450 GAKDEN PLANTS. PART II. 



Poinciana. 



1. P. pulcherrima, BARBADOES PRIDE FLOWER -FENCE 

 Krishn-churun. A large thorny shrub with bipinnate foliage of 

 oblong leaflets ; bears during all the Hot and Eain seasons, at 

 the end of its stems, considerable-sized panicles of large showy 

 flowers. There are two varieties, one bearing yellow and the 

 other scarlet flowers. It should be cut in closely in the Cold 

 season, as it is apt to grow very straggling, and the old stems 

 look decrepit and unsightly. But the better plan perhaps is to 

 destroy the old plants altogether, and raise fresh ones from seed. 

 It will hardly bear the cold of Ferozepore, but thrives there 

 during the Hot months better, perhaps, than in Bengal. I have 

 seen plants there, eight months from the time they were raised 

 from seed, produce immense, erect, tuft-like racemes of blossom, 

 so compact as to quite conceal the flower-stalks, being then 

 objects of great beauty. 



2. P. elata. A large tree, native of Coromandel ; bears in the 

 Hot season racemes of large, gaudy, yellow flowers. 



3. P. Gilliesii. A small shrub three or four feet high, native 

 of Mendoza, with remarkably pretty, feathery, bipinnate foliage 

 of minute leaflets ; bears during the Hot and Kain seasons 

 panicles of large flowers with pale-yellow petals, which rarely 

 expand, but from out of which proceed very long crimson 

 stamens. Sir W. Hooker speaks of it as " a charming plant." 

 After two seasons it is apt to decay and look unsightly ; it is 

 therefore best to raise fresh plants every year from seed, and 

 throw the old worn-out plants away. When in seed the seed- 

 pods should be covered, before half-grown, with muslin, to 

 protect them from the ravages of an insect which rarely fails 

 otherwise to penetrate them and destroy the seed. 



4. P. regia. A large tree, native of Madagascar, called by the 

 French Flamboyant ; bears in April and May immense panicles 

 of large scarlet and yellow flowers. Though when in blossom a 

 most superb object in itself, it is ill-adapted for a garden, as the 

 vast quantity of red it displays is highly injurious to the effect 

 of other flowering-plants. It is of exceedingly rapid growth, 

 very apt to be damaged by strong winds, and apparently of not 

 long duration. Propagated from seed. 



