THEOPHRASTA. 



Greenhouse and tStove Plants. 



331 



For propagation and cultivation, see 

 Ferns, general details of culture. 

 T. australasica. New South Wales. 

 T. Nidus. East Indies. 



THEA. 



(The Tea Plant.) 



The so-called different kinds of the Tea 

 plant, if different they really are, are re- 

 lated to the genus Camellia, and are much 

 inferior so far as appearance goes to the 

 many tine sorts of that magnificent ilower- 

 ing shrub ; yet these, with other plants of 

 conmierce, are prized by some for the as- 

 sociations connected with them. 



They require the same treatment as 

 Camellias, which see. 



The following represent the different 

 varieties : — 



T. assamica. Flowers white. Assam. 



T. Bohea. White. China. 



T. viridis. White. China. 



THEOPHRASTA IMPERIALIS. 



There are one or two other species of 

 Theophrasta known in cultivation, but 

 they are so far inferior to this that we have 

 deemed it not necessary to further allude 

 to them. T. imperialis is an evergreen 

 stove plant from Brazil. To grow so as to 

 fully develop its leaves, it should have a 

 strong heat through the growing season ; 

 it grows freely when once rooted, but is 

 one of the most difficult plants in cultiva- 

 tion to strike from shoot cuttings. We 

 have seen cuttings made from young shoots, 

 taken oft' with a heel, stand in a strong 

 heat fresh and green in appearance for two 

 years without emitting a root, although 

 they have callused over at the base com- 

 pletely, and some ultimatelv form roots. 

 It stiikes readily from root cuttings, 

 where these are procurable, treated in the 

 ordinary way, or it may be propagated 

 from seeds, but as it rarely, if ever, pro- 

 duces these under cultivation, it is better 

 for the generality of those who purpose 

 growing it to procure young plants from 

 those who grow such for sale ; they can be 

 bought in 6-inch or 8-inch pots. If got in 

 the spring they should, about the begin- 

 ning of April, have a shift into pots 

 4 inches larger ; turfy loam is the best soil 

 for them ; afterwards place in a tempera- 

 ture of 65° or 70° in the night, with pro- 

 portionately more warmth in the day. The 

 leaves are very hard in texture, and not 

 likely to suffer from a moderate amount 



of sun reaching them unless they are so 

 exposed as to get scorched, yet it is best to 

 shade when the weather is bright, for if 

 the leaves are once injured, there is no 

 way of rectifying the mischief except head- 

 ing down and bringing up another growth, 

 which takes a considerable time to accom- 

 plish. Keep the atmosphere fairly moist 

 with air when favourable and syringe daily. 

 The plant is a free-rooter, and by the 

 beginning of August pots 3 inches "larger 

 will most likely be required, after winch 

 continue to treat as before until the days 

 get cool ; then reduce the heat to 60° or 65° 

 in the winter during the night. 



By the spring, if all has gone well, the 

 plants will have attained a handsome size, 

 and will want pots 16 inches or 18 inches 

 in diameter, which are as large as will ever 

 be required ; increase the warmth as in 

 the year before, and treat as advised for 

 the preceding summer. As increased 

 strength is acquired, the large spiny-edged 

 leaves will be produced in considerable 

 numbers at a time. The height the plants 

 are allowed to grow will be regulated by 

 the height of the house in which they are 

 to stand and the condition the lower leaves 

 keep in, as, in common with all things of 

 single stem (which is the form to which 

 this Theophrast^a requires to be confined) 

 it should never be allowed to go on after 

 the bottom leaves begin to get shabby ; 

 when this occurs the plants should be 

 headed down in the spring or early enough 

 in the summer, so that the young shoots 

 to be grown up from the old stool may 

 have time to make some progress before 

 the season of lower temperature has arrived. 

 When cut down keep the stools in a brisk 

 heat, where they will soon break out 

 several shoots ; choose the best placed of 

 these, removing the remainder, and after 

 10 inches or 12 inches of growth has been 

 made shake away three-fourths of the old 

 material, placing the plants in fresh soil in 

 pots about half the size of those they have 

 occupied before. Manage as previously in 

 every way, giving additional pot-room as 

 required ; they Avill make handsome speci- 

 mens after being thus treated, with big 

 leaves drooping down, so as completely to 

 cover the pots. This Theophrasta grows 

 well with the help of manure-water, by 

 which means somewhat smaller pots will 

 suffice, but still it can never be grown to 

 a handsome size without more root-room 

 than is required by many things. 



Insects. — Its leaves are so hard in tex- 

 ture that, when the syringe is used, few 

 insects can effect a lodgment except s 'ale. 

 which can be removed with a soft brus'i or 

 sponge. 



