698 



GREVILLEA 



GRIFFIN IA 



East Australia, rising to 150 feet, of rather rapid growth, 

 and resisting drought to a remarkable degree ; hence one 

 of the most eligible trees even for desert culture, though 

 naturally a sylvan plant. The wood is elastic and dur- 

 able, valued particularly for staves of casks, also for 

 furniture. The richly developed golden yellow trusses 

 of flowers attract honey-sucking birds and bees through 



1008. Grevillea robusta (X %). 



several months of the year. The seeds are copiously 

 produced and germinate readily. Rate of growth in 

 Victoria, 20-30 ft. in 20 years. In Ceylon it attained a 

 stem-circumference of 5 ft. in 8 years." In California 

 and S. Fla. it is a valuable lawn tree. When grown in 

 the open, it will stand some frost. As a glasshouse plant 

 it is grown almost wholly from seeds, and is used in its 

 young state ; as the plant becomes old, it loses its 

 leaves and becomes ragged below. It thrives in the tem- 

 perature suited to geraniums or roses, and it stands 

 much hard usage and neglect. It is popular as a window 

 subject. Best results with Grevillea are usually secured 

 by raising a fresh stock every year, from seed sown late 

 in winter or in spring. The following winter or spring 

 they will be in 4-6-in. pots, and will be in their prime. 

 The young plants need frequent repotting to keep them 

 in good condition. Grevillea robusta has come to be 

 generally known as a florists' plant within the past ten 

 years. Lvs. twice-pinnatifid, the ultimate divisions 

 narrow and pointed and sometimes lobed, pubescent. 

 B.M. 3184. A.G. 14:115. A.F. 4:413.-In the West 

 Indies the plant is much grown, and it is often trimmed 

 to desired shape. In exposed places the foliage be- 

 comes golden in cast. 



There are no other Grevilleas in the Amer. trade, but follow- 

 ing are accessible portraits of other species: Q.acanthifolia, 

 Ctuin. B.M. 2807. G. alpestris, Meissn. (G. alpina, var , 

 Lindl.). B.M. 5007. R.H. 1887:108. R.B. 23:145. G. annulif- 

 era, Muell. B.M. 6687. G. arenaria, R. Br. (G. canescens, 

 R.Br.). B.M. 3185. G. asplenifblia, Knight. BM 7070 RH 

 1882, p. 245 (as G. longifolia). G. Sdnksii, R.Br. B.M. 5870; 

 G.C. III. 16:150. Cdleyi, R.Br. B.M. 3133. G. canescens, 

 R.Br.=G. arenaria. G. ericifdlia, R.Br. B.M. 6361. G. fascic- 

 ulata,R.Br. B.M. 6105. G. Hillidna, Muell. B.M. 7524. G. 

 Hookeridna, Meissn. B.M. 6879. G. intricdta, Meissn B M 

 5919 G. juniperlna, R. Br. (G. sulphurea, Cunn.). G.C. II. 

 26:469. G. linedris, R.Br. B.M. 2661. G. longifolia, R.Br.=G. 

 asplenifolia. G. macrostylis, Muell. B.M. 5915. G. Prelssei, 

 Meissn. B.M. 5837. G.pulchella, Meissn. B.M. 5979. G. puni- 

 cea; R.Br. B.M. 66Q8.G.rosmarinifblia, Cunn. B.M. 5971; 

 G.C. II. 5:529. G. sericea, R.Br. (G. dubia, R.Br.). B.M. 3798. 

 G. sulphurea, Cunn. = G. juniperina. G. Thelemannidna 

 Hueg. R.H. 1882:456. L H B 



GEfiWIA (Nehemiah Grew, of Coventry, 1628-82, 

 author of a work on anatomy of plants). TiliacecB. 

 This includes two little known plants slightly cult, in 

 S. Fla. A genus of about 60 species of trees and shrubs 

 in the warmer parts of the Old World, often having 



stellate pubescence : Ivs. entire or serrate, 3-7-nerved ; 

 fls. yellow or rarely purple, in axillary, few-fld. cymes or 

 terminal panicles ; petals 5, with pits or glands inside 

 at the base ; stamens indefinite : drupe 1-4-stoned. 

 G. Caffra, Meissn., from Natal,. was int. by Reasoner 

 Bros, in 1891. A bushy plant, with pink star-shaped fls. 

 borne during most of the year. G. denticulata, Wall., 

 from India, was never described. Under this name 

 Reasoner cultivates a plant "resembling a mulberry in 

 growth, which bears enormous quantities of acid drupes, 

 about the size of cranberries; used for pickling." 



GKlSYIA (after Sir George Grey, once Governor of 

 Cape Colony). Sapindacece. A monotypic genus, con- 

 taining a small tree from Natal, which bears 

 large pikes of pendulous, 5-petaled, scarlet fls., 

 and is cult, outdoors in S. Calif, and abroad 

 under glass in many botanic gardens. In R.H. 

 1894:252 the plant is shown at its best, with a spike 6 

 in. long and 2-3 in. wide, containing probably over 100 

 fls., each three-fourths of an inch across. In France this 

 tree flowered from the end of autumn throughout the 

 winter. The long-exserted stamens with reddish pur- 

 ple anthers make a striking feature. The structure of 

 the fls. is so peculiar that Harvey referred the genus 

 doubtfully to the saxifrage family. In European green- 

 houses Greyia is a shrub requiring full sunlight, 

 thorough ripening of the wood and a season of rest 

 before flowering. In Natal it flowers in August or Sep- 

 tember, which is early spring there. Europeans recom- 

 mend a sandy loam. Prop, by seeds or by cuttings from 

 half-ripened wood. 



Sutherland!, Hook. & Haw. Small tree, with thick, 

 naked branches : Ivs. clustered at the ends of the 

 branches, 2-3 in. long, orbicular, ovate or oblong, deeply 

 cordate at base, toothed ; petiole 9-12 lines long ; disk 

 cup-shaped, with 10 marginal teeth, each crowned by a 

 peltate gland ; stamens 10 : ovary laterally 5-lobed. 5- 

 celled ; ovules numerous, in 2 series in the inner angle 

 of the cells: fr. capsular, 5-valved : seeds albuminous 

 B.M. 6040. R.H. 1894:252. G.C. II. 19:625. J.H. III. 

 30:101. 



GKIFFfNIA (after William Griffin, who brought these 

 plants from Brazil). AmaryllidacetK. Seven species of 

 Brazilian bulbs, with distinct foliage and fls. about 

 2% in. across, which are more or less tinged with lilac 

 or rose. Like many other genera of the amaryllis 

 family, bulbs of flowering size are too costly for gen- 

 eral use. Lvs. usually petioled, and with a very broad 

 blade : perianth tube none or very short ; the 3 lower 

 segments narrower than the upper : ovary 3-celled : 

 stigma capitate, rarely 3-fld : umbel 6-15-fld. Griffinia is 

 distinguished from many other genera by its 2 ovules, 

 which are basal and collateral. See Baker, Amaryllideae. 



As there seems to be no recorded American experi- 

 ence with these fine bulbs, the following English expe- 

 rience is taken from W. Watson's article in The Garden 

 50, p. 209 : "Griffinias are called stove plants. They do 

 not always thrive under cultivation, but where they do 

 they are strikingly ornamental. Herbert states that in 

 Brazil they are buried 8 inches deep in strong loam, the 

 scape and leaves rising to the height of 2 feet, whereas 

 in our stoves they rot when potted in strong soil. He 

 recommends light peat and sand for them. But they 

 thrive when planted in fibrous loam three parts, leaf- 

 mold one part, and a good sprinkling of silver sand. 

 The bulbs should be partly buried and the pots carefully 

 drained. During winter the plants rest an'd require no 

 water. They should be placed on a dry shelf in a warm 

 or intermediate house and kept there until about March, 

 when growth recommences and the flower-spikes push 

 up. The plants ought to be at their best in May, 

 though they do not appear to flower at any definite time 

 under cultivation. They may be made to flower in win- 

 ter by forcing, but the probable result of this is the 

 sickening of the bulbs. The Ivs. are deciduous, ne^f 

 ones being developed along with the flower-spikes, as in 

 the Hippeastrums. The plants require moderate sup- 

 plies of moisture, both at the root and overhead, and a 

 light position. They do not ripen seeds under cultiva- 

 tion, but may be propagated by means of offsets from 

 the bulbs." 



