Tin- ii.i.rsTRATio.N iioiiticoi.k. 



HORTICULTURAL CHRONICLE. 



February, 1874. 

 - The genus Tulipa, by D r Kegel. - In the number 

 of the Gartenftora for October. Is?;;, which wo have only just 

 received, we find a noteworthy article from the pen of our 

 learned friend, D r Kegel, on the genus Tulipa, including 

 the description of a new species, T. Greigii, Rgl. This beau- 

 tiful species is characterize. I by its dwarf habit and broad. 

 spreading leaves, which are scarcely borne above the surface 

 of the ground, and are elegantly variegated with longitudinal 

 brown stains. A solitary flower, of the most lovely red colour. 

 with broad outer, and less acute inner perianth-segments 

 surmounts the foliage, forming altogether an ornamental 

 plant of the first rank, designated the Queen of Tulips by 

 D r Regel. It is a native of Turkestan, and has been dedicated 

 to one of the most learned and most amiable of Russian 

 gentlemen, General Greig, President of the Horticultural 

 Society of S l Petersburgh, whose warm reception, on the 

 occasion of our journey to Russia in 1869, we recall with 



The Conspectus of the genu 

 prises 26" species, and deserv< 



. as drawn iij> by Regel, com- 

 perusal. We hope to be able 

 to speak more fully of it upon some future occasion. 



— Pitcaienia Andre an a. — The same number of the 

 Gartenftora contains a figure and description of this new 

 Bromeliaceous plant, under the name of P. lepidota; but 

 M. Linden had already named it after us in the August 

 number of the Illustration Horticole. Probably D r Regel had 

 not seen that number when he gave the plant another name 

 subsequent to the publication of the species. 



— A Correction. — We also find in the above-named 

 journal, in an article by M. Jager, at page 304, that we are 

 accredited with the re-modelling of the Prater at Vienna. 

 This is quite a mistake ; for we have never been called to 

 Vienna, and have had nothing whatever to do with the 

 works that have been executed there. M. Jager has, more- 

 over, glossed his work over with personal remarks on the 

 art of modern gardening, which we intend dealing with at 

 another time in a separate article. 



— The Guaco and the Cedron. — In a paper, recently 

 presented to the SocitU d'Acclimatation, on these two Amer- 

 ican products, M. Torres-Cai'eedo. has < ritieally investigated 

 the marvellous virtues ascribed to these plants in the pop- 

 ular legends of Colombia. From the result of his studies, 

 it appears that if the febrifugal properties of Simaba cedron 

 are incontrovertible, as we have recently shown, there is 

 considerable doubt regarding the efficacy of these plants 

 as antidotes to the bites of venomous reptiles. Such, at 

 least, is the opinion held by M. Torres-Ca'icedo. 



The Guaco is furnished by a Composite plant, named 

 Mikania Guaco. It has been known from the most remote 

 times by the aboriginal inhabitants of Choco, Colombia. 

 In 1788 its reputed medical properties were revealed to Mutis, 

 who was then engaged upon a botanical investigation of 

 that country. A young negro called Matiz, permitted him- 



Mexico. It is a curio 



• lillcivnt species of . 

 cure the bite of sua 



us fact, a 

 ristolochia 



z: : B;;: 



lit 



';' 



world, both in 



\sia a 



id Americ 



t. Blli the appalln 





l.les 



we annually ice 



live fr 



mi India o 



the number of net 



so 



, 



succumb to the bites of veuomoi 

 the possibility of the existence 

 W. B. 11. 



s reptiles seem tO 



Of any eilectual 



remedy. 



— Importat 



seeds of this ti 

 Paris, last year 



•e tin 



si:r.i.s of 



Xanthoceras. — The 



in the Museum gard< 



few 

 1 of 



deK 



•the 



the French minister in China, 

 M. L. de (ieoiroy, has sent a parcel of seed collected from 

 two large trees growing in the garden of the Legation at 

 Tche-foo. The only thing to be feared is that, from the oily 

 nature of the albumen the seeds will decay and lose their 

 germinating powers during so long a transit. 



— The Boldu. - For several years past there has been a 

 great deal of talk about a plant imported under this name 

 from Chili, and said to possess valuable healing properties 

 in cases of diseases of the liver. Experiments to test its 

 efficacy, undertaken at the instigation of the Chilian Govern- 

 ment, resulted, it is said, conclusively in its favour. We call 

 the attention of the Faculty to this intelligence. 



The Boldu is a member of the Monimiacece, a small natu- 

 ral order of trees and shrubs, remarkable for their aromatic 

 secretions. It has been variously named by different authors, 

 Boldoa fragrans, Gay, being generally admitted. Jussieu 

 called it Boldea, Pavon, Ruizia fragrans, and Persoon and 

 Sprengel Peumus fragrans. It is a small, evergreen, aromat- 



