30 NOTES ON NKW OR UAHE TLANTS. 



of the shoots, but only on one side ; for a few inches, too, they are 

 drooping. Tube near an inch long, red, witli a yellow five-parted 

 limb. Blooms all summer. 



Metrosideros tomentosa — Downy-leaved. 



This beautiful flowering plant is a native of New Zealand, wiiere it was 

 discovered by Sir Joseph Banks, M'hen accompanying Captain Cook on 

 his celebrated voyage. In its native country it grows on the rocky 

 sea-coast of the Bay of Islands. It becomes an ordinary-sized tree, 

 blooming in December, and its brilliant flowers, borne in profusion, 

 render it an extraordinary conspicuous object. A plant of it bloomed 

 in the Itoyal Gardens of Kew the last summer. It is an evergreen 

 busli six feet high ; grows freely in the greenhouse. In May last it 

 was planted out in the open ground, in a sheltered situation, and for 

 the first time bloomed early in summer, and continued till the first 

 frost. Tlie flowers are borne in terminal corymbous heads. Petals 

 small, yellow, and. the immense number of long filaments are of a 

 brilliant red. Each head of flowers is from tlnee to four inches across. 

 During summer almost every branchlet was terminated by a head of 

 these brilliant flowers. It deserves a place in every greenhouse, and 

 it might be turned into the open ground for blooming, and be taken in 

 for shelter during winter. (Figured in JBot. Mag., 4488.) 



MiCROSFERMA BARTONIOIDES— BaRTONIA-LIKE. 



This charming annual was recently obtained from Hamburg, by 

 Mr. Charlwood, seedsman, of Covent Garden, London. It grows 

 about a foot high, and blooms in profusion. The flowers are produced 

 in terminal spreading panicles ; each flower is two inches across, of a 

 pretty sulphur-yellow above, and almost white beneath. It belongs to 

 the same class as Hypericum, St. John's Wort, &c., and, like those 

 flowers, has numerous long stamens, of a rich yellow colour. It is a 

 very showy plant, blooming through the entire sunnner season. If it 

 will flourish in the open border, as is very likely, it will be a valuable 

 addition to our bedding plants. It will, too, be valuable as an orna- 

 mental plant for the greenhouse in sunnner, in contrast with Balsams. 

 (Figured in Bot. Mag., 4491.) 



Ophelia corymbosa — Corymbous-flowereb. 



A pretty flowering annual from India ; it grows about a foot high, 

 bearing its flowers in large terminal, loose, corymbous heads. Each 

 flower is nearly an inch across, pale purple, with a white eye. When 

 in full bloom they have somewhat the general appearance of a dwarf 

 Gilia tricolor. It is very likely to be a pretty addition to our bedding 

 plants, as well as for a sunmier's ornament for the greenhouse. 

 (Figured in Bot. Mag., 4489.) 



Pharbitis limbata — White-edged. 



Convolvula. 

 Introduced from Java in 1849. It is a very handsome stove climber, 

 Jiaving much of the appearance and size of the well-known border 



