GLOXINIAS AND THEIR ARTIFICIAL FERTILISATION, 300 
GLOXINIAS AND THEIR ARTIFICIAL FERTILISATION. 
By Monsieur Duvat. 
GULOXINIAS are certainly very easy to fertilise, and a horticulturist unac- 
customed to stove plants will not fail to perceive that they have very 
simple reproductive organs which offer themselves readily to fertilisation. 
Does it then follow that it is easy to obtain all the varieties one 
would like ? or that one can successfully fertilise and cross with each other 
the different varieties (the word species appearing rather strong) which 
are now in cultivation ? 
That is another matter; and I think it advisable to deal with this 
subject here, so as to fix certain points which may require to be eluci- 
dated, or which have been badly understood and consequently misinter- 
preted. 
About the year 1860, when the first Gloxinias (Ligeria) with erect 
flowers made their appearance, there were few varieties. I only saw 
two varieties, or three at the most, in flower at the establishment of 
Francois Duval, my father--one pink variety, one pale blue, and one 
white with blue dots at the intersection of the segments. These 
Gloxinias were at that time rather poor in appearance, and their flowers 
were comparatively small. They were named ‘ Fiffiana,’ derived from 
the name of Fiffe, I believe. 
Where did they come from? Doubtless from England. By what 
channel? Through Thibaut and Keteleer or Rougier. It is, however, 
of little consequence. At all events, [ saw them sown, thrive, and give 
in succession large flowers with more and more defined colours, and at 
the same time holding themselves up better. In spite of the appear- 
ance of the Gloxinias of Fiffe, Gloxinias with drooping flowers were still 
grown. Van Houtte obtained some very fine plants, but with drooping 
flowers. He sent out a variety, which he dedicated to Madame Van 
Houtte, under the name of Gloxinia Mina. At that period—that is to 
say, about 1866—we possessed both drooping and erect flowered varieties, 
but nearly all of one colour and without any brilliancy. 
The appearance of the Gloxinia Mina, the colour of which was very 
brilliant carmine-red edged with white, caused me some surprise, and gave 
me the idea that by means of this rich-coloured plant superior varieties 
might be obtained. Indeed, by fertilising the varieties I possessed, and 
which were erect-flowered, with the drooping-flowered variety Mina, I 
obtained plants with erect flowers of a brilliant red colour edged with 
white. The flowers of a hitherto drooping type were therefore made 
erect as the result of the first attempt. 
This was the commencement of a new race, and to obtain several 
colours was the object in view and which I endeavoured to accomplish. 
By fertilising the progeny of Gloxinia Mina with other varieties, I 
had the pleasure of seeing a whole series of plants blossom of various 
colours—dark and light blue, pink, red, &e.—and all with erect flowers. 
