SONERILA 



SONERILA 



1683 



fibrous peat and chopped sphagnum, sprinkled with 

 sand and interspersed with bits of charcoal. The plants 

 should have a partially shaded position, and should 

 never be syringed. Never allow water to remain on the 

 leaves. The species seed freely. The varieties are 

 propagated by division. y^ ]yj 



Sonerilas thrive best in a close and moisture-laden 

 atmosphere with just enough ventilation to keep them 

 from melting or decaying. A temperature of not less 

 than 75° suits them best. Cuttings of well-ripened 

 growth are placed under a glass case or bell-glass in a 

 bottom heat of 70-80°. Care must be taken every morn- 

 ing to allow the drops of condensation which gather on 

 the glass to dissipate. For potting material use fine- 

 screened leaf -mold, with plenty of silver sand inter- 

 mixed and a little finely chopped fresh sphagnum 

 on the top of the pots or pans. These plants 

 have shallow roots, and require plenty of 

 drainage, consisting of fine broken potsherds 

 mixed with either charcoal or finely ground 



D. Color of nerves darkpurple: 

 Ivs. covered with short, 



dark purple hairs 4. orientalis 



DD. Color of nerves green: Ivs. 



glandular-pubescent, the 



pubescence not purplish. 



E. I/vs. with a dark green 



ground, and pearl-like 



spots of regular size 



and arrangement 5. margaritacea 



EE. Lvs. with a dark green 

 ground, and irregular 

 light - colored blotches 



between the veins (!. Henderson! 



EEE. Lvs. silvery, only the 



nerves dark green .... 7. argentea 



1. specidsa, Zenker. This is practically the 

 only species cult, for its flowers : height 1 ft. : 



2345. Sulidago Canadensis. 



2346. Solidago nemoralis. 



2347. Solidago rugosa. 



soft-coal clinkers. When the plants have made their 

 full growth (which they do if started at the proper time 

 in early spring) they start into flower. At this time 

 the plants should be hardened off by gradually with- 

 holding water, and they should also be kept a little 

 cooler. When fully ripened they may be cut back in 

 order to furnish material for cuttings. Keep the old 

 stools a little warmer and they will gradually start into 

 new growth again. These plants make choice decorative 

 plants in pans or even in wire baskets and can be used 

 for choice table or mantel decorations. 



H. A. SlEBRECHT. 

 INDEX. 



argentea, 7. Mamei, 6. picta, 3, 4. 



K'lttulata, 4. margaritacea, 5. punctata, 4. 



Hendersoni, 6. orientalis, 4. speciosa, 1. 

 maculata, 2. 



A. Foliage not variegated 1. speciosa 



AA. Foliage variegated. 



B. Calyx has rather long and sparse 



glandular hairs 2. maculata 



BB. Calyx glabrous or rarely dotted- 

 scurfy. 

 c. No. of nerves 7: margin of lvs. 



minutely serrate 3. picta 



CC. No. of nerves 9 or 7: margin of 

 lvs. sharply and prominently 

 serrate. 



lvs. opposite, cordate-ovate, green above, sometimes 

 crimson beneath, mostly 7-9-nerved: fls. purple or rose, 

 4-14 in a cluster, 1 in. across. India. B.M. 5026; 4978 

 (S.elegans). F.S. 23:2442. 



2. maculd.ta, Roxb. This differs from the other spe- 

 cies here described in having lvs. of unequal sizes. 

 The larger one of each pair may be 3-5 in. long; the 

 smaller a half or third as long: lvs. ovate or oblong, 

 unequal at the base, minutely denticulate, 9-11-nerved: 

 fls. violet. India. R.H. 1865, p. 91, is too poor to deter- 

 mine.— Probably not in cult. 



3. picta, Korth. Erect or ascending, with scurfy or 

 puberulous branches: lvs. short-petioled, broadly lan- 

 ceolate, wedge-shaped at the base, minutely serrate, 7- 

 nerved, lined with white along the primary nerves : fls. 

 rosy. Sumatra. — /S. picta of the trade is probably S. 

 orientalis, var. picta. 



4. orientalis, Linden. The botanical status of this 

 name is doubtful. In horticulture it applies to a group 

 of varieties sent out by Wm. Bull in 1891, and remark- 

 able for two novel features : some of the varieties have 

 dark purple or bronzy colors ; others are peppered all 

 over with an infinite number of small, light-colored 

 dots. All have dark purple nerves. In I.H. 37:113 the 

 lvs. are shown as ovate, acuminate, more or less cor- 

 date and unequal at the base, with 9 or 10 nerves, en- 

 tire: color of fls. not recorded. Habitat not stated. The 

 typical form is said to have bronzy lvs. with an ama- 

 ranth reverse. Var. guttul&ta has green lvs. peppered 



