous shade they get when the plant 

 is well managed. It can be grown to a 

 handsome size in a single season, and very 

 large with a second year's growth. In 

 autumn cease shading and give more air, 

 reducing the temperature gradually, so 

 that in winter it is about 65°, at which 

 time keep the roots a little drier, but never 

 witliliold water to let them get as dry as 

 many things require, or the leaves will 

 suffer. Treat during the ensuing summer 

 as before ; in the autumn the extreme top 

 may be removed and struck, which will 

 have the effect of causing some of the lower 

 ejTs to break. When the shoots thus 

 made are large enough, they can be taken 

 off with a heel and struck. If requiied, 

 the old stem may be headed down to the 

 bottom, the ball half shaken out, and the 

 stool repotted in new soil as soon as it ha? 

 made a little growth ; after heading down 

 in this way larger leaves will be formed 

 than those produced by the first growth. 

 After the second season young plants will 

 be preferable in some cases. 



Insects. — The daily syringing which 

 this Cyanophyllum should have during the 

 growing season will suffice to keep down 

 the smaller insects, but care must be taken 

 that the water gets well to the undei 

 surface of the leaves, or thrips will effect £ 

 lodgment. Syringing will also keep down 

 mealy bug, which is very fond of establish- 



