542 GAEDEN PLANTS. PART II. 



In Vol. I., New Series, of the ' Journal of the Agri- Horticultural 

 Society' is a descriptive and classified list of all the plants of this 

 order cultivated in the Botanical Gardens, by Dr. T. Anderson, 

 at the conclusion of which are the valuable remarks I take leave 

 to subjoin : 



" Until recently all the Acanthaceae have been cultivated in the 

 open ground, generally in the flower borders of the garden, where 

 the soil is kept open. Under this treatment many of the species 

 grow vigorously, and afford in their season of bloom some of the 

 gayest ornaments of the Indian flower-garden; but there are 

 many other lovely species, and especially those which inhabit the 

 cool mountain forests of the Himalaya, the Khassia hills, Ceylon, 

 and Java, with some delicate American species, which have been 

 kept alive with difficulty. The dry atmosphere and scorching sun 

 prevailing during March, April, and May are most pernicious to 

 these plants, and, excepting perhaps moisture stagnant about 

 their roots, are the worst conditions in which they could be placed. 

 Shade-loving species of Acanthacese have, however, lately been 

 removed to a cool house, like those adopted here for the cultivation 

 of Orchids and Ferns. In such structures these delicate Acanthaceae 

 have grown with a surprising vigour, and have become a mass of 

 beautiful luxuriant foliage, and many of them have already blos- 

 somed as freely as in their native forests. 



" Some of the Kuellia and the allied genera Stephanophysum and 

 Stemonacanthus, nearly all the Strobilanthi, some of the Daedalac- 

 anthi, all theAphelandrea?, Cyrtanthera, Beloperone, the American 

 Justicias, several of the] Erantherna, and five species of Thyrsac- 

 anthus thrive under shelter ; while exposed in open borders some 

 of them barely exist, and scarcely ever flower." 



Thunbergia. 



1. T. fragrans. An herbaceous climbing plant, with slender 

 stems and rough, small, heart-shaped leaves ; bears nearly always 

 beautiful snow-white flowers of the size of a rupee ; very orna- 

 mental grown in a pot. Propagated from seed, which it bears 

 in abundance. Contrary to what the name would seem to denote, 

 the flowers have no fragrance whatever. 



2. T. grandiflora. A most extensive climbing shrub, with heart- 

 formed leaves ; grows to the summit of the. loftiest trees, cover- 

 ing them with a curtain of foliage so dense as, when seen from 

 a distance, to present the appearance of some ivy-clad ruin. It 



