Stove and Greenhouse Plants and Flowers 159 



the country. It should be sown at once, and in a temperature of GO to 

 75 F., and the young plants will soon appear. The growth is far more 

 rapid if they are grown for some time in a warm structure. Clean, well- 

 furnished plants in 5-in. pots meet with a ready sale at 10s. to 125. per 

 dozen for table decoration and other purposes, while larger ones are used 

 for summer bedding or for furnishing large halls or corridors that are 

 too draughty for more tender plants. A variegated-leaved form of this, 

 known as Doucettii, is very choice. Other green-leaved kinds nearly 

 related to the preceding are Bruanti, congesta, and EcJchautei. 



Coronilla glauca. A pretty leguminous little shrub with blue-green 

 leaves and sweet-scented yellow flowers like a Cytisus. It was much 

 grown at one time for greenhouse decoration, flourishing in loam and 

 peat. Raised from cuttings in a close frame. 



Cotyledon or Eeheveria. For many years C. secunda and its variety 

 glauca have been popular market plants, and are used extensively in con- 

 nection with carpet bedding and for finishing up the edges of raised 

 flower beds. Plants are usually sold in shallow boxes containing one, 

 two, or three dozen, according to the size of the rosettes of fleshy leaves. 

 During the summer months the tubular red and yellow flowers are borne 

 on curved crozier-like stalks. Another useful species is C. metallica, which 

 is a much larger and looser plant with fleshy spoon- shaped leaves of 

 purplish metallic hue. In addition to these, other species used for summer 

 work are agavoides, gibbiflora, ovata, Pachyphyta, bracteosa, pulverulenta, 

 atropurpurea (or sanguinea), farinosa, Peacocki, &c. All these flourish 

 in ordinary good garden soil in the open air from June till September 

 or October, but must be protected in a greenhouse or frame during the 

 winter. They are propagated by inserting the bases of the fleshy leaves 

 and by detaching sprouts or suckers from the base of the main plant in 

 sandy soil. If the tops are cut off and placed on soil they root and 

 sucker freely in many cases, and sprouts spring out all round the decapi- 

 tated stem if kept growing. 



Crinum. A large genus of bulbous plants from tropical and sub- 

 tropical parts of the world, having large strap-like leaves and bell-shaped 

 flowers borne in umbels on top of stout fleshy scapes. The tropical species 

 like stove treatment, but some kinds are almost hardy, such as C. Moorei, 

 C. Powelli, C. Johnstoni and C. longifolium. The trade is small, and is 

 confined to nurserymen. The plants flourish in well-drained loamy soil, 

 and are increased by seeds and offsets. 



Croton (Codiseum). All the garden Crotons are descended from 

 C. variegatum (also called G. pictum), a native of the Molucca Islands, 

 but now more or less naturalized all over the eastern tropics. The original 

 species is an evergreen shrub, having leaves 2 to 10 in. long, varying from 

 oblong to very narrow, often wavy and variegated with green, yellow, red, 

 crimson, &c. Owing to the ease with which the small flowers can be 

 cross-fertilized, numerous garden hybrids have been raised, and constitute 

 a very valuable group of commercial decorative-leaved plants. 



