442 GENERAL REVIEW. 



P. tomentosus is also a garden variety raised by M. A. Leroy 

 (see 'Revue Hort.,' 1866, p. 336). 



P. amcenus. This plant is a seedling of P. speciosus, remark- 

 able for the abundance and beauty of its flowers. 



THE LAPAGERIA FAMILY (Philesiacece). 



A small family of ornamental evergreen plants, represented 

 in our gardens by Lapageria rosea, its pure white flowered 

 form L. alba, and Philesia buxifolia, a native of Valdivia, intro- 

 duced in 1853, L. rosea having been imported from Patagonia 

 about 1847-48. Lapagerias are propagated by layers, which 

 should be made of the second year's shoots, twisted around 

 the top of the pot, and pegged beneath the soil, leaving the 

 apex of the shoot above the surface ; and if slits or slight 

 abrasures are made near the nodes, the rooting process will 

 be facilitated. Cuttings of Lapageria do not form plants 

 readily. They root in about nine months, but it is essen- 

 tial that ripened growth only be selected. Insert them in 

 boxes of sandy earth in a warm greenhouse temperature. 

 Planted out and trained near the glass, the rosy Lapageria 

 seeds freely, even without artificial fertilisation; but if the 

 operation is carefully performed, both the red and white flow- 

 ered forms seed freely, and the result is more certain than 

 when impregnation is left to the winds or insects. The fruits 

 are about the size of pigeons' eggs, and occupy nearly a year in 

 swelling and ripening. Mr E. Culley, gardener to E. Salt, 

 Esq. of Ferniehurst, near Bradford, was one of the first culti- 

 vators who raised seedlings of the white Lapageria, many of 

 which came true i.e., like the parent plant others being inter- 

 mediate or very pale rose, and others crimson scarlet. Mr 

 Culley 's advice is " Sow the seeds in pots or pans filled with 

 light soil, as soon as the seed-pods are fit to be taken from the 

 plant ; place them in a temperature from 60 to 65, and keep 

 them well soaked with water. They will come up about a 

 month afterwards, and will not then require so much water. 

 If properly treated, they will flower during the second year." 

 Messrs E. G. Henderson and other trade growers also propa- 

 gate L. rosea from seeds an operation nearly or quite as expe- 

 ditious as layers, the latter being several months before they pro- 

 duce roots, and they do not grow so freely when first potted as 

 do seedling plants. There are several forms of the rosy-flow- 

 ered variety in cultivation, and these vary not only in the size 

 and colour of their flowers, but also in foliage, habit of growth, 



