of New Plants. 451 



and axillary clusters of gay, orange and scarlet flowers, much 

 of the form of a Tropaeohim. The plant grows freely in san- 

 dy peat and loam, requiring an ample supply of water during 

 summer, and kept in an airy greenhouse in winter. It should 

 be repotted early in spring, in order to encourage wood for 

 flowering in summer. {^Bot. Reg. March.) 

 \ erbenacecB. 



MASTACA'NTHUS 



sinensis ^nii. Chinese Beard nut. A greenhouse plant ; growing two feet high; with violet 

 flowers; appeiiring in autumn; a native of Cliina; increased by cuttings; cultivated in sandy loam 

 and peat. Bot. Reg. 1846, p. 2. 



Found by Mr. Fortune in Chusan. It is a rather pretty 

 herbaceous plant, furnishing "an abundance of rich violet 

 blossoms at a season when that color, never abundant, is pe- 

 culiarly rare in gardens." The flowers appear in bushy tufts 

 at the axils of the leaves. It requires greenhouse culture and 

 plenty of pot room, with plenty of water in summer ; after it 

 has done flowering, the plants should be kept rather dry in a 

 cool greenhouse. {Bot. Reg. January.) 

 Gesnej-^Aceve,. 



GE'SNER^ 



Gerard JaHrt Pax. Gerard's Gesnera. A stove plant; growing two feet high ; with scarlet and 

 yellow flowers ; appearing in autumn ; a native of South America; increased by cuttings ; grown 

 ill leaf mould, peat and sand. Pax. Mag. Bot., 1846, p. 35. 



A very splendid species of this showy genus, somewhat 

 resembling G. zebrina, but, "in its habit, is combined all the 

 freedom of character of the most graceful Achimenes, with the 

 sterling nature and substantial worth of the gesneras. Dwarf 

 growing, its leaves heart shaped, and, under favorable cir- 

 cumstances, fine, large, glossy green — the flower spikes ter- 

 minally borne, of great size in proportion to the plant, with 

 large flowers that strongly remind us, by their color and mark- 

 ing, of Achimenes picta, and supported by long, slender pe- 

 duncles, in a peculiarly fine and graceful manner, constitute 

 it when flowering, in the most extended sense, a most beauti- 

 ful object ; added to the excellent traits just described, the free- 

 dom with which plants not six inches high, produce fine spikes 

 of flowers." The foliage is not so remarkably shaded as G. 

 zebrina, but the flowers are larger, more brilliant, and pro- 

 duced more freely than on that species It may well be com- 

 pared to Achimenes picta in beauty. It will thrive freely 

 under the same treatment given to G. zebrina, and is readily 

 increased by cuttings of the leaves, or by offsets from the root. 

 {Pax. Mag. Bot. April.) 



