MITRARIA. 



Greenhouse and Stove Plants 



251 



MIRBELIA. 



A small genus of evergreen greenhouse 

 shrubs that bear pretty flowers. They were 

 much more in favour with cultivators in 

 times past than at present. 



They can be struck from shoot cuttings, 

 and grown on under conditions such as ad- 

 vised for Coleonemas, which see. 



M. Baxterii. Has yellow flowers, which 

 open in spring. A native of New Holland. 



M. floribunda. Flowers purple, produced 

 in spring. From the Swan Eiver. 



M. pungens. Yellow flowers ; a summer 

 bloomer. Introduced from New Holland. 



MITRARIA COCCINEA. 



This is a dense-growing evergreen green- 

 house plant that produces freely its hand- 

 some mitre-shaped scarlet flowers during 

 the summer and autumn. It was intro- 

 duced about the middle of the present 

 century from San Carl de Chiloe, and is 

 another of the number of handsome things 

 comparatively neglected. It is more re- 

 markable for the length of time it con- 

 tinues to produce a succession of flower 

 than for opening thein simultaneously, as 

 in the case of most plants the blooming of 

 which is of shorter duration ; for this 

 reason it is more suitable for general de- 

 corative purposes than for exhibiting. It 

 is of comparatively easy growth, and suc- 

 ceeds well in moderately close peat, con- 

 taining a fair amount of iibre, with a good 

 sprinkling of sand added. It is a tolerably 

 quick gi'ower when well managed, soon 

 acquiring a useful size and flowering freely 

 in even a small state. 



This Mitraria strikes freely from cuttings 

 of the young shoots, such as will be avail- 

 able about May from plants that have been 

 cut back early in the spring. Put them an 

 inch apart in moderate-sized pots ; kept 

 moist, close, and shaded in a stove tem- 

 perature they will root in a few weeks, 

 when remove the proj^agating glasses, but 

 keep a moderately moist atmosphere, and 

 give a little shade. About the beginning 

 of July move them singly into 3-inch pots, 

 stopping the shoots, after which encourage 

 growth by keeping the material on which 

 they stand moist ; syringe overhead in the 

 afternoons when the house is shut up. 

 After September comes in cease syringing 

 and shading, and give more air. Keep 

 through the winter at 45° in the night, and 

 in March put them in 6-inch pots ; after 

 they have begun to grow in the new soil 

 admit more air than in the preceding 

 season, syringe overhead daily, and keep 

 the material on which they stand damp, 

 with a little shade in bright weather : 



again stop the shoots when a little growth 

 has been made. Encourage gro^vth during 

 the summer as before, and in autumn assist 

 them to get the wood rij^ened by the ad- 

 mission of more air and by a drier atmo- 

 sphere ; winter as in the preceding, and 

 in March move into pots 3 inches larger 

 than those they have hitherto occupied. 

 This is a strong-rooted plant, and will bear 

 the soil used in a moderately lumpy state ; 

 mix the sand well with it pre\"ious to use. 

 Put an inch of crocks for drainage, and 

 ram the soil pretty firm. Cut back the 

 shoots to a uniform length of 6 or 8 

 inches from where they were last stopped 

 to, and tie them well out. The wood is of 

 a somewhat weak character, and conse- 

 quently will require a moderate number 

 of sticks for support. Be sparing of water 

 until the roots are at work in the new soil, 

 and keep the atmosjihere a little close till 

 the young growth begins to push, after 

 which admit more air in the early part of 

 day. As the weather gets warm close the 

 house with sun-heat, and damp overhead 

 with the syringe, at the same time keep 

 the material on which they stand moist. 

 Shade will not now be required, as in its 

 larger stages, the plant will bear any 

 amount of sun. 



As already stated, it is a free-flowerer, 

 producing its blooms from the current 

 season's shoots, yet this season's gro\vth 

 will rather be to get the plants on in size 

 than to produce flowers ; consequently, 

 about midsummer all the strongest should 

 be again stopped, so as to cause them to 

 break back. Continue to keep the branches 

 well tied out, and also to use the syringe 

 until the middle of August, when give 

 more air night and day, so as to ripen up 

 the growth, at the same time discontinue 

 syringing and maintain a drier atmosphere ; 

 keep on this treatment through the autumn, 

 merely guarding against too low a tempera- 

 ture on cold nights. Through the winter 

 about 40° in the night should be kept up, 

 and no more water given at the roots than 

 is necessary to preserve the soil in a healthy 

 condition. Again about the end of March 

 repot, giving a 3-inch shift, in soil similar 

 to that which was advised the preceding 

 season, stopping and tying-out the shoots 

 as before. Let the treatment during the 

 spring be in every way as recommended 

 last year. By the end of July they will 

 most likely begin to show flower ; as soon 

 as the blooms make their appearance dis- 

 continue the use of the syringe, and give 

 plenty of air and light. When the bloom 

 commences to open, the plants, if required, 

 may be placed in the conservatoiy, where 

 they will keep on flowering for many 



