310 



Greenhouse and Stove Plants 



SARRACENIA. 



Insects. — The leathery texture of the 

 leaves prevents their becoming a prey to 

 many insects, but scale sometimes attaches 

 itself to them and the creeping stems ; 

 when it appears it can best be removed by 

 sponging. 



SARMIENTA REPENS. 



A creeping evergreen stove Gesnerad. 

 Like most allied species it is easy to 

 manage, and may be grown in a pot with 

 the shoots supported by sticks, or in a pot 

 or basket suspended from the roof, with 

 the shoots allowed to hang down ; or, if in 

 a basket, trained round it so as to cover 

 the surface. In this way they have a 

 pretty effect when not kept too close, 

 letting the points of the shoots have 

 liberty. Thus treated, its red flowers are 

 seen to advantage. It requires the same 

 treatment as Columneas, which see. It 

 comes from Chili. 



SARRACENIA. 



Among the singular forms now and then 

 assumed by plants, few can match the Sar- 

 racenias, or Side-saddle Plants, as regards 

 grotesque shape and beautiful leaf colour- 

 ing, and this wholly independent of their 

 equally curious and beautiful flowers, 

 which, like the plants, are entirely diff'e- 

 rent from those of all others. All the 

 species have hollow leaves more or less 

 extended, and succeed best in an inter- 

 mediate temperature ; some, like S. pur- 

 purea, are stout, short, and much distended, 

 others, like the diff'erent forms of S. Drum- 

 mondii, funnel or horn shaped, and as 

 much as 3 or 4 feet in length when well 

 grown ; in all the leaf-blade is more or 

 less extended, so as to form a lid to the 

 mouth of the pitcher — not very decided in 

 S. purpurea, but large and completely over- 

 lapping the orifice in some of the varieties 

 of S. flava. The whole of the family 

 belong to what have recently been called 

 Insectivorous plants. The Sarracenias are 

 easily grown, if their wants are fairly well 

 supplied. Where failure occurs it is mostly 

 traceable to their being kept too warm. 

 An intermediate temperature both summer 

 and winter suits them best, although some 

 of the kinds, such as S. purpurea, will 

 grow in a cold frame or even live out-of- 

 doors in certain places, but its appearance 

 is not nearly so good as when grown in a 

 little heat. A night temperature of 48° or 

 50° in winter, and 60° in summer at night, 

 and from 70° to 75° in the daytime will be 

 found to suit them. 



Soil is another most important matter. 



The fibrous material with all the earthy 

 matter shaken out of the best Orchid peat, 

 added to an equal part of chopped sphag- 

 num and a good sprinkling of potsherds or 

 charcoal, with a little sand, should be used. 

 The crowns should be divided about the 

 beginning of February before the roots 

 have begun to move ; they may be potted 

 singly, or grown several together in pots 

 proportionate in size to the numbers oc- 

 cupying each. A 4 or 6 inch pot is big 

 enough for a single crown. The pots 

 should be one-third filled with drainage, 

 and the material pressed moderately firm 

 about the roots, giving them immediately 

 as much water as will soak the whole. 

 The plants should then be stood on some 

 moisture-holding medium ; the nearer the 

 glass they are the stouter they will groAV, 

 and the higher coloured the pitchers will 

 come. They are swamp plants, and should 

 be watered twice a week in winter, and 

 every day through the growing season— at 

 all times the soil should be kept quite wet. 

 If shade is given in sunmier it should be 

 with very thin material, and none is re- 

 quired unless the sun is found to burn 

 the leaves. They are better not syringed 

 overhead, as water applied in this way to 

 the tall-growing kinds makes the pitchers 

 weak and scarcely able to support them- 

 selves. They look the best when a number 

 of crowns are grown together, say as many 

 as will occupy a 14 or 15 inch pot. It is 

 important that they shoiild have the whole 

 of the material shaken away once a year 

 and replaced with new, or it will get sour 

 and cause rotting of the roots, a condition 

 from which the plants take years to re- 

 cover. All the kinds, except the diff'erent 

 forms of S. Drummondii, should be re- 

 potted about the time mentioned for pro- 

 pagation by division of the crowns, that is, 

 before growth commences. The varieties 

 of S. Drummondii ought to be potted in 

 July, as the principal season of producing 

 their pitcher-like leaves is in autumn. 

 The spring growth of these varieties is 

 mostly confined to leaves that do not deve- 

 lop to pitchers, although when very strong 

 they will produce a number of pitchers 

 along with the other leaves in sj^ring. 

 If the shaking out and potting is done 

 after any root-growth has begun, the 

 pitchers that follow are liable to be de- 

 foimed. Propagation by pieces of the 

 root-stems should be carried out at the 

 time of the winter potting. If the plants 

 are wanted to gain strength fast, the 

 flower-stems should be pinched out as soon 

 as they appear. 



AH the undermentioned kinds are well 

 worth growing : — 



