July 1891.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 267 



III. On Plants in the Plant Houses, with Exhibi- 

 tion OF Sfecimens. By 11. L. Hakkow. 



The past month of June has been prolific in the number 

 of species of flowering plants in the houses of the Poyal 

 Botanic Garden, about one hundred and fifty having 

 flowered during that period. Tropical and temperate ferns 

 have rapidly, and with remarkable vigour, perfected their 

 numerous fronds, giving the houses devoted to them a 

 healthy pleasing appearance. Many of the cacti and other 

 succulent plants are now commencing another year's 

 growth, the apex of the stems of such genera as Ccreus, 

 Mammillaria, and others of like habit, presenting a much 

 brighter colour. 



Palms and foliage plants in the tropical houses are now 

 growing luxuriantly, while in those buildings devoted to 

 the cultivation of the natives of more temperate regions a 

 promise of equal growth is exhibited in the large number 

 of expanding buds and leaves. Amongst the flowering 

 plants most worthy of notice are the following : — 



Solanum Wendlandii, Hook. f. This is one of the finest of 

 the species in cultivation of this genus, and is a native of 

 Costa Plica. It was introduced by Dr. "Wendland, Director of 

 Herrenhausen Pioyal Gardens, Hanover, after whom it was 

 named by Sir J. Hooker. The plant is of a climbing habit, 

 the stem branches and petioles of the leaves bearing small 

 prickles. The foliage is variable both in size and form, 

 the lower being generally pinnate or pinnatifid, while those 

 at the apex are simple. The inflorescence is a large cyme 

 which terminates the branches, the flowers being of a lilac 

 blue and often more than two inches across ; these open 

 successively, and thus each inflorescence continues in flower 

 over a very lengthened period. 



Gcrbera Jamesonii, Bolus. " This plant is said to have 

 first been discovered by the collector Eehman in 1878, and 

 subsequently by Mr. Jameson in the goldfield district of 

 Barbetown." See " Botanical Magazine," t. 7087, where a 

 figure of this fine composite may be seen. The foliage is large 

 and pinnatifid ; the flower stalk rises to a height of more 

 than a foot : the inflorescence, although bright, is said to 

 lose much colour under cultivation. The rav florets, under 



