1610 



HOUSE PLANTS 



HOUSTONIA 



The night temperature need never exceed 50 F., and 

 a drop of 5 or even 10 is not likely to do any harm. 

 Precautions must be taken to exclude frost; the blinds 

 must be shut and the curtains pulled down on cold 

 nights. A layer of newspapers between the plants and 

 the windows is a protection in extremely bad weather, 

 or a large kerosene lamp can be allowed to burn all 

 night near the plants. 



A list of suitable foliage plants for the house: Ficus 

 elaslica, the rubber plant; F. religiosa (peepul tree) 

 and most of the other strong-growing evergreen species. 

 Livistona sinensis, Corypha australis, Chamserops 

 Fortunei and Rhapis japonica, all good fan-palms (the 

 first is the best); Phoenix reclinata, P. rupicola and P. 

 canariensis are the best date-palms. Seaforthia elegans, 

 Howea Belmoreana, Kentia Forsteriana, Areca Baueri, 

 A. rubra and Cocos Weddeliana are all good palms, but 

 require more care and heat than "the fan- and date- 

 palms. Cycas revoluta (sago-palm), Curculigo recur- 

 vata, Aspidistra lurida, Pandanus utilis (screw pine), P. 

 Veitchii, Phormium tenax (New Zealand flax), Cyperus 

 alternifolius, Papyrus antiquorum, Cordyline, Dracaena, 

 Agave americana (century plant), Pittosporum, Gre- 

 villea robusta, English ivy, wandering jew and some 

 species of cactus all do well in ordinary rooms. Daphne 

 odora, laurestinus, Olea fragrans and orange trees are 

 both flowering and foliage plants, but require a cooler 

 room than any of the preceding varieties. 



Good flowering plants are Azalea indica and Camellia 

 japonica, both of which should be kept in a cool room 

 when not in bloom. Calla and begonia both do well. 

 Chrysanthemums, cinerarias, gloxinias, gladioli, cycla- 

 mens, Chinese and English primroses, freesia, oxalis, 



fuchsia, mahernia, euphorbia, heliotrope, pelargonium 

 and lily-of-the-valley can be brought into the rooms 

 when in flower, and last a reasonable time in good 

 condition. Hyacinths, tulips, narcissi and crocus, if 

 potted in October, kept covered up out-of-doors until 

 cold weather, stored in a cool cellar until the middle 

 of January and then brought into warm rooms, will 

 give flowers : a succession can be maintained by bring- 

 ing them into warmth at intervals. (See Bulb.) 



The following varieties of hyacinths and tulips are 

 particularly recommended for growing in living- 

 rooms under ordinary circumstances: 



Hyacinths. The single sorts are much better than 

 the double and more easily handled. Single reds and 

 pinks: Gen. Pelissier, Gigantea, King of the Belgians, 

 La Victoire, Norma. Single white: La Grandesse, 

 L'Innocence, Madame Van der Hoop, Mr. Plimsoll. 

 Single blue: Czar Peter, Enchantress, Grand Lilas, 

 King of the Blues, Lord Derby, Queen of the Blues. 

 Double red: Grootvorst, Lord Wellington, Noble 

 par Merite. Double white: Isabella, La Grandesse. 

 Double blue: Bloksberg, Garrick, Van Speyk. Double 

 yellow: Goethe. 



Tulips, early single. Albion (White Hawk), white. 

 Belle Alliance (Waterloo), red. Couleur Cardinal, 

 bronze-red. Cramoisi Brillant, bright scarlet. Gold- 

 finch, yellow. Keizerkroon, red and yellow. La Reine, 

 white turning pink. Mon Tresor, yellow. Pottebakker, 

 scarlet. Primrose Queen, sulfur-yellow. Prince of 

 Austria, orange-red. Proserpine, carmine. Rose Grisde 

 Lin, pink. Rose Luisante, deep pink. Thomas Moore, 

 orange. Vermilion Brilliant, scarlet. Yellow Prince, 



yellow. 



1919. An attractive corner of 

 pandanus, begonia, and wan- 

 dering jew. 



Tulips, double. Couronne d'Or, yellow 

 flushed red. Imperator rubrorum, red. Murillo, 

 best light pink. Salvator Rosa, deep pink. 

 Tournesol, yellow. 



All the Due Van Thol tulips are excellent for 

 early forcing, particularly the scarlet. The Dar- 

 win tulips are now sometimes forced, but they 

 are not suitable for growing in houses. The 

 Parrot Cottage tulips and the like are not grown 

 in this way. 



Roman hyacinths are easily forced and with 

 the Paper White narcissus can be flowered 

 between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Narcis- 

 sus Campernelle var. rugulosus, the Chinese 

 sacred narcissus, the double Roman, and most 

 varieties of Polyanthus narcissus flower earlier 

 than the other sorts. pj. M. WATSON. 



HOUSTONIA (Dr. Wm. Houston, who col- 

 lected in the West Indies and Mexico, died 1733 

 in Jamaica). Rubiacese. About twenty-five 

 North American small herbs or rarely sub- 

 shrubs, with pretty white, blue or purple flow- 

 ers, some of the species cultivated in wild gar- 

 dens and rockeries. 



Plants usually tufted or growing in colonies: 

 Ivs. small, opposite, on the slender sts: parts 

 of the fls. in 4's, the corolla gamopetalous and 

 funnelform or salverform; stamens and styles 

 polymorphous; stigmas 2: caps, opening near 

 the top, partly superior. The species are na- 

 tive on the Atlantic side of the continent and in 

 Mex. Some of the small herbaceous species are 

 sometimes transferred to cult, grounds, although 

 the kinds are little known as horticultural sub- 

 jects. A moist, partly shaded place is to be 

 recommended for most houstonias, because 

 their flowering season is thereby prolonged and 

 the plants retain their foliage much longer than 

 in a drier and sunny position. Collected plants 

 are not difficult to establish. Prop, by divi- 

 sion. The following perennial species have been 

 offered by American dealers: 



