JULY. 329 



ing cream color, with a tinge of rose at the base. They are 

 produced in twos or threes at the axils of the leaves, pendent, 

 and very beautiful. It first flowered in the Garden of Plants 

 at Paris, where it was received from Chili. It flourishes in a 

 cool greenhouse. 



314. 0[JVIRA''Nr)RA FENESTRALIS Poiirct. WaTER YaM. OR 



Lace Leaf. (Juncagineag.) Madagascar. 



An aquatic plant; growing one foot high; with singular lace-work leaves; increased by division 

 of the roots. Bot. Mag. 1856, pi. 4894. 



A most singular and remarkable plant, found in Madagas- 

 car, more than sixty years ago, by Aubert du Petit Thouars, 

 but ROW first introduced to English collections, where it is 

 growing finely at Kew and other places. The Rev. Wm. 

 Ellis of Hoddesden, Herts, on his return from Madagascar^ 

 brought home living plants with much care, and, learning the 

 desire of Prof. Hooker to possess "so very curious a plant, 

 whose leaves are constituted by a series of the most beautiful 

 network, without parenchyma, reduced in short to its vascular 

 reticulated tissue," sent him fine specimens. It appears to 

 be of the easiest culture, and Prof. H. remarks, " that he 

 shall be surprised if all who are curious in horticulture do not 

 possess themselves of so beautiful and curious an object, and 

 which is cultivated with the greatest ease in a stove, (or 

 probably warm greenhouse,) in a shallow pan of rain water, 

 including a moderate quantity of earth for the roots to feed 

 upon — being entirely aquatic, the leaves even submerged : 

 and we cannot doubt but it may be cultivated in glass aqua- 

 ria, and even in a glass jar placed in the drawing-room, as is 

 done with the Vallisneria spiralis, &c." 



Mr. Ellis kindly communicated to Sir Wm. Hooker the 

 particulars of his obtaining the plant, from which we quote 

 the following interesting account of this singular yam : — 



" The natives describe the plant as growing on the margin 

 of running streams. The root or rhizoma is about an inch in 

 thickness, and six or nine inches long, often branching in 

 diff"erent directions like the root of ginger or tumeric, but in 

 one continuous growth. The root is composed of a white 



VOL, xxH. — NO. vn. 42 



