PANCRATIUM. 



Greenhouse and Stove Plants. 



265 



of room they grow to a large size, forming 

 a numljer of crowns with some dozens of 

 leaves, in which case they usually flower, 

 and the seeds vegetate readily. There are 

 two kinds — 0. Berneriana and O. fene- 

 stralis ; the leaves of 0. Berneriana are 

 blunter than those of O. fenestialis, and 

 the former is by some thought to be the 

 best grower. 



OXYLOBIUM. 



Dwarf evergreen greeiahouse shrubs of 

 bushy habit that bloom freely, but are 

 inferior to many hardwooded plants now 

 in cultivation. They require similar treat- 

 ment to Poly galas, which see. 



The vindermentioned are the best kinds. 



0. capitatum. Flowers yellow; a summer 

 bloomer. Swan River. 



0. ellipticuni. Yellow, also a summer 

 bloomer. Van Dieman's Land. 



0. Osbornii. Has yellow flowers pro- 

 duced in summer. From Australia. 



0. Pultencece. Deep orange ; blooms in 

 spring. New Holland. 



PANAX FRUTICOSUM. 



A pretty evergreen stove plant, with alter- 

 nate, bipinnate, drooping leaves, toothed 

 on the edge. It is suitable for use in any 

 way where fine-leaved plants of moderate 

 size are rer^uired. It will thrive under 

 ordinary stove treatment, such as answers 

 for other inhabitants of warm countries. 

 It comes from Java. 



PANCRATIUM. 



These constitute a somewhat numerous 

 family of bulbous plants, the greatest por- 

 tion of which are stove species ; nearly all 

 of them have white and generally highly 

 fragrant flowers, which, for beauty and 

 elegance, have few equals. They are found 

 indigenous over a wide range of mostly 

 warm countries, extending from South 

 America, the West Indian Islands, to 

 eastern continental India. With few ex- 

 ceptions they require a warm house to 

 grow in ; consequently, the remarks fol- 

 lowing on their cultivation will refer to 

 such kinds as do the most satisfactorily 

 with stove heat. Like most bulbs, they 

 succeed best in a close, somewhat stiong 

 loamy soil, made firm in the pots. They 

 can be raised from seed sown as soon as it 

 is ripe, which will generally be in the 

 autumn, in pans of sifted loam with a little 

 sand ad<led ; press the material firmly down, 

 scatter the seeds thinly on it, and cover 

 them slightly, after which stand the pans 



in a temperature of 60", and shade so as to 

 keep the soil from getting dried and re- 

 quiring more water than should be given 

 before tlie seeds vegetate. As soon as the 

 young plants have made their appearance 

 give them more light. Keep them in a 

 temperature .such as that just advised until 

 the solar heat increases, when it may be 

 increased proportionately, and air given 

 daily and water when needed; they will 

 not rec^uire much, if any, shade. As soon 

 as they have got large enough to handle 

 they should be pricked out 2 inches apart 

 in soil similar to that in which the seeds 

 were sown, pressing it quite firm. They 

 will through the summer and autumn bear 

 an ordinary stove temperature, wliich 

 should be reduced proportionately in 

 winter. In spring put them singly in 

 3-inch pots, making the soil quite solid 

 and draining the pots well. They will 

 require nothing further during the summer 

 and ensuing winter, except treatment as to 

 heat, air, and water as in the previous 

 season. 



In spring they will again want more 

 room. The largest will take 7-inch pots ; 

 for the weaker plants those an inch less 

 will be big enough. Treat in every way 

 as in the past season. By autumn some of 

 the strongest may be large enough to 

 flower, but nothing will be gained by 

 attempting to hurry them to this ; it is far 

 better to let them have another season's 

 growth before blooming, as tliey will then 

 flower so much stronger. Move them in 

 spring into 9 or 10 inch i)(jts, and treat 

 libei'ally in all respects so as to get the 

 bulbs as large as possible ; in the autumn 

 gradually -withhold water, letting the soil 

 get as dry as the ])]auts will bear without 

 injury. They will stand keeping in a 

 semi-dry state through the winter. In the 

 spring, when the temperature is increased 

 and water given, they will again commence 

 growing, and the strongest may be expected 

 to bloom during the summer. All that is 

 further require(l is to treat generally as so 

 far advised, giving lai'ger pots as the plants 

 seem to require it, but these, in common 

 with most other bulbous subjects, do best 

 with no more disturljance of their roots than 

 can be avoided. With fair usage the bulbs 

 will go on increasing in size and will make 

 oftsets, which can be taken oft" and treated 

 as recommended for tlie young bull)S raised 

 from seed, the ditterence being that the 

 offsets can be induced to bloom in less 

 time than seedling plants. 



Tlie underiuentioned are a lew of the 

 most desirable kinds : — 



P. fragrans. A very free-flowering, 

 handsome species, the most generally culti- 



