FRANCISCEA. 



Greenhnise and Stove Plants 



177 



So free is their growth that they will 

 thrive in places where there is much less 

 light than most plants will succeed with. 

 When they get too high or at all straggling 

 they may be cut in, and they will then 

 break out again, or the space may be filled 

 with fresh plants. All the Fittonias suc- 

 ceed best in a warm, moist atmosphere 

 such as will answer for most warm stove 

 plants, with shade when the weather is 

 sunny. 



The following are deserving of cultiva- 

 tion : — 



F. argyroneura. Ground colour pale 

 green, profusely netted with silvery-white 

 nerves. A native of Peru. 



F. gigantea. A strong-growing plant, 

 tlie leaves of which are dark green, prettily 

 veined with red. From Ecuador. 



F. rubro - nervia. Medium-sized oval 

 leaves, beautifully veined with reddish 

 pink, a charming species. From Peru. 



F. Verschaffeltii. Leaves deep green, with 

 red veining. Brazil. 



Insects. — Fittonias are easily kept free 

 from the smaller insects that affect plants 

 in heat by constant syringing, in which 

 Avay the water they require can in a great 

 measure be given. If mealy bug attacks 

 them, syringe freely with tepid water and 

 pponge the leaves afterwards. 



FRANCISCEA. 



Francisceas rank amongst the finest and 

 most distinct of flowering stove plants. 

 They vary considerably in size, from the 

 small, moderately couii)act, upright-habited 

 F. Hopeana to the broad laurel-leaved F. 

 conferti flora, which, when well grown, 

 attains a height of 4 or 5 feet, and a dia- 

 meter of 3 or 4 feet ; its ample dark green 

 glossy leaves form a perfect background to 

 its large purple flowers, deep in colour 

 when first opened, but, like those of most 

 of the other species, turning gradually paler 

 as they get older, until they assume almost 

 a white shade. F. confertiflora is un- 

 doubtedly the finest representative of the 

 genus, fating all its properties into account, 

 although it is eclipsed in size of flower by 

 the largest form of F. calycina called F. 

 calycina major, but neither this nor the 

 smaller form retains its leaves so well as 

 F. confertiflora, nor do they grow so freely. 

 The beauty of the flowers of most of the 

 species is much increased by the -white 

 ring round the mouth of the tube, which 

 is most conspicuous when they first open, 

 contrasting well with the intense colour of 

 the newly-expanded blossoms. Another 

 desirable property which they possess ia 

 that, in addition to opening their flowers in 



succession, the time of their flowering may 

 be so regulated as to have a continuance 

 for several months, extending from early 

 spring until the summer is far advanced. 

 This much increases their value for exhibi- 

 tion purposes or for general decoration, for 

 which latter they are invaluable, as they 

 will stand in a conservatory when in flower 

 in summer. There is one thing in which 

 several of the species, more particularly F. 

 confertiflora, differ from most plants, and 

 that is that, although they need a moderate 

 heat to grow well, they will open their 

 fl(jwers freely and much finer in colour in a 

 cool house and when closely shaded than 

 they do in heat. This is the more remark- 

 able as it is completely at variance with the 

 requirements of the greater number of plants. 

 There are one or two matters peculiar to 

 their cultivation which it is essential not 

 to lose sight of. First, at no season, either 

 when making their growth or even when 

 it is completed and the wood and leaves 

 are fully matured, can they bear the effects 

 of the direct action of the sun, or the deep 

 glossy green of their leaves will be quickly 

 converted into a dingy brown, sickly hue. 

 When in flower, too,' the colour of the 

 blooms becomes bleached in a day or two 

 if the sun is allowed to shine upon them. 

 The second and equally important point is 

 that they should at all times be kept free 

 from insects — especially that worst of all 

 pests, mealy bug, which if present is sure 

 to get the plants into bad condition, for not 

 only do the flower-buds get injured by the 

 operation of cleaning and fall off, but 

 the leaves also suffer. Other insects will 

 live on Francisceas, but none else are so 

 inj urious. 



All Francisceas are easily propagated by 

 means of cuttings made of the half-ripened 

 wood, which may generally be obtained by 

 the end of March from plants that have 

 made early growth in the stove. Bits of 

 the leading shoots about 4 inches or 5 

 inches in length, inserted in small pots 

 filled with sand, placed in a temperature of 

 70°, covered with propagating glasses and 

 shaded, root in a few weeks, after which 

 the glasses should be removed. Put them 

 where they will receive plenty of light, 

 but be shaded from the sun. As soon as 

 the cuttings have filled their little pots 

 with roots they should be removed into 

 others 4 inches or 5 inches in diameter. 

 They will all grow in either peat or loam 

 or a mixture of both ; but, like most ever- 

 green plants with large leaves, they grow 

 reest in peat, which gives the deep green 

 colour to the leaves so desirable. In peat 

 they make stronger shoots, and these, in 

 the case of Francisceas, always produce the 



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