ON SOME INTERESTING ALIENS 



ers of various other genera, including a Gono- 

 hrena, the seed of which was received from South 

 America. This plant has been under cultivation 

 for many years. It is a low growing plant, having 

 globular, crimson flowers. The introduction of 

 new blood from the wild South American repre- 

 sentative may be expected to have the usual stim- 

 ulative effect, increasing the vitality of the plant, 

 and perhaps urging it to greater variation. 



The Australian star-flower first mentioned in 

 this chapter most resembles Rhodanthea, but is as 

 distinct as a rose is from a carnation. The bot- 

 anists have not been able to decide as to its specific 

 name. With the exception of the Rhodanthea, this 

 is without doubt the most beautiful of all the flow- 

 ers called everlastings so far discovered or pro- 

 duced. The beautiful star-shaped, rosy-crimson 

 and white clusters of flowers, produced in the 

 greatest abundance, are surpassingly beautiful. 



The plant is an annual, produced only from 

 seed. The reason that this flower has not been 

 more generally grown all over the world is that it 

 is peculiarly subject to the attacks of soil fungi. 

 On virgin soil it always thrives; on cultivated soil, 

 sometimes. There is no doubt that this most beau- 

 tiful of everlastings can finally become immune 

 to fungi in cultivated soil through selection. 



My work with the Australian star-flower has 



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