100 Descriptive Notice of Mr. KneveWs 



some of the ancient Egyptian temples, which the symmetrical 

 trunk seems to us to resemble, Avhile the regular and archi- 

 tectural-liUe fronds at the top, may not unaptly be compared 

 1o some of the sculptured capitals of those columns. Still 

 rarer was an elegant plant of Cycas circinalis, the fohage 

 of which is of a lighter hue than the former, and those very 

 singular vegetables, Zamia horrida and 6'ycadif61ia. 



We beheve that Mr. Knevels is rather a botanical, than a 

 floral amateur ; and we are gratified to observe it, because, 

 though a less common, it is, in our opinion, a more refined, 

 as it is a more scientific taste. Where there will be one in- 

 dividual who will possess sufficient knowledge to appreciate 

 and cultivate the palms, and their rarer tribes of vegetation, 

 there will be fifty who can admire and enjoy a beautiful bed 

 of tulips, or a handsome collection of camellias. Notwith- 

 standing this, we believe that a person Avho appreciates the 

 majestic beauty of a fine palm, derives more satisfaction 

 from the contemplation of that object, than from four times 

 the space which it would occupy in the hot-house, if filled 

 with more gaudy blossoming, more common and more ephem- 

 eral beauties. 



Ho'itzia coccinea, with a profusion of scarlet, and Justicm 

 speciosa with purple, flowers, have been blossoming abun- 

 dantly all winter. There is a great quantity of Amarylli(ie« 

 here, but only A. venosa Avas in bloom in the hot-house. 

 Crinum amabile, however, one of the largest of the tribe, 

 has thrown up a huge flower stem of the length, and nearly 

 the thickness of a man's arm, upon the extremity of which, 

 the immense buds were swelling into bloom. It is astonish- 

 ing how much this plant will bloom in a season when prop- 

 erly treated. Doryanlhes excelsa, a singular member of this 

 order, from N. S. Wales, has attained considerable size. 

 We believe it is yet very rare in this country. 



DianeV/a cserulea showed a cluster of blossoms, and Pour- 

 rettm feranthos, a bromeliaceous plant, had just expanded 

 a spike of pretty deep purple flowers. The scarlet bracteses 

 of Ev\\A\6xhia Poinsett//, were also very showy among the 

 green ibliage. Strelitzm reginte, was full of buds, and Ave 

 observed S. ovata and S. ^uncea, the curious long rush-like 

 leaves of which, growing upon a plant four or five feet high, 

 attracted our attention. Two noble plants of Urania speci- 

 osa, and a large tree — the largest in the country — of Dillenia 

 speciosa, formerly in the possession of M. D' Arras, of Phil- 

 adelphia, and for which we have understood fifteen guineas 

 have been oft'ered and refused, Avere very striking ornaments 

 of a portion of the stage. The latter tree has ncA^er yet bloom- 

 ed in America, but Ave may possibly soon anticipate floAvers 

 from this specimen. Astraps^a Wallich// is also of large 



