264 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[September 8, 1888. 



shallow and in the most sunny positions. Delicate 

 sorts should be replanted in fresh soil every year, in 

 July or August. Burnt earth and sea sand are 

 valuable for dressing the soil in which Narcissi are 

 grown, and on wet soils the bulbs should be covered 

 with sand when planted. F. W. Burlidge. 



New or Noteworthy Plants. 



PENTSTEMON ROTUNDIFOLIUS (A. Gray), 

 (Fig. 31) n. sp* 

 This very distinct species is entirely new to science, 

 and is certainly one of the most important novelties 

 of 1888. Its introduction to our gardens is due to 

 the untiring efforts of Mr. W. Thompson, of Ips- 

 wich, whose name has long been identified with the 

 plants of Texas, Mexico, and other North American 

 States. The present plant has flowered with such 

 profusion this year, in spite of the very uncongenial 

 weather, and the flowers withal are so pretty and 

 graceful, that it has only to be known to become a 

 general favourite. Its nearest ally, among those in 

 cultivation at least, is P. centranthifolius (Chelone) 

 of the Botanical Register, vol. xx, p. 1739. The 

 latter was sent from California by David Douglas, 

 and is described by Bentham in the Proceedings of 

 the Royal Horticultural Society, vol. i., as Chelone. 

 It is perfectly hardy, growing well in any good 

 garden soil if fully exposed to the sun. It differs 

 abundantly from the present species in longish ovate 

 lanceolate Valerian-like leaves, and glabrous flowers. 

 In P. rotundifolius (see fig. 31) the leaves are coria- 

 ceous, orbiculate, entire, the lower ones on longish 

 petioles, those on the stem clasping, the whole con- 

 spicuously glaucous. The flower-stem, 2 feet in 

 height, is very graceful, producing abundance of 

 medium-sized brick-red flowers, with pale yellowish 

 throat, anthers slightly exserted, the same length as 

 the style. It has flowered at Kew all through the 

 summer and autumn months. The plants were col- 

 lected by Mr. Pringle in the State of Chihuahua, 

 Mexico, in the summer and autumn of 1886, and 

 described by Dr. Gray in ^the Proceedings of the 

 American Academy of Arts and Sciences, vol. xxii., 

 p. 307, 1887. In a note attached to the description, 

 Mr. Pringle says he collected it at Mapula, Potrero, 

 and other mountains near Chihuahua, hanging from 

 seams of cliffs, long enduring, apparently flowering 

 for most of the year. The plant may be seen at the 

 present time in the new alpine-house at Kew. D. 

 Bemar. 



Cattleya Hareisoniana (Bateman) vak. Regnieeian, 

 n. var. 

 The rather short sepals and petals show such 

 a wonderfully clear, warm purple tint as I never saw 

 in the affinity. The lip's side lacinise are light 

 purple outside, yellow in the mid line. The in- 

 side is light yellow, with darker keels and a light 

 purple border to the side-lacinise. The mid-lacinia is 

 very deeply plaited and minutely crenulate, and the 

 whole lacinia stands upright and hides the top of the 

 column. It is whitish-yellow, with an orange 

 callous basilar disc, and washed with purple outside. 

 Columu white, with a greenish base. This lovely 

 thing was kindly sent me by M. A. Kegnier, 

 Eontenay-sous-Bois, Seine, and whose name it may 

 justly bear. H. G. Bchb. f. 



Ljslia xanthina (Lindl.) ageaphis, n, var. 

 With this species have always appeared specimens 

 without any purple markings on the lip. It has also 

 been sent me lately through my kind old corre- 



* Pentstemom rotundifolius, n. sp. — Species insignia (e grege 

 P. centrantifolii?), glaberrimus, glaucus; caulibus basi lignosa 

 aperte-ramosis paniculato-plurifloris ; foliia crasso-coriaceis 

 orbiculatis integerrimis (majoribus aesquipolliearibus), imis 

 in petiolum subalatum contractis, cceteris arete sessillibus 

 ramulibua parria, floralibu* minimis subcordatia ; peduueulis 

 pedicellisque gracilibus ; aepalia ovalibua lin. 2 longis; corolla 

 miniata pollicari tubiformi apice subequaliter 5 loba, lobia 

 lato-ovalibus (lin. 2 longis), fauce genitalibusque glabris ; 

 antberis post dehiscenstiam explanatia ; capsulia lato-ovatis 

 lin. 2 — 3 longiapedicello arete ecurvato pendulis. Asa Gray. 

 Bot. Contributions, issued March 4, 1887. Proc. Amer. Acad, 

 Sc, vol, xxii. 



spondent, Mr. B. S. Williams, from Mr. Wischussen 

 of Wood Green, N., who desired for a distinct variety 

 a separate name, as is the custom now-a-days. 

 The first-named gentleman appears to be very suc- 

 cessful in growing this tribe. I shall have the 

 pleasure to write shortly about a Cattleyoid sent by 

 the same gentleman. H. G. Bchb.f. 



Cypbipedium concolor (Parish), vab. sulphurinum, 

 ■n. var. 



This is stated to be green-leaved. It is a lovely 

 elegant variety, with light sulphur-coloured flowers, 

 without the least trace of a spot. There are only 

 two darker yellow eyes on the disc of the triangular, 

 heart-shaped, very acute staminode. The petals are 

 bent down with much elegance. It was kindly sent 

 me by Messrs. Hugh Low & Co., Clapton. H. G. 

 Bchb.f. 



Cypripedium Pageanttm, n. hyb. (Gall.) 

 This is stated to be the result of crossing Cypri- 

 pedium superbiens (Veitchianum) and C. Hookerue 

 (Hookeri of many gardeners). The leaves are nearly 

 glaucous, with dark reticulations. The red hairy 

 peduncle is one-flowered. Bract half as long as the 

 ovary, spathaceous, acute, reddish at the base. 

 Upper sepal elliptical acute, with twenty-three 

 green veins, a few of which are reddish at the apex. 

 Lower sepals much smaller, not equalling half the 

 lip, oblong acute, with green veins, two of which are 

 red at the apex. Petals deflexed, ligulate acute, 

 ciliate, with green veins on a whitish ground that 

 turns in the light to a reddish colour in the anterior 

 third. There are numerous Indian-purple spots on 

 the basilar and median portions. Lip in the way of 

 that of Cypripedium superbiens, but narrower, two- 

 horned at the mouth of the sac, dark brown, ochre in 

 the mid-line. Staminode transverse, with two in- 

 flexed horns and a small apiculus light green, with 

 the usual dark reticulation in the middle. 



It was raised by Mr. Page, an ardent orchidist, at 

 Bougival, near Paris, and whose name it duly bears. 

 I had it through the kindness of Messrs. Seeger & 

 Tropp. H. G. Bchb.f. 



Florists' Flowers. 



AUTUMN BLOOM OF AURICULAS. 

 I think it not unlikely there will be, as one of the 

 results of the moist cool June and July, a good deal 

 of autumn bloom from Auriculas. The plants 

 appear to have made, under the favourable condi- 

 tion of coolness, a continuous summer growth, and 

 the crowns are plump, green, and full of life. I am 

 keeping my own plants pretty dry at the roots, at the 

 same time not allowing them to flag in any way, 

 as I think this is disastrous in its effects. I am 

 potting later than usual, in the hope thus to 

 check autumn blooming. Seedlings have grown 

 vigorously — the strongest are beginning to bloom. 

 By doing this in the autumn it enables one to throw 

 out all the inferior types. Anything promising should 

 be marked, and the test of spring flowering applied. 

 I find that the autumn promise and character is 

 occasionally reversed when the spring bloom is put 

 on. But a second year's flowering should be tried 

 before anything of promise is finally rejected, if. D. 



The Pink. 

 The laced varieties are not grown quite so much 

 as they used to be a quarter of a century ago, when 

 Pink shows were popular. It is a distinct border 

 plant. There are not many raisers of seedlings now, 

 but Messrs. Hooper & Co., of Bath, have raised some 

 very distinct varieties, of which they sent blooms a 

 few weeks ago. One of them had flowers as large as 

 those of a Carnation. They were well laced and 

 distinct in colour, and this is saying a good deal, for 

 Pinks have but little variety amongst them. The 

 young plants propagated from pipings put in about 

 the end of June should now be well rooted, and they 

 ought to be planted out in the beds or borders where 



they are to flower as soon as the ground can be pre- 

 pared for them and they are strong enough. If the 

 plants are small 9 inches apart is a good distance ; 

 large plants may be allowed a foot each way. It is 

 a good plan to have the plants well established 

 before the winter, as they will throw up stronger 

 flower-stems the following season. They like rich 

 soil, not too heavy. In fact, they are not so fas- 

 tidious as their near ally, the Carnation, and will 

 succeed admirably in any ordinary garden soil. The 

 plants are strong enough to plant out about the 

 middle or end of September. 



The Forcing Pink. 

 Varieties of this section are more readily propa- 

 gated than those of the laced type. I think very 

 highly of the pure white variety with prettily-fringed 

 flowers, grown by the acre in the fields round about 

 here to supply cut flowers for the London market. 

 The plants are torn into pieces by the hand, and 

 planted in rows in a rough-and-ready manner on 

 ploughed ground. This variety has a very sweet 

 Clove-like scent. For forcing and garden culture I 

 like the more delicately-constitutioned Lady Blanche. 

 It has pure white well-formed flowers, and is ad- 

 mirably adapted for forcing purposes. I have not 

 yet seen any of the purple-coloured varieties to 

 surpass Lord Lyons. The flowers are rich in colour, 

 and, like Lady Blanche, they have long pods that do 

 not bui st with the opening flowers. To obtain good- 

 flowering clumps, the cuttings of these should be 

 put, during the months of April and May, in a 

 forcing-house or hotbed. When well rooted, they 

 may be planted out a foot or more apart in the open 

 garden, and, if they are intended for forcing purposes, 

 must be planted out in light rich soil to increase in 

 size and vigour during the summer and early 

 autumn months. About the first week in October 

 they may be lifted, with plenty of roots attached, 

 and be potted into 6 or 7-inch pots, according to the 

 vigour of the plants. J. Douglas, Ilford. 



Carnations Admiral Curzon and Sarah Payne. 



It is sometimes said, but not always with reason, 

 that the continual propagation of any one variety of 

 florists' flowers has an inevitable tendency to wear 

 it out and cause deterioration. This has frequently 

 been stated of the Carnation, and because the florist 

 grows his plants in pots in cold frames during the 

 winter rather than expose them to all the rigours of 

 the winter in the open air, he is accused of making 

 a hothouse plant of it, and inevitable weakness and 

 decay are asserted as taking place. This statement 

 is always made without due consideration. At the 

 exhibition of the National Carnation and Picotee 

 Society, held in the Drill Hall in connection with 

 the meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society on 

 July 24, two flowers were exhibited — one, Easom's 

 Admiral Curzon, scarlet bizarre, sent out forty-three 

 years ago ; and Ward's Sarah Payne, pink and purple 

 bizarre, sent out forty-one years ago. If the statement 

 made at the commencement of this paper is correct 

 these two varieties, debilitated beyond measure by 

 hard propagation during this long period, ought to 

 have disappeared from cultivation years ago. But 

 they are grown and shown to-day as vigorously and 

 of as fine quality as they were over forty years ago. 



Admiral Curzon is still pretty well at the head of 

 its class, and although its supremacy may be chal- 

 lenged by Dodwell's Fred, Dodwell's George, Barlow's 

 Robert Houlgrave, and Dodwell's Robert Lord, it 

 will yet be grown and exhibited for years to come. In 

 the second edition of his book on the Carnation Mr 

 Dodwell states that " It is pleasant to record the 

 Admiral is yet alive to us and worthy of admiration, 

 as in the days of its earliest youth. Wherever Car- 

 nations are grown and shown there is Curzon — 

 always to the front, indeed, quite seven times in ten 

 the best flower of the exhibition. What a beauti- 

 fully shaped petal — smooth, gently cupped, and of 

 good substance. Its colours are rich, bright, well 

 delineated, and strongly contrasted. Its outline is 

 as unbroken as any flower I have ever cultivated, 

 and its form good. It is of medium size and a good 



