124 NOTES ON NEW OR RARE PLANTS. 



ever bloomed here, except at the Royal Gardens of Kew and Syon 

 Gardens, but it has never fruited, we believe, in Great Britain. The 

 flowers are green, each about half an inch across. The fruit is pear- 

 shaped, yellow and brown, often tinged with deep purple ; each fruit 

 about four inches long. Its taste somewhat resembles butter or 

 marrow, hence it is there called " Vegetable-marrow." It is so rich 

 and mild that most people make use of some spice or pungent sub- 

 stance, to give it poignancy ; and wine, sugar, lime-juice, but mostly 

 pepper and salt, are used. If the stone of the seed be taken, and with 

 it write upon a white wall, the letters will turn as red as blood, and 

 never go out till the wall is whitewashed again, and even then with 

 difficulty can it be effaced by that process. (Figured in Bot. Mag., 

 4580.) 



Polygonum vaccinifolium. Cranberry-leaved. — A rock- 

 plant, from the Northern India mountains. It is quite hardy in our 

 own country. The Horticultural Society introduced it here, and in 

 the garden at Chiswick. It blooms during the latter part of summer 

 and autumn. The stem is shrubby, and each branch terminates with a 

 spike, three inches long, of rose-coloured flowers. It is a prostrate- 

 growing plant ; the spikes only rise about four to six inches high. It 

 is a pretty rock plant. (Figured in Gardeners' May. of Bot.) 



Rhododendron cinnamomeum Cunninghamii. — This splendid 

 variety was raised by Mr. Cunningham, nurseryman, of Liverpool. It 

 is a cross between a white-flowered variety of R. maximum and R. 

 cinnamomeum. It is quite hardy. The heads of flowers are large, 

 and each individual blossom is two inches across, white, beautifully 

 spotted on the upper segments with purple. It is a charming addition 

 to this noble family of shrubs, and ought to be in every collection. 

 (Figured in Gardeners' May. of Bot.) 



Rondeletia versicolor. — Mr. Seeman sent this handsome flower- 

 ing plant from Central America to the Royal Gardens of Kew. It is 

 a stove plant, bearing numerous cymes of its dense flowers, which are 

 remarkable for the play of colours. The tube is yellow; the limb 

 (end of flower), in bud, deep rose, changing, when they expand, to a 

 pale rose, and then to white, with a yellow centre, and having a two- 

 lobed green spot in the middle, from the green stigmas, which protrude 

 beyond the mouth. It is a moderate-sized shrub, blooming very freely, 

 each panicle of blossoms being from three to four inches across. The 

 plants commence blooming when about a foot high, and by stopping 

 the leads a handsome formed bush is easily obtained. It deserves a 

 place in every stove collection. (Figured in Bot. May., 4579.) 



Trop^eolum pendulum. — A half-hardy annual, and a climbing 

 plant, which has been introduced from Central America. Calyx of the 

 flower yellow, with green tips ; corolla yellow, with the two upper 

 segments marked with red lines, and a violet-coloured bar near the 

 edge. This very pretty flowered plant has been introduced to Berlin 

 by Mr. Matthieu, nurseryman. 



