J82 



THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



bottom end up, this being the end from 

 which the germs emerge. These seeds 

 are a little peculiar, being closely set 

 in a more or less globular mass that 

 hangs down on a stout stem, while the 

 individual seeds, or rather fruits, are 

 compound, and often contain eight or 

 ten germs, the latter being enclosed in 

 cells of a tough, horny substance within 

 the body of the fruit. Soaking of the 

 seeds is sometimes resorted to prior to 

 planting them, but I have not found any 

 gain in rapidity of germination after 

 soaking seeds of P. utilis for forty- 

 eight hours in tepid water. 



The most useful and most widely 

 known species in cultivation at the 

 present time are doubtless P. Veitchii 

 and P. utilis, the first named being un- 



ceding, and is usually to be had in much 

 greater quantities, owing to the readi 

 ness with which seeds may be obtained 

 and germinated. This species, like P. 

 Veitchii, is native in some of the South 

 Sea islands, notably Madagascar and 

 the island of Borneo, and on the latter 

 island P. utilis is said to reach a height 

 of sixty feet, forming a much branched 

 tree. 



The specific name of this pandanus, 

 utilis, which signifies useful, seems to 

 be especially applicable to the plant in 

 Mauritius, where it is cultivated for its 

 leaves, these being used in weaving the 

 coarse matting from which sugar bags 

 are made. 



As a florist s plant P. utilis is most 

 useful in small sizes, for example in 



Pandanus Candelabrum Var. ( Javanicus Var.) 



questionably among the best variegated 

 plants for decorative purposes, while its 

 endurance as a house plant depends 

 largely on the conditions under which 

 it has been grown, for soft and sappy 

 specimens have an unfortunate habit of 

 rotting off at times. 



P. Veitchii has been in cultivation for 

 the past thirty years, and has proved 

 itself one of the most satisfactory in 

 troductions among foliage plants of the 

 famous London firm whose name it bears. 



The second species in importance in 

 the trade is P. utilis, a species that has 

 been in cultivation longer than the pre- 



pots of 4-inch to 8-inch sizes, there being 

 but a limited demand for plants larger 

 than these. 



This species is a rapid grower, and 

 requires generous treatment in regard to 

 soil and watering, and gives but little 

 trouble in its management, unless it may 

 be in those cases where an outbreak of 

 spot is developed. The latter trouble 

 is caused by the burrowing of a minute 

 insect in the tissues of the leaf, and its 

 progress seems to be favored by over- 

 watering. If plants become badly af 

 fected with this disease it is most profit 

 able to throw them away at once, as 



they are likely to be permanently dis 

 figured by it, but light attacks may be 

 satisfactorily treated by keeping the 

 plants somewhat drier and dosing them 

 with sulphur. 



P. candelabrum variegatum, perhaps 

 more readily recognized under the name 

 of P. Javanicus var., is another hand- 

 some variegated form, and a more recent 

 introduction than P. Veitchii, having 

 been introduced from Java in 1875. 

 Our illustration indicates the very grace 

 ful habit of this plant, the leaves of 

 which are narrow and pendulous, and 

 grow to a length of three to six feet, 

 the white variegation being very clear 

 and sharply defined on the dark green 

 ground color. Unfortunately this plant 

 is very thoroughly armed, the leaves be 

 ing edged with sharp spines, while the 

 midrib possesses another line of spines 

 which are turned the reverse way to 

 those on the edges, thus making it al 

 most impossible to handle the plant 

 without getting caught. 



P. candelabrum var. forms side 

 growths freely even in a young state, 

 and cuttings made from these growths 

 root readily, but owing to its abundance 

 of spines it has never become a very 

 popular plant in the trade. 



P. graminifolius is one of the small 

 growing kinds that have been found 

 useful to a limited extent in the trade, 

 being at its best in a 4-inch or 5-inch 

 pot, and only reaching a height of two 

 to three feet when fully developed. This 

 species is of tufted habit, being much 

 branched, and having dark green leaves 

 about half an inch wide, not so stiff as 

 those of most of the species of pan 

 danus, and armed with short whitish 

 spines. 



P. graminifolius is readily increased 

 by means of cuttings, and in small 

 plants may be considered among avail 

 able stock for the centers of fern pans. 

 The illustration has been prepared from 

 a good photograph of this plant, aoid 

 gives an excellent idea of its general 

 character. 



P. heterocarpus, also known as P. 

 ornatus, is one of the handsomest of 

 the green-leaved pandanuses, being a 

 strong growing species with broad, dark 

 green foliage, edged with whitish spines. 

 The underside of the leaves of this 

 species is lighter in color and slightly 

 glaucous, a well grown plant forming a 

 noble specimen. 



P. heterocarpus is rather susceptible 

 to overwatering during the winter, and in 

 that case may develop spot, but with 

 a little caution in that particular there 

 is no special difficulty in its culture. I 

 have never seen this species produce 

 suckers, and it seems probable that the 

 only means of increase is from seeds. 

 P. heterocarpus is a native of the Philip 

 pine islands, from whence it was intro 

 duced about 1866. 



P. reflexus is another notably hand 

 some species, and though one of the old 

 est in cultivation is by no means com 

 mon. This species produces very long 

 and pendulous leaves, in a large speci 

 men often growing five to six feet in 

 length, dark green and shining and pro 

 fusely armed with strong spines, those 



