196 



Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 



HABROTHAMNUS. 



in appearance to the more robust kinds of 

 the family. 



For propagation and cultivation, see 

 Palms, general details of culture. 



G. speciosa. This is an edible species, 

 the fruit of which forms a considerable 

 article of food in the countries where it is 

 found indigenous. It comes from Tropical 

 America. 



G. utilis. A fairly handsome species, 

 with good-sized pinnate leaves. A native 

 of Costa Rica. 



GUZMANNIA. 



In these we have Bromeliaceous stove 

 plants nearly allied to the Jllchmeas, and 

 having much the same habit of growth. 

 The flowers are almost hidden by the 

 bracts, and thus have a singular appear- 

 ance. They occupy little room, and even 

 when not in flower are pretty. 



For method of propagation and details of 

 cultivation, see iEchmeas. 



G. picta. This species is often met ■with 

 under the name of Nidularium fulgens. 

 It is a close, compact grower, the short, 

 recurved leaves giving it a vase-like ap- 

 pearance. It usually flowers in summer. 



G. tricolor. A pretty species that forms 

 stout flower-spikes ; the bracts, which are 

 a combination of red, dark purple, and green, 

 are its chief attraction ; the flowers are 

 white. It blooms in the spring or summer. 

 Indigenous to the West Indian Islands, 

 and also found in South America. 



GYMNOGRAMMA. 



In these we have a genus of stove Ferns, 

 justly favourites with cultivators ; it in- 

 cludes most of the gold and silver species, 

 with their singularly powdered surface, 

 which in the case of some extends to the 

 upper as well as the under surface of the 

 ff-onds, and also to the stalks. Most of the 

 species can be confined to moderate-sized 

 pots. To be kept in good condition through 

 the winter they should have warmer treat- 

 ment than most other Ferns. 



For propagation and cultivation, see 

 Ferns, general details of culture. 



G. calomelanos. West Indies. 



G. chrysophylla Laucheana. West Indies. 



G. chrysojihylla Laucheana grandiceps. 

 West Indies. 



G. lanata. Veragua. 



G. Martensii. Garden hybrid. 



G. peruviana argyrophylla. Tropical 

 America. 



G. pulchella. Tropical America. 



G. sulphurea. Jamaica. 



G. tartarea. South America. 



G. tomentosa. Brazil. 



G. Wettenhalliana. Garden variety. 



HABRANTHUS. 



These are greenhouse bulbous plants 

 that bear handsome flowers- 



They succeed, both as regards propaga- 

 tion and after growth, under conditions 

 like those advised for Zephyranthes, 

 which see. 



The following are the most worthy of a 

 place : — 



H. Andersonii. A yellow and red 

 flowered species from Monte Video. A 

 spring bloomer. 



H. Andersoni texanus. Has yellow 

 flowers ; it blooms in spring. From 

 Texas. 



H. fulgens. Flowers scarlet, produced 

 in spring. A native of Chili. 



H. hesperius. Straw colour. A summer 

 bloomer. South America. 



H. pratensis. Has scarlet and yellow 

 flowers. A spring bloomer ; from Chili. 



H. roseus. Flowers rose-coloured ; 

 blooms later than some. From Chiloe. 



HABROTHAMNUS. 



These are stately evergreen greenhouse 

 plants from Mexico, with a branching, 

 drooping habit of growth, producing from 

 the points of the shoots handsome bunches 

 of attractive flowers, which open in succes- 

 sion for a long period. The natural habit 

 of the plants is such that they can be 

 grown in diff'erent ways, either as pot 

 specimens, trained pyramidal fashion, or 

 as standards with drooping heads, in which 

 latter way they are very effective for con- 

 servatory decoration, where they can he 

 used to relieve the more formal growing 

 things. They are good growers, succeed- 

 ing well in a mixture of peat and loam, 

 and a moderate quantity of sand. 



They are among the easiest of plants to 

 propagate ; cuttings of the young shoots 

 when aljout four or five inches long can 

 usually be had in spring, and if taken ofl 

 with a heel all the better. They should be 

 put singly in 3-inch pots, part filled with 

 a mixture of sand and peat, the top all 

 sand, stood in moderate heat, and kept 

 moist and shaded under propagating glasses 

 where they will soon root ; then dispense 

 with the glasses, and if the plants are to 

 be growm as bush specimens pinch out 

 the points. In July enough roots should 

 be present to warrant moving the young 

 plants into 6 or 7 inch pots ; use soil with 

 less sand in it than that in which they 

 have Ijeen struck, keep in a growing tern- 



