CULTURK OF THE GLOXINIA. 35 



ago our best greenhouses conid only boast of a few kinds, kinds now sel- 

 dom seen. The original species were few, and though highly valued for 

 years after their introduction are now almost unknown. G. maculata, G. 

 speciosa, and G. caulescens are the kinds -from which have sprung the 

 present numerous and beautiful hybrids, G. speciosa being the parent of 

 most of them. A light blue species, named hirsutus, is sometimes met 

 with in rare collections. It is the smallest and neatest of the genus, but of 

 less viij-oroiis growth and seldom ripening seeds it has met with little favor 

 in general collections. But it has beauties peculiarly its own. The leaves 

 are smaller, more rounded, and covered with line silvery hairs ; the flowers 

 very much resembling the Streptocarpus Rexii. Many efforts have been 

 made to obtain a cross between it and the varieties of speciosa, but always, 

 it is believed, without success. 



Gloxinias are now, for convenience' sake, divided into two classes ; the 

 old fashioned drooping-flowered Digitalis-like kinds, and the erect varieties, 

 with campanulate flowers, reminding one of the old Canterbury bells. 

 G. Fifyana, the first of this novel class, producing constantly erect flowers, 

 was a sport from the drooping varieties ; being much and deservedly ad- 

 mired and extensively cultivated, it soon produced seedlings of superior 

 brilliancy, which, although not much known in this country, will, it is 

 hoped, through an increasing taste for new and beautiful flowers, be soon 

 as plentiful here as they are at present in European gardens. 



Tlie Horticultural Society, through its prizes offered for collections and 

 for seedlings of superior merit, may do much in increasing their cultivation 

 and popularity — a result very much to be desired— the best kinds requiring 

 no more care nor attention than the poorest varieties, Some very striking 

 kinds are peculiarly fickle and chameleon-like in their habits. of blooming, 

 changing from striped to self-colored flowers, and from drooping to erect, 

 or boih, on the same plant, G, Teichlerii, a well-known striped variety,, 

 sent out a few years ago, gave great dissatisfaction for a season. Instead; 

 of being red and blue it came mostly red, not one purchaser in ten getting 

 a striped flower the first season. They naturally considered they had nol 

 obtained the desired variety. Some tossed it to the rubbish heap, in disgast 

 at what they called the tricks of the trade. Others, with a little more pa- 

 tience, and a better knowledge of the habits of (he plant, kept it for another 

 year's trial, and were amply rewarded for their previous disappointment, 

 the flowers mostly showing the desired stripe. And so with Annulata 

 euperba, a new and very striking variety, producing several kinds of flow- 

 ers at the same time, erect, half-erect, and drooping ; the erect flowers be- 

 ing deeply marked all round the tube or throat with deep bluish purple, 

 the diooping kinds having a blotch only on the lower side of the throat 

 This inconstancy in the flowering habits of a few of them is by no means, 

 mentioned as anything desirable, or improvement on those of steadier habr 

 its, but merely to show how much it is their nature to sport, and the effects 

 of crossing and recrossing with kindred varieties. In raising new varieties. 

 of any kind of flowers our enthusiasm generally weakens our judgment; we 

 are too apt to see points of excellence where nobody else can perceive 



