NOTES ON NEW OR RARE PLANTS. 269 



P. Shylock (Foster's).— Upper petals black, edged with crimson. 

 Lower ones a rich purple. A very striking flower. 



Rhododendron Champions.— A new species by Captain Cham- 

 pion, growing abundantly among the rocks, in a ravine at Fort 

 Victoria, Hong Kong, who sent drawings of it to Sir W. J. Hooker. 

 It is a shrub growing about seven feet high, leaves dark-green above 

 and rusty colour beneath; flowers are of a beautiful bright flesh colour 

 and white shaded. It will, no doubt, be an acquisition. Captain 

 Champion, in his botanical excursions, also discovered the following: — 

 Azalea indica var. phcenicea, common in the ravines near HongKon°-; 

 it flowers early in the spring, and in March it is most beautiful. 

 A. squamata is still more common, it produces a few flowers easily in 

 winter, and when the fogs and humid atmosphere set in, about 

 February and March, they burst into luxuriant bloom ; the masses of 

 lilac flowers at a distance look well, but the shrub being destitute of 

 leaves, does not look so well on near approach. A. myrtifolia, a shrub 

 growing four to five feet high, the leaves bright green, flowers pure 

 white, campanulate when in bud, but when expanded one and a half 

 inches across, with the three lower segments spotted with dark violet. 

 Enkyanthus reticulatus, a handsome shrub, when the branches are 

 detached from the plant the blossoms continue fresh for a very long 

 period placed in water. It is much used in China for ornamenting the 

 dwelling-houses. 



SAXE-GoTHiEA conspicua. — A new hardy evergreen coniferous 

 tree, introduced by Messrs. Veitch and Son, who received it from their 

 collector, Mr. Lobb. It was discovered growing on the mountains of 

 Patagonia, forming a fine tree about thirty feet in height ; it has been 

 growing out in the open air at Exeter four years without having any 

 shelter. 



Siphocampylus am/enus. — A native of Central America, from 

 whence it was received amongst a collection of orchidea sent by 

 M. Ghiesbrecht to the gardens of the King of the Belgians at Lacken, 

 and lias been sent to Messrs. Knight and Perry by Monsieur Louis 

 V. Houtte, of Ghent. It bloomed in November last at the Exotic 

 Nursery, Chelsea. It is a half-shrubby stove plant, about one foot 

 high ; flowers produced in a spike, rich scarlet-red, distinct and hand- 

 some species. (Figured in May. Bot.) 



Spik.ea callosa, introduced from the north of China, by Messrs, 

 Standishand Noble; flowers bright rose, produced in branched cymes; 

 very pretty. 



Plants now in bloom at the Royal Gardens of Kew. 



Georgiana Cervantes. — This new Dahlia is in bloom in the open 

 flower bed. It forms a tree-like branching plant, five feet high, and 

 its branches extend as much across. The blossoms are single, four 

 inches across, of a deep-orange colour. Although the plant has not 



