48 ALNUS 



S. Eu. Var. imperiftlis, Desf. Fig. 66. Lvs. deeply pin- 

 nately lobed with lanceolate or nearly linear lobes. Var. 

 inclsa, Willd.(var. oxyacanthifblia, Spach.). Lvs. small, 

 deeply incised, like those of Cratagus oxyacantha. Var. 

 laciniita, WilM. Lvs. pinnately lobed ; lobes oblong. 



Nutt. ■ 

 finely > 

 biles ol 

 Willd.= 



Sibiri.-i 



Alfi 



Rehpe 





- ALOCASIA (name made from Colocasia). J 

 Stove foliage plants, of 30 or more original species, 

 from trop. Asia and the Malayan Isls. Closely allied to 

 Caladium and particularly to Colocasia, which see. 

 These three genera differ chiefly in characters of fruit. 

 Monogr. by Engler in DeCandoUe's MonographisB Pha- 

 nerogamarum, V'ol. 2. In 1890. 52 species and speciflc- 



ALOCASIA 



ally named hybrids were in cult. ^ Bergman, Jour. Soc. 

 Nat. Hort. France. I.H. 37: 80). 



Alocasias are propagated by suckers or cuttings of 

 the rhizomes, placed in small pots containing a mixture 

 of light, fibrous peat and sand in equal proportions, and 

 plunged in a close frame or propagating box with bot- 

 tom heat. They may also be grown from seeds sown in 

 4-inch pots, in a light, peaty soil in a temperature of 

 75° F. The month of March is the best time for propa- 

 gating. The evergreen species (as A.cuprea, longiloba, 

 Lowii, Regina) thrive best in a compost of two parts 

 fibrous peat and sphagnum moss and one part lumps of 

 fibrous loam, to which should be added a sprinkling of 

 silver sand and a few nodules of char'^'^'nl to kf-ep the 

 wholesweet. The herbaceous species (:.- i „.,,,,,,;.- ,, i 

 do best in good fibrous loam to whi'-li i ■ ■ ■ A 



cow-manureorpulverizedsheep-manur. , i; ,..|. 



Perfect drainage of the pots is absdiiii l\ n^ . i ^-.n-y, 

 and in potting, the evergreen species should be coned 

 up two or three inches above the rim of the pot, and 

 tinished off with a surfacing of live sphagnum moss. 

 Tilt' siasun of active growth commences about the first 



-r "*I:ii. li. when tln-y should be given a temperature of 



-It. with u rise of 15° by day, and the atmos- 



• Im k. pt in a humid condition. They should 



■ - |".Mti.iu free from draughts and direct sun - 



h^lii. 1 ii. V rL-quiro an abundanf-r- <.f -ivMt.-r tit the roots 

 u> tliL- haves develop, and iiv . i. ..iv i,. .,, iit,.,i by an 

 uccusioiial watering of clear lit, , 'W-manure 



water. To obtain the best il' ihr leaves, 



heavy syringing should be avoi I I, im p, ,[u,.|it spray- 

 ing on all fine days with an atoinizir sprayer is very 

 beneficial. Towards winter the humidity of "the atmos- 

 phere and the supply of water to the roots should be 

 reduced with the evergreen species, and gradually with- 

 held altogether as the leaves mature with the herba- 

 ceous species. The temperature during winter should 

 not fall below 00°. Cujt. by E. J. Canxing. 



The propagation of most of the Alocasias consists of 

 cutting up the stems, so that each piece will have at 

 least one dormant bud. The pieces should be placed 

 amongst moss, in a hot propagating frame, where they 

 vegetate quickly. Such kinds as A. Sanderiana, A. 

 ,11': .■'■,-ln:.i .\ nr.r.i ,-;■ i/./^t, titid A. </cnMingsii( Colocasia) 

 i I-- . !. > 1 !;_ I'l: .III. ^, :it the ends of which small 



■ I J ■■<!■.■ -. I'. I 11 I..1. These should be carefully 



t..l. .M..1 111. i\\..]ir-t named started in a propa- 



;,-.ani;,' Iniiiu 111 a i.iui ul moss and sand. A.Jenningsii 

 roots readily in ordinary soil. Most of the kinds require 

 a soil which is very fibrous, with a little moss added. The 

 pots should be half filled with potsherds as drainage. 

 Cult, by G. W. Oliver. 



A. £fi's. dislinctly notched or undulate on the margin. 

 prfnceps, Nicholson. Lvs. sagittate, the basal lobes 



nurrr.w and spreading, the margins deep-sinuate; upper 

 irf I.'. . .livp-green. with darker veins, the under lighter 



itii brown veins and margin ; petioles brown- 



.tider. E.Ind. 

 S:ui i.-iiaua. Bull. Fig. 67. Lvs. long-sagittate, with 

 • lfi|.i\ Mulched margin, the basal lobes wide-spreading; 

 deep glossy green with metallic reflection, with promi- 

 nent white margins and veins; petioles brownish and 

 striped. Philippines. Gng. 1897: 81.— One of the best of 

 recent introductions. Runs into various forms, and has 

 entered largely Into cultivated hybrids. 



AA. Lvs. plane and entire on the margin. 



B. Jfitrkings chiefly on the petioles, the blades green. 

 zebrtna, Koch & Veitch. Lvs. triangular-sagittate ; 



]., li..!..-. iM-iiutifiilly marked with large zigzag bands of 

 u-iv,Mi. I'hihiiiiiiHs. F.S. 15:1541-2. 



ViUeneiivei, Limi. & Rod. Lvs. sagittate-ovate, the 

 veins of lighter green and prominent, basal lobes very 

 unequal; petioles spotted with chocolate-brown. Large. 

 Borneo. I.H. 34:21. -NamedfordeVilleneuve, Brazilian 

 ambassador to Belgium. 



BB. Jfarki 



chi.flil 



the leaf-blades. 



r. long-pointed, 8-12 

 sh veins curving off 



