THE ACANTHUS FAMILY. 169 



idea of decorating the capitals of pillars with carved stone 

 ornaments representing its foliage hence its use in Corinthian 

 architecture. Most of the species are propagated by seeds, or 

 by dividing strong established clumps. Sow the seeds in a 

 pan of moist earth and place them in a cool pit or frame to 

 germinate. Root-cuttings succeed tolerably well in heat. 



Among herbaceous and border plants worth growing for the 

 indoor decoration of apartments we may direct attention to 

 the hybrid forms of Acanthus, such as A. candelabrum, A. 

 hybridus, and A. longifolius. These have elegantly-cut foliage of 

 a fresh green colour, and form excellent substitutes for the more 

 tender Ferns and Palms. 



These and several other hybrids have been raised in French 

 gardens, and retain their foliage much later than A. mollis and 

 A. spinosns, from which they have in part been raised. A. 

 latifolius is one of the freshest and most stately of these 

 varieties, and is a seedling from A. mollis. 



Libonia. A small genus of Brazilian stove or warm green- 

 house shrubs one species, L. floribunda, having become 

 tolerably common in our gardens as a decorative winter-bloom- 

 ing plant. Easily propagated by cuttings of the young wood or 

 by seeds, which are obtainable by careful fecundation. Seeds 

 should be sown as soon as ripe in a genial bottom-heat of 65 

 to 75. They soon vegetate, and should then be placed on a 

 shelf near the light and carefully watered, as they are liable to 

 damp off. 



We have two remarkable hybrids (bigeners) which have been 

 obtained by fertilising Libonia floribunda with pollen from 

 Sericographis Ghiesbreghtiana, both well-known winter-flower- 

 ing plants. M. Andre has followed Professor Oliver and Dr 

 Masters in his method of naming these bigeners, and has de- 

 scribed them under the compound generic name Sericobonia.* 



S. Penr/wsiensis, Ed. Andre (Libonia Penrhosiensis, Hort. 

 Bull.), was raised at Penrhose Castle a year or two ago, and is 

 a dwarf-growing plant of rather dense habit, having ovate, deep- 

 green leaves and trifasciculate clusters -of Libonia-\\ke flowers. 

 Externally, this hybrid, although the produce of the same 

 parents, differs materially in habit from the following, although 

 in the floral structure of both there is an evident mixture of the 

 generic distinctions of the parent species. The dwarf habit, 

 leathery foliage, and smaller and redder flowers, distinguish it 

 at a glance. (See 'L'lll. Hort.,' 1875, P- 6 4)- 



/>. ignea, Lind. et Andre (see * L'lll. Hort./ 1875, P- 39)- 

 This is a taller-growing plant of more vigorous habit than the 

 last, bearing large panicles of yellow tubular flowers suffused 



