THE GESNERA FAMILY. 333 



Gesneras with Achimenes, Eucodonias, and perhaps also with 

 Gloxinias. Eucodonia nczgelioides (' Flore des Serres,' xvi. i) is 

 the result of Eucodonia Ehrenbergii having been artificially fecun- 

 dated with pollen from Ncegelia zebrina splendens. It is only 

 in the flower, however, that a slight resemblance to the parent 

 plants can be observed. By the form of the foliage, as well 

 as the ribs and woolly undersides of the leaves, one is re- 

 minded of Eucodonia Ehrenbergii. The foliage of JB. ncegelioides 

 is broad, rigid, plain, and handsome; the stiff peduncles are 

 tinted with red. The flowers, which are charmingly disposed, 

 are of fine form, and as large as those of the parent plants. 

 Colour, violet veering to red ; edges and lobes perfectly flat, 

 and of velvety crimson ; orifice to the centre of the throat 

 bright citron yellow, spotted with crimson amaranth. There 

 are two or three other seedling forms of this hybrid, for figures 

 and descriptions of which see ' Flore des Serres,' xvii. 79 ; 

 xviii. 117; and xxi. 



G. Donkelaarii (* Flore des Serres,' ix. 119;' Bot. Mag.,' 5070) 

 is one of the most striking of all hybrids, its procreator or seed- 

 parent being G. discolor fertilised by a cross-bred variety of 

 Gloxinia rubra. G. Douglasii has yielded numerous beautiful 

 varieties fertilised with pollen from a crimson-flowered variety ; 

 and seedlings of G. refulgens are also very variable. It is quite 

 as impossible to trace the parentage of the numerous hybrids 

 and seminal varieties in this genus as it would be in either 

 Calceolaria or Pelargonium. The only distinct genera yet un- 

 operated on by the hybridiser would appear to be Dolicho- 

 deira and Stenogaster. We may mention the following hybrid 

 on the authority of M. Van Houtte : Dirccea ( Gesnera] purpurea 

 (G. Douglasii. verticillata x Dirccea Cooper it); and a race of 

 beautiful hybrids has also been obtained between Dirccea lobu- 

 lata, Lem., fertilised with pollen of Gesnera Leopoldii, Schwd. 



N&gelia margarita is a seedling raised by M. Desmoulins of 

 L'Isle-Adam, and is a cross between N. amabilis and N. alba 

 lutescens. The flowers are pure white. 



Sciadocalyx Lucianii, Ed. Andre (see ' LTllustration Horti- 

 cole,' 1874, p. 147, pi. 182). This is a beautiful hybrid ob- 

 tained by M. Lucian, Linden, between Sciadocalyx digitaliflora 

 and Tydcea pardina (see ' L'lll. Hort.,' vol. xx., pi. 152). It is 

 a vigorous-habited plant, having hairy stems, broadly lanceolate 

 leaves, and purple-crimson flowers mottled with purple. Other 

 hybrids have also been obtained between Sciadocalyx and other 

 genera, of which we are to hear anon. 



A very interesting observation, which gives a clue to the ease 

 with which Gesnerads are cross-fertilised and hybridised in our 



