AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



13 



Acliimenes continued. 



the temperature will not fall below SOdeg., keeping the 

 plants quite dry until the time of starting again. Achimenes 

 are liable to attacks of thrips, red-spider, and green-fly, 

 especially if the atmosphere is kept dry ; these are easily 

 destroyed by fumigation with tobacco. This must only be 

 done when the foliage is quite dry, otherwise the plants will 

 suffer. Achimenes are especially beautiful when well 

 arranged, especially if two or three varieties are mixed 

 together, as white, red, and purple (Fig. 15). There are 

 several methods of increasing these : (1) By cuttings ; 

 these need not be cut off at a joint, as they will root from 

 any portion of the stem. Insert them thickly in well- 

 drained pots of sandy soil say a mixture of equal parts of 

 peat and sand and place in bottom heat. (2) By leaves, 

 which should be severed from the stems, and pricked in 

 pots of similar soil to the cuttings, placing all the petiole 

 below the surface ; stand the pots in bottom heat. (3) By 

 scales from the conns, which should be carefully rubbed off 

 and sown, like seeds, in pots or pans of the same compost, 

 barely covered with sand, and placed in bottom heat. 

 (4) By seeds, which are very small, and, consequently, 



FIG. 16. FLOWER OF ACHIMENES LONGIFLORA. 



require to be carefully sown. The pans must be thoroughly 

 drained and filled nearly to the rim, levelled, and well 

 watered with a fine rose, after which the seed should be 

 thinly scattered, covered very lightly with sand, and placed 

 in a shady position. Keep nicely moist, and apply water 

 very lightly, or the tiny germs will be disturbed. Place a 

 sheet of glass over the seed-pans. When the seedlings are 

 large enough to handle, they may be pricked off and after- 

 wards treated like rooted cuttings. t The best time for all 

 modes of propagating is early spring'. 

 A. atrosanguinea (dark-crimson).* fl. crimson ; tube of corolla 



l^in. long, cylindrical, saccate at base, pilose ; limb small, spread- 

 g ; peduncle one-flowered. July, August, i!. pilose, o 

 ub-cordate, serrated, unequal, h. lift. Guatemala, 1848. 



A. Candida (white).* /. white ; tube of corolla gibbous at basa ; 



limb oblique, the front segment largest ; peduncles axillary, 



pilose, three-flowered. June. I. unequal, oblique at base, 



serrated, pilose, h. lift. Guatemala, 1848. 

 A. coccinea (scarlet).* fl. scarlet ; peduncles solitary, axillary. 



August. I. three in a whorl, ovate, acuminated, serrated, with 



minute leaves in the axils, h. 1-Jft. Jamaica, 1778. 

 A. cupreata (coppery), fl. scarlet ; calyx spotted inside, with a 



fringed mouth ; petals ciliately toothed ; peduncles one-flowered. 



April. I. elliptic, serrated, wrinkled, coloured, h. 6in. Mexico, 



1845. Plant creeping, downy. 

 A. gloxiniseflora (Gloxinia-flowered).*/. whitish, large, axillary; 



tube of corolla 2in. long; limb broad, spreading; Iqbes finely serrated, 



dotted with purple inside. June. I. serrated from middle to top. 



Stem slender, flexuous. h. 1ft. Mexico, 1845. 



Achimenes continued. 



A. grandlflora Garge-flowered).* fl. violet purple, very large, 

 solitary, axillary ; limbs of corolla spreading. June. I. equal, 

 ovate, oblique at base, sparingly serrated, h. lift. Mexico, 

 1842. . 



A. heterophylla (various-leaved), fl. solitary or twin ; corolla 

 scarlet ; lobes ciliated. July. I. opposite, one smaller than the 

 other, cordate ovate, acuminated, coarsely serrated, h. 1ft. 

 Mexico. Plant rather hairy. 



A. hirsnta (hairy), fl. reddish, with yellow eye ; limb of corolla 

 flat, with rounded serrulate segments ; peduncles one-flowered. 

 July. I. cordate, serrated, h. 2ift Stem bulbiferous. Guatemala, 

 1842. Plant hairy. 



A. Kleei (Klee's).* fl. lilac ; corolla dark near the mouth, with a 

 dash of yellow in the throat ; calyx downy ; peduncles one- 

 flowered. August. I. ovate, acuminate, serrated, h. 6m. Guate- 

 mala, 1848. Plant hairy. 



A. louglflora (long-flowered).* fl. violet ; segments of calyx lan- 

 ceolate, erect ; corolla with a long tube, and an ample spreading 

 limb ; pedicels one-flowered. July and August. I. three to four 

 in a wnorl, ovate or oblong, coarsely serrated, h. 1ft. Guate- 

 mala, 1841. Plant hairy. See Fig. 16. 



A. mnltiflora (many-flowered).* fl. pale lilac ; sepals linear ; 

 corolla funnel-shape ; tube curved ; lobes roundish, lower one 

 fringed ; peduncles axillary, three to five-flowered. August, i. 

 opposite, or three in a whorl, ovate, deeply and doubly serrated. 

 h. 1ft. Brazil, 1843. Plant hairy. 



A. ocellata (eye-spotted).* fl. reddish yellow, with dark spots, 

 solitary, drooping ; petals nearly equally spotted. Autumn. I. on 

 longish petioles, ovate, acuminate, serrated, wrinkled, coloured 

 beneath, h. lft. 1845. Plant hairy. 



A. patens (spreading). A. violet, blue ; calyx downy ; tube of 

 corolla shorter than limb, which is spreading. June. I. ovate, 

 acuminate, hispid above, serrate, h. 1ft. Mexico, 1845. 



A. pedunculate (long-stalked).* fl. scarlet, with yellow eye; 

 corolla drooping, gibbous at base ; peduncles in the axils of the 

 upper leaves. July. I. rather unequal, obliquely cordate, ovate, 

 serrated, h. 2ft. Stem simple, downy. Guatemala, 1840. 



A. picta (painted).* fl. scarlet, with yellow eye ; tube of calyx 

 turbinate ; lobes of corolla roundish, three lower ones smallest ; 

 peduncles solitary or two-flowered, axillary one-flowered July. I. 

 opposite^ or three in a whorl, cordate-ovate, coarsely serrated, 

 velvety, and elegantly painted. h. l|ft. Mexico, 1843. 



A. rosea (rosy), fl. rose, pilose ; limb of corolla equal to tube ; 

 peduncles filiform, many-flowered, June. I. sometimes three 

 in a whorl, pilose, h. lift. Guatemala, 1848. 



The foregoing are the most important species known. 



Hybrid varieties are innumerable, and even surpass the 



species in beauty, the best of which are enumerated below 



in their respective colours. 



Blue and Purple Flowered. ADVANCE,* flowers reddish- 

 purple, lighter at the eye, dwarf, and free habit ; ARGUS,* rich 

 plum, with deep orange eye, large and free ; DR. BUENZOD,* 

 flowers rich crimson purple, spotted with orange in the centre, 

 very free ; EXCELSIOR, rich violet-purple, very large and free, 

 with compact habit; GEM,* flowers small, of good form, rich 

 carmine-purple ; GIBSONI,* flowers very large, clear mauve, with 

 the tube white outside ; GRANDIS, rich violet purple, with large 

 orange eye, carmine shaded, a charming variety ; LADY SCARS- 

 DALE,* flowers of fair size, very free, rich plum purple, shaded 

 carmine ; LONGIFLORA MAJOR,* a stronger grower than the type, 

 freely producing large rich blue flowers, one of the finest varieties 

 grown ; MADAME GEORGE, deep purple shaded crimson ; MAUVE 

 QUEEN,* flowers very large, of a distinct mauve, with a brownish 

 eye-shade, very profuse, with a grand habit, one of the best; 

 PURPUREA ELEGANS,* deep'claret purple, orange throat with dark 

 spots, a very attractive variety ; ROLLISONII,* flowers large, deep 

 lavender-blue, yellow throat, spotted with deep crimson, very 

 effective ; VIVICANS,* dark carmine-purple, with crimson eye, 

 a few blue rays streaking from the eye, habit good, and very 

 free. 



Crimson and Scarlet Flowered. AURORA,* rich rosy-scarlet, 

 with yellow throat, very large, fully 2in. across ; CARL WOOL- 

 FORTH,* deep crimson, shaded lighter at the eye, very free ; 

 DAZZLE, flowers small, brilliant scarlet, pale yellow eye, very 

 pretty and free ; DIADEM*, crimson lake, shaded carmine, with 

 deep yellow eye; ECLIPSE,* rich orange-scarlet, spotted with 

 carmine, extiemely floriferous, with a good habit; FIREFLY,* deep 

 carmine red, golden eye, spotted with crimson, one of the best ; 

 HARRY WILLIAMS*, bright cerise red, yellow, maroon spotted, the 

 edge prettily fringed, a very charming variety ; LOVELINESS, rich 

 magenta crimson, golden eye, spotted with maroon ; METEOR, 

 flowers rather large, bright crimson-scarlet, yellow eye, spotted 

 carmine, very dwarf and free ; SCARLET PERFECTION,* rich car- 

 mine-scarlet, deep orange eye, very beautiful ; SIR TREHERN 

 THOMAS,* deep crimson-lake, very profuse, with a good habit ; 

 STELLA, deep magenta, with orange eye, the margins fringed, very 

 large and free, 2in. or more across ; WILLIAMSII,* flowers large, 

 stout, brilliant scarlet, orange throat, habit dwarf and free- 

 branching, one of the finest varieties grown. 



Orange-Flowered. GEORGIANA DISCOLOR, flowers large, bright 

 orange, with a distinct yellow centre; HF.NDERSONI,* rich orange- 



