Glossula 



( 374 ) 



Gloxinia 



GLOSSULA. 



A tuberous rooted Orchid (crd. Orcliidacese), 

 requiring a stove temperature. Propagation, by 

 root division. Answers to the same treatment as 

 the Glossodias, which see. 



Only Species : 



tentaculata, !)", Dec., grn., curious flowers ; the 

 segments resemble the antenna; of an insect. 



GLOXINIA. 



Description. An important race of plants (ord. 

 Gesneracea;), with large, handsome, bell-shaped 



place in a temperature of 70, and shade care- 

 fully with sheets of paper. Division of the tubers 

 may be practised in spring just as they are 

 beginning to make growth. The divisions should 

 be potted in sandy soil, and kept close in a 

 propagating frame until they start. Leaf cuttings 

 may be employed to increase the stock of any 

 meritorious variety. Stout, healthy leaves should 

 be chosen, and, after removing them with the 

 footstalk intact, they should be dibbled into pans 

 of sandy soil. Or large leaves may be selected, 

 the midrib nicked through in several places with a 



A SPECIMEN GLOXIMA ruou SKEI>. 



flowers. Correctly, they belong to the genus 

 Sinningia, most of them having been derived from 

 S. speciosa, but they are kept distinct here for 

 horticultural purposes. 



Propagation. By seeds, division of the tubers, 

 and leaf cuttings. Seed sowing is by far the best 

 of the three methods. A packet of seed from a 

 good strain may be relied upon to give flowering 

 plants within six months from the date of sowing. 

 Moreover, successional sowings will yield flowers 

 through the greater part of the year. The seed 

 pots or pans should be well drained, and filled to 

 within 1" of the rim with sandy soil. Carefully 

 level this, water, sow the seed thinly on the moist 

 surface, cover each pot or pan with a sheet of glass, 



Glottideum (see Seslania). 



sharp knife, and the leaves pegged down at full 

 length on a bed of sandy soil. In a few weeks 

 " bulbils " will be formed at each nick. 



Soil. Equal parts of loam and leaf soil, with 

 plenty of sand, for the young plants ; two-thirds of 

 fibrous loam, one-third of leaf soil or peat, and 

 sand, for the older specimens. 



Other Cultural Points. The firs 1 , single shift for 

 the seedlings should be into 2J" pots, the next into 

 4j", then, if they are very strong, into 6". 

 Generally, however, a 4J" pot is large enough. 

 Shade is necessary at all "times, for a few minutes 

 of bright sun will hopelessly disfigure all the 

 best leaves. A mean summer temperature of about 

 (i5 is a good one, whilst during the winter months 

 the house may stand at about 55 by night. 

 Gloxinias like a fair quantity of water at the roots, 



