Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 



135 



ing itself in the inequalities at the under 

 side of the leaves. 



CYATHEA. 



A fine genus of Tree Ferns, the most 

 important "of wliich are greenhouse species. 

 Several of them are unsurpassed for their 

 majestic appearance. Among the finest is 

 C. dealbata, which forms a beautiful, 

 straight, well-proportioned trunk, sui- 

 mounted by a grand head of jslume-like 

 fronds of enduring character. C. medul- 

 laris is one of the largest and handsomest 

 species, requiring a large house for the 

 exhibition of its true character. Cool 

 treatment, with much less root-room than 

 usually given these and other Tree Ferns, 

 is preferable to the humid stove heat and 

 over-potting often practised. 



For propagation and cultivation, see 

 Ferns, general details of culture. 



GREENHOUSE SPECIES. 



C Burkei. South Africa. 



C. Cunninghainii. New Zealand. 



C. dealbata. New Zealand. 



G. Dregei. South Africa. 



C medullaris. New Zealand. 



G. princeps. Mexico. 



G. Shiithii. New Zealand. 



CYCAS. 



These are noble - looking plants, the 

 leaves of which much resemble Tree Ferns 

 in form, but are hard and tough in texture, 

 enduring long on the plants. They are 

 amongst the finest ornaments of the stove 

 or conservatory. Their flowering in this 

 country is not a very common occurrence, 

 and when they do bloom the flowers are 

 nothing more than a curiosity. 



They seldom produce suckers so as to 

 give an oppoitunity of increasing them by 

 this means. The plants are nearly always 

 imported. Their cultivation is very simple ; 

 they succeed in good ordinary loam made 

 sufficiently porous by the addition of sand. 

 The pots must be well drained, as the roots 

 will not bear stagnant moisture. Most of 

 the species do not require so much root- 

 room as the generality of plants equal in 

 size, and it is a mistake to overdo them in 

 this respect. An ordinary stove or inter- 

 mediate temperature will answer for them 

 summer and winter — there is no necessity 

 for being particular to a few degrees ; 55" 

 to 60° in the night during winter, with a 

 proportionate rise by day, and 60° to 70° 

 in the night in summer will answer. Most 

 of the kinds, however, will bear as much 

 heat as any of the stove occupants in the 



day through the growing season, but there 

 is no need for subjecting them to so much ; 

 it is simply a question of their growing 

 quickly or slowly. They may be kept for 

 years in moderate-sized pots or tubs if a 

 moderate sliift is given them when they 

 are moved. During the growing season 

 they should have plenty of light and room 

 to fully extend their leaves ; they also like 

 a drier atmosphere than most plants. 



The following are fine kinds : — 



C. Armstrongii. A handsome, bold- 

 leaved sort. 



G. circinalis. A very large leaved, hand- 

 some kind, reqiiiring a good deal of room. 

 A native of India. 



C. circinalis glauca. A glaucous-leaved 

 form of the above. 



G. media. A handsome kind, of mode- 

 rate size. New Holland. 



G. plumosa. Has beautiful plume-like 

 foliage ; a handsome species from India. 



C. revoluta. A Chinese species that will 

 thrive in a warm greenhouse. 



G. Eiuminiana. A fine kind from 

 the Philippine Islands. 



Insects. — The hard nature of the leaves 

 is such as not to afford much food for in- 

 sects, but scale will sometimes become 

 troublesome, and sponging is the best 

 remedy. 



CYCLAMEN. 



The Cyclamens now so largely used for 

 pot cultivation are almost wholly confined 

 to the race of seedling varieties of C. per- 

 cisum that in recent years have been so 

 much improved both in the size and colour of 

 their flowers, as also in the disposition to 

 produce them in much greater quantities 

 than the original species could be induced 

 to. So great is the improvement that the 

 Cyclamens of the present day are amongst 

 the most beautiful and continuous bloomers 

 of all greenhouse plants. 



The cultural treatment, with more 

 warmth stimulating quick growth, that 

 this new race is found to best succeed 

 with, is very different from the old slow 

 method of growing them, by which the 

 plants were yearly, after blooming, sub- 

 jected to a severe drying process whereby 

 they were much enfeebled. The ordinary, 

 and much the best way of propagation is 

 from seed, which may be sown at different 

 times of the year, according to the season 

 they are required to flower. If well 

 managed the plants will be lai'ge enough 

 to admit of flowering when from fifteen to 

 eighteen months old. To bloom in spring 

 sow about November or December ; if 

 \\-anted to come into flower during the 



