46 MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



large fungus flower stalk, 3 or 4 ft. long, terminated by a vast spadix of male, 

 female, and hermaphrodite white fl xs, &c. &c. There is a description of a 

 plant which flowered near Exeter in 1829 in the Gardener's Magazine, Vol. 

 vi., p. 429, and again Vol. vii., p. 676, both by Mr. H. Dalgeish. I possess 

 Musa coccinca, and have given two or three plants to others: these are very 

 easily raised, but rarely flower; in fact 1 have been unable to find a flowering 

 plant in any collection near ray residence. Hence I cannot describe the bo- 

 tanical characters from my own observation; but I believe that as the Po- 

 lygamous character may not extend throughout the species, modem botanists 

 have brought the genus into the class Hexandria, availing themselves of the 

 former classic character to mark specific distinctions. Musa, in the natural 

 system, is the type of M usacere, an order of the second class, Monocotyledones, 

 or Eudogeme ; its congeners are Uranea, Strelitzia, and Plelicouia, plants of 

 great beauty, natives of the tropics, and in their habits related not distantly 

 to Cannete. 



The Author of the "Domestic Gardener's Manual." 



On Musa. — In answer to Voltaire respecting the genus Musa, he will 

 find Musacere the 213d order, in the Introduction to the Natural System of 

 Botany, by J. Lindley, Esq. The examples of the order are Musa, Heli- 

 conia, Strelitzia, and Urania. And in Horlus \Toburnensis, by James 

 Forbes, (than whose work I know of none more valuable,) he will find 

 Musa under class six, order one, Hexandria Mouogyuia. In Matte's Gar- 

 dener's Dictionary he will find them Polygamia Manwcia. If this answer is 

 of any use to Voltaire it is much at his service. 



Ensham, Oxfordshire, Eliza and Elizabeth. 



REMARKS. 



On Escallonia rubra, &c. — I have had two plants of this new and beau- 

 tiful flowering shrub, planted in a border with a south aspect, for two years, 

 I find it grows very rapidly in a loamy soil, having a portion of peat mixed 

 with it. They have made shoots this summer near three feet long, and are 

 also good bushes. Both the plants began to bloom in June, and have con- 

 tinued up to the date of this communication, (Nov. 28th.) The flowers have 

 been produced in profusion; and the form of them, as well as colour resem- 

 bling a Fuchsia, renders the plant very showy. The plant ought to be 

 grown in every shrubbery — being hardy, growing freely, and blooming abun- 

 dantly. These circumstances, induce me to send you these observations for 

 bringing the plant into notice through the medium of the Floricnllural 

 Cabinet. The plants may be obtained at the low charge of Is. to Is. 6J. 

 each, at most of the Nursery Establishments. I have purchased two other 

 kinds the last spring, viz. E. alba, white-flowered, and E. montevidensis, a 

 flesh-coloured flower; both appear to grow as freely as the rubra; but being 

 very small plants when I received them, they have only had about half-a- 

 dozen flowers upon each. Both kinds merit a situation equal with the 

 rubra, and wherever grown will not fail to please. I have procured several 

 other new kinds of shrubs, which have bloomed with me this year, and I will 

 send you some remarks upon them, as meriting a place in e'verv collection 

 of shrubs. j. James, 



Chelsea, Nov. 28th, 1834. 



On Moss. — In another publication, I have seen Moss recommended for 

 drainage to plants in pots, instead of potsherds. I have tried the plan for two 

 years, and find it to answer extremely well, the moss allowing superabundant 

 water to drain away freely; and at the same time, as the moss decays it 

 affords nourishment to the roots of the plants. Any kind of moss answers 

 the purpose. Thomas Blake. 



On Troi-uolum fentapii vllum — Observing in the Transactions of the 

 Einnean Society, recently published, that the very handsome plant, 'I'm pie. ium 

 pentaphyllum, which was figured in the April number of the Cabinet, has been 

 made a distinct genus from Tropceolum, I herewith send you the reasons 

 assigned for doing so, as stated by the Librarian, Mr. DONN»in the commu- 



