Gardening for Amateurs 



851 



7 

 The fragrant blossoms of Hymenocallis. 



the leaf is elongated into a cord-like append- 

 age, from the end of which a pitcher is 

 developed. Large numbers of insects are 

 caught in these, but whether in their decaying 

 state they supply any nourishment to the 

 plant is at least an open question. In some 

 kinds the pitchers are sufficiently large to 

 hold almost a quart of water, and in nearly 

 every instance they are beautifully marked. 

 They are rather difficult plants to grow, and 

 need a moist atmosphere. By far the best 

 treatment is to grow them in suspended 

 baskets in a mixture of peat, sphagnum 

 moss and sand. In this way the drooping 

 pitchers are seen to considerable advantage. 

 Nepenthes are increased by means of cuttings 

 taken in the spring or earty summer months. 

 They should be potted in the above-named 

 mixture, and plunged in warmth in a closed 

 propagating case until rooted. Nepenthes 

 need to be shaded from direct sunshine in 

 all stages of growth. Among the best are 

 Burkei, Chelsoni, Curtisii, dicksoniana, 

 hookeriana, mastersiana, mixta, Morganiae, 

 rafflesiana and ventricosa. 



Pandanus Veitchii. This member of 

 the Screw Pine family forms a beautiful 

 decorative plant, either in a large or small 



state. The long, gracefully arching leaves 

 are of bright glossy green, freely striped 

 with white. An established specimen will 

 often send out small suckers from its base, 

 and if these are carefully detached, put 

 into small pots of sandy soil, and plunged in 

 bottom heat in a closed case, they will form 

 roots and become established. 



Panicum variegatum. This is a low 

 creeping grass of very quick growth, the 

 leaves being striped with clear white ; if 

 exposed to the sun the leaves become flushed 

 with pink. It is of the easiest possible 

 culture, and for draping the edging of the 

 stage, &c., is extremely useful. 



Passiflora. (See " Climbing Plants for 

 the Hothouse.") 



Plumbago rosea. A very showy winter- 

 flowering plant of easy culture, of which the 

 spikes of rosy-scarlet blossoms are particu- 

 larly welcome during the dull season of the 

 year. There is a variety, coccinea, with 

 blossoms of a more pronounced scarlet than 

 those of the type. These Plumbagos thrive 



One of the Pitcher Plants Nepenthes. 



