408 GENERAL REVIEW. 



anthers of a golden yellow, and arranged in large well -fur- 

 nished clusters. The jury at the International Exhibition at 

 Maestricht awarded the plant a first prize, and also bestowed 

 on it the title of Reine des Pays-Bas (Queen of the Nether- 

 lands). 



S. Souvenir de Billiard is a vigorous seminal variety raised 

 by M. Ch. Billiard, Fontenay-aux-Roses, and was sent out in 

 October 1875. 



THE FUCHSIA AND EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY (Onagracece). 



A small group of shrubs or herbaceous plants widely scat- 

 tered in both hemispheres, but principally natives of temperate 

 countries. They are represented in our gardens by the following 

 genera : Isnardia, Sphczrostigma, (Enothera, Godetia, Clarkia, 

 Epilobium, Zauchneria, Fuchsia, Lopezia, Gaura, and others. 

 There is a tendency in this order to lose the petals, or rather 

 not to develop them, several species of Fuchsia being apetalous, 

 and Lindley observes that Clarkia pulchella sometimes exhibits 

 the same peculiarity. The. shrubby species are for the most 

 part readily multiplied by cuttings of the young or partially- 

 hardened wood. Herbaceous kinds are easily propagated by 

 division, and seeds of all the species germinate readily, and 

 are in many cases borne profusely, especially by the annual 

 sorts. The hybridist has improved some of the Clarkias ; 

 and the genus Fuchsia has been so much improved, that it is 

 rare to meet with pure species in cultivation. Gaertner remarks 

 that he failed to hybridise those CEnotheras with rough and 

 angular seeds with those having smooth and round seeds ; 

 and we have several other instances where the two or more 

 sections of a genus will not interbreed : thus Primroses having 

 a valvular orifice, as P. acaulis, will not breed with P. auricula, 

 which has an open throat ; Ericas with cylindrical blossoms 

 with those having bell-shaped corollas ; nor blue Linums with 

 the yellow-flowered species, to say nothing of the aversions 

 shown by Pelargoniums, Begonias, and Lilies. 



Fuchsia.* A genus of free-growing plants, all South Ameri- 

 can, if we except F. excorticata, F. Kirkei, and F. procumbens, 

 which are natives of New Zealand. It is nearly a century since 

 F. coccinea was introduced to this country ; but florists' varieties 



* Cultivators and hybridists interested in Fuchsias should see the His- 

 toire et Culture du Fuchsia, suivies d'une nomenclature methodique des 

 plus belles varietes connues, par M. Felix Parcher. Paris, 1874. Auguste 

 Coin, Rue des Ecoles, 62 (ancien 82), pres le Musee de Cluny. 



