Gardening for Amateurs 



847 



easily grown and can be raised from seeds or 

 cuttings in spring ; it will bloom during the 

 summer months in a temperature of about 

 55. Another sort, C. fragrans flore pleno, 

 has double blush-coloured flowers, which are 

 sweetly scented. This blooms at various 

 periods of the year. Both are greatly bene- 

 fited by frequent doses of liquid manure 

 when the pots are well furnished with roots. 

 (See also " Climbing Plants for the Hot- 

 house.") 



Grossandra undulaefolia. This much 

 resembles Aphelandra, the culture require- 

 ments, too, being about the same. The 

 flowers, which are borne at different seasons, 

 are orange-salmon in colour. 



Groton. An extensive class of stove 

 shrubs, remarkable for their brightly coloured 

 leaves. Large numbers of them are grown 

 for various decorative purposes, those with 

 narrow leaves being especially valued for 

 table decoration. The Crotons are not at 

 all difficult to raise from cuttings in warmth 

 at almost any season of the year. They 

 grow well in a mixture of loam, peat, and 

 sand. Crotons will grow quickly in a moist, 

 shaded hothouse, but in order to bring out 

 the richness of colouring to the fullest ex- 

 tent the plants need plenty of heat and 

 moisture, and full exposure to the sun. If 

 not freely syringed, red spider is apt to 

 attack the leaves and cause them to drop. 

 The list of varieties is a very long one, a few 

 of the best being : Aigburth Gem, narrow, 

 crimson ; andreanus, large, orange-red ; 

 Baronne James de Rothschild, deep purplish 

 red ; B. Comte, bright orange ; caudatus tor- 

 tilis, leaves twisted, golden yellow ; Countess, 

 narrow, yellow ; Delight, ivory-white ; Earl 

 of Derby, trilobed, yellow centre ; elegantis- 

 sima, narrow, bright yellow ; Emperor Alex- 

 ander III., broad, bright red ; Flambeau, 

 brilliant red ; Golden Ring, narrow, golden 

 yellow, twisted ; Laingii, narrow, twisted, 

 red and yellow ; Lucy, narrow, twisted, olive 

 green and crimson ; musaicus, bright crim- 

 son ; Norman McLeod, narrow, red ; Reidii, 

 large and broad, pink and deep rose ; Sou- 

 venir de Thomas Rochford, narrow, very 

 bright red ; Warrenii, very long, narrow, 

 arching, twisted leaves, yellow, red and 

 deep green ; and Williamsii, fiery red. The 

 above descriptions apply to the leaves. 



Gyanophyllum magnificum. An erect- 

 growing plant with very large oppositely 

 arranged leaves, of deep velvety olive 

 green on the upper surface and reddish- 

 purple beneath. As it is so necessary to 

 keep the foliage in good condition, this plant 

 should occupy an isolated position in the 

 hothouse. It is propagated by cuttings of 

 the side shoots, put in a mixture of loam, 

 peat, and sand in a closed propagating case 

 with bottom heat. It is a very handsome 

 plant that needs to be shaded from direct 

 sunshine and looked after carefully to keep 

 it in good condition. 



Dieffenbachia. A race of Aroids re- 

 markable for their handsomely marked 

 leaves. They form stout erect stems, and 

 are most effective when from 2 to 3 feet in 

 height. Given ordinary potting compost 

 and the usual treatment of hothouse plants, 

 they will do well. Cuttings strike root 

 without difficulty. Those most generally 

 grown are Bausei, irregularly marked with 



The fragrant Eucharis amazonica. 



yellowish green and dark green with white 

 spots ; Jenmanii, dark green with white 

 veinings ; picta, green, spotted white ; Rex, 

 rich velvety green, spotted white ; and 



