3190 



SONERILA 



grow these plants in tropical or even temperate green- 

 houses. For potting material they use a compost of 

 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. 



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 to 80. Care must be taken every 

 morning 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 

 intermixed and a little finely chopped fresh sphagnum 

 on the top of the pots or pans. These plants have shal- 

 low roots, and require plenty of drainage, consisting of 

 fine broken potsherds mixed with either charcoal or 

 finely ground 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 

 withholding 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 decora- 

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

 used for choice table or mantel decorations. (H. 

 A. Siebrecht.) 



argentea, 8. 

 guttulata, 5. 

 Hendersonii, 7, 8. 

 Iffita, 3. 



maculata, 2. 

 Mamei, 7. 

 margaritacea, 6, 7. 

 orientalis, 5. 



picta, 4, 5. 

 punctata, 5. 

 speciosa, 1. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



A. Foliage not variegated 1. 



AA. Foliage variegated. 



B. Calyx with rather long and sparse 

 glandular hairs. 



c. Margins of Ivs. ciliate 2. 



cc. Margins of Ivs. not ciliate 3. 



BB. Calyx glabrous or rarely dotted- 



scurfy. 

 c. Number of nerves 7: margin of Ivs. 



minutely serrate 4. 



CC. Number of nerves 9 or 7: margin of 

 Ivs. sharply and prominently ser- 

 rate. 



D. Color of nerves dark purple: 

 Ivs. covered with short, dark 



purple hairs 5. 



DD. Color of nerves green: Ivs. 

 glandular-p ubescent, the 

 pubescence not purplish. 

 E. Lvs. with a dark green ground, 

 and pearl-like spots of regu- 

 lar size and arrangement . . . 

 EE. Lvs. with a dark green 

 ground, and irregular light- 

 colored blotches between the 



veins 7. 



EEE. Lvs. silvery, only the nerves 



dark green 8. 



speciosa 



maculata 

 laeta 



picta 



orientalis 



6. margaritacea 



Hendersonii 

 argentea 



1. speciosa, Zenker. This is practically the only 

 species cult, for its fls. : height 1 ft. : Ivs. opposite, cor- 

 date-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. 4978 (as S. elegans): 5026. 

 F.S. 23:2442. 



2. maculata, Roxbg. This differs from the other spe- 

 cies here described in having Ivs. of unequal sizes. The 

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

 a half or third as long: Ivs. ovate or oblong, unequal at 

 the base, minutely denticulate, 9-11-nerved: fls. violet. 



India. R.H. 1865, p. 91, is too poor to determine. 

 Probably not in cult. 



3. laeta, Stapf. Erect herb, 6 in. high: st. terete, 

 glandular-puberulent : Ivs. petioled, ovate or elliptic- 

 ovate, symmetrical or a little asymmetrical, not ciliate- 

 margined, the larger Ivs. up to 4 x 2 in., green but white- 

 spotted above, purple and green-spotted beneath: 

 cyme terminal, contracted, 7-fld.; calyx oblong-cylin- 

 drical, purple; petals oblong, subacuminate. China. 

 Closely related to S. macidata. 



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

 puberulous branches: Ivs; 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. 



5. orientalis, Lind. 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 remarkable 

 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. G.W. 6, p. 327. In I.H. 

 37: 113 the Ivs. are shown as ovate, acuminate, more or 

 less cordate and unequal at the base, with 9 or 10 

 nerves, entire: color of fls. not recorded. Habitat not 

 stated. The typical form is said to have bronzy Ivs. 

 with an amaranth reverse. Var. guttulata, Hort., has 

 green Ivs. peppered with small white dots and is pale 

 green below. Var. punctata, Hort., is much like the 

 preceding variety but has paler Ivs. Var. picta, Hort., 

 has purplish Ivs. of the type, with an irregular lanceo- 

 late strip of silvery gray down the middle. Var. 

 Robert Sallier, R.B. 20:61, has dark green Ivs. pep- 

 pered white and with a lanceolate figure of silver down 

 the middle. Said to be a hybrid of vars. picta and 

 punctata. It has the stripe of one and the dots of the 

 other. 



6. margaritacea, Lindl. This is the most important 

 species. The name "margaritacea" means "pearly," 

 referring to the regular rows of pearly spots between the 

 nerves and parallel with them, which are characteristic 

 of the typical form. Lvs. ovate-lanceolate, acutely ser- 

 rate, 7-9-nerved, glabrous, purplish below, acute at the 

 base: fls. rosy. B.M. 5104. F.S. 11:1126 (nerves too 

 parallel). I.H. 2:40. G.W. 6, p. 326. H.F. II. 4:72. 

 Lowe 16. Supposed to be native of Java. In Vol. II, 

 edition 1, page 684, Gravesia giUtata var. margaritacea 

 is erroneously referred to Sonerila instead of Salpinga. 

 Salpinga margaritacea is readily told from Sonerila mar- 

 garitacea by its 5-nerved Ivs. and floral parts in 5's. 



7. Hendersonii, Hort. (S. margaritacea var. Hender- 

 sonii, Hort.). This is referred by Cogniaux to S. mar- 

 garitacea, of which it is perhaps merely a horticultural 

 variety. For trade purposes it is convenient to treat it 

 like a distinct species. It seems to be the chief parent 

 in the development of the numerous hybrids with 

 blotched foliage. It differs from the type in having a 

 broader If. with a shorter acumen and rounded base, 

 and especially in being covered with irregular blotches, 

 which, however, do not cross the nerves. F.M. 1875: 

 159. I.H. 23:230. G.W. 2, p. 285. G.Z. 19:161. The 

 blotches are all about the same size. S. Mamei, Lind., 

 has more regular and roundish blotches, which are 

 nearer white and on a darker ground, the under side 

 netted with rosy purple. I.H. 23:254. 



8. argentea, Hort. (S. Hendersonii var. argentea, 

 Fournier). For horticultural purposes this may be 

 treated as a distinct species, characterized by its silvery 

 foliage, resembling that of certain begonias, with no 

 dark green except on the nerves. This is the parent of 

 most of the forms that have a silvery cast of foliage, 

 just as S. Hendersonii is responsible for the irregular 

 blotches. G.W. 6, p. 325. 



