570 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



(November 17 1888. 



Vriesia Wittmackiana X , Gartcnflora, t. 1283, 

 October. — A hybrid between V. Barilleti and V. 

 Morreniana. Leaves broad, spineless, with a central 

 two-ranked close spike of oblong boat-shaped bracts, 

 red at the base, yellow at the lips. 



Cultural Memoranda. 



BUELLA POETELLiE. 



This is a very useful decorative stove plant, having 

 dark green elliptic-ovate sub-acute leaves narrowing 

 into a slender petiole and a light green mid-rib on 

 either side of which is a narrow white band. The 

 flowers, of a bright rose-pink, are from 1J — 2 inches 

 long, and nearly as much broad, hairy, and terminal. 

 The habit is dwarf and compact. It is easily pro- 

 pagated by cuttings put in now, and again in the 

 spring for successional bloom. If the points of the 

 young shoots are inserted in 3-inch pots filled with 

 light sandy soil placed in heat, watered and kept 

 close, they will soon root ; after which the points of 

 the shoots should be pinched out, to induce the 

 growths from the base. Pot them off singly a week 

 or ten days later into small 60's, and grow them on 

 in a light position near to the glass. Thus treated 

 nice little plants for flowering next autumn and 

 winter will be secured. 



Centkadenia eosea. 

 This spring flowering stove plant is of a dwarf 

 spreading habit and very easy culture. Small plants 

 of it come in very useful for standing round the 

 edges of the staging in stoves and warm greeuhouses, 

 or for intermixing with other plants in house deco- 

 ration. Cuttings put in in the ordinary way, in peaty 

 soil having a surfacing of silver-sand and placed in 

 heat, will soon take root. They should then be 

 potted off singly into 60's, returned to a light position 

 in heat, and watered, afterwards shifting them into 

 48's as they require it. It produces close heads of 

 pinkish-white flowers. H, W. Ward. 



Oxalis Bowiei. 



This pretty Wood Sorrel was commonly cultivated 

 in gardens some years ago, but scarcely ever as a 

 winter bloomer (see p. 501), rather to flower in early 

 summer and on occasionally till August. The bright 

 cerise-pink of the flowers is of a shade of colour 

 seldom met with in greenhouse plants, and the plant 

 on that account, and because of its easy culture, was 

 a favourite with many. The tubers, which are 

 elongated, Pear-shaped, and about 1£ inch long, 

 were potted in autumn if freshly bought in, and kept 

 in a vinery at rest, by preference, but at any rate in 

 a place where the frost did not enter. The soil, a 

 light peaty mixture with plenty of silver-sand in it, 

 was maintained in a dry condition until early in the 

 month of March, when the increasing warmth 

 required that water should be supplied to the soil, 

 which was best done by submerging the pots in a 

 tub for a few moments, afterwards placing them in a 

 greenhouse or newly-started vinery for a short time, 

 and affording water in moderate quantities as the 

 soil got dry. After a little foliage was made the 

 pots were placed in a shallow pit, and kept close to 

 the glass till flowers appeared. It is very essential 

 that the plants be placed near the light, as the leaf- 

 stalks rapidly become drawn when placed far from it, 

 and the beauty of the plant spoiled. 



By starting the stock of tubers at two or three 

 times, at intervals of a fortnight, the succession of 

 flowering plants may be extended into late summer. 

 As a rule, tubers that have flowered had better be 

 rested in their flowering-pots, starting them when 

 required, as it is found that to keep a compost, and 

 especially a peaty one, in a quite dry condition 

 throughout the winter, does not improve its con- 

 dition. The drying oft' of the tubers in the autumn 

 should be practised in a gradual way, as with 

 Achimenes and other similar subjects. F. M. 



Pleiones. 

 During the past few weeks these plants have been 



the brightest objects in the Orchid house, and as 

 some species are now going out of flower, it may be 

 well to remind those who cultivate them that this is 

 the best time to repot them. Although no leaf- 

 growth is apparent they commence to root immedi- 

 ately, and if disturbed later on some of the young 

 roots are sure to be broken. A compost of loam and 

 peat fibre (two parts of the latter to one of the 

 former) with chopped sphagnum and a little silver- 

 sand, is one that suits them perfectly. Well-drained 

 pans, about 5 inches deep, are well adapted for their 

 culture. After potting, the pans should be placed on 

 a cool, airy shelf, and no water must be given until 

 the young leaves are pushing from the buds, and even 

 then very carefully. Over-watering during the earlier 

 stages of growth is one of the greatest errors in their 

 cultivation. When in full activity, however, Pleiones 

 can scarcely have too much, and manure-water may 

 be frequently given. The most useful species are P. 

 lagenaria, maculata, and Walllichiana ; another dis- 

 tinct and desirable species is P. humilis. All these 

 are natives of the Himalayas. W. B. 



Eakfohium gbande. 

 This easily grown plant is propagated by division, 

 the crowns being potted up in small pots in a 

 mixture of three parts light sandy loam and one 

 of sweet leaf-mould, afterwards grown on in a 

 close pit, giving them a position near to the glass to 

 ensure sturdy growth. Shift into larger pots before 

 the roots become matted. It is a dwarf-growing 

 broad-leaved subject, and the fact of its dark green 

 surface being marbled over with yellow renders it a 

 decorative plant of some value. It succeeds in a 

 greenhouse, and requires copious supplies of water 

 after the pots have become well filled with roots. 



Hibiscus bosa sinensis. 

 There are now many excellent varieties of this 

 native of the South Sea Islands in cultivation, 

 among which may be mentioned H. rosa sinensis 

 magnificus, H. rosa sinensis fulgidus, H. rosa sinensis 

 kermesinus, H. rosa sinensis miniatus semi-plenus, 

 and H. rosa sinensis vivicans, all of which produce 

 flowers of great size and brilliancy of colour. The 

 Hibiscus is a remarkably showy stove plant. It is 

 of free growing and vigorous habit, and therefore of 

 easy culture. Cuttings of the young growths having 

 two or three joints, inserted round the edges of 

 6-inch pots filled with peaty soil, with a sprinkling 

 of silver-sand added, plunged to the rim in sawjust, 

 in a hand-light placed anywhere in heat, watered 

 and kept close, will soon emit roots. They should 

 then be pinched, and a couple of weeks later be 

 potted off singly into 3-inch pots, returned to heat 

 and watered, afterwards shifting them into larger 

 pots as occasion may arise, using three parts of peat 

 and one of iibry loam and sharp sand, and in a 

 rougher state at each subsequent potting. After the 

 pots have become filled with roots, an occasional 

 surface-dressing with Beeson's bone-manure before 

 giving water at the roots, will prove beneficial to the 

 plants. H. IV. Ward. 



Plant Notes. 



CLETHEA AEBOEEA. 



Greenhouse hard-wooded plants in general do not 

 receive so much attention as many of them deserve ; 

 the above-named plant, for instance, is one of that 

 class. It is easily managed, and well repays the 

 small amount of labour that it is necessary to bestow 

 upon it by producing an abundance of pretty white 

 flowers borne at the ends of the branches. It is not 

 of a dense habit, and grows from 8 to 10 feet in 

 height. Madeira is its native country, and it belongs 

 to the Heath family. The flowers last in perfection 

 a length of time. Many of the plants of this genus 

 are deciduous, but this is evergreen. It is benefited by 

 being put out in the open in a shady part during the 

 summer months. A mixture of rough loam, peat, 

 and sand (peat predominating), is a suitable compost 

 tp pot it with. W. H. 



ElCHARDIA LEHMANNI. 



We received rhizomes of this plant from the Cape 

 of Good Hope, some few months ago, under the 

 name of E. cethiopica var. rosea. These have since 

 flowered, and specimens have been sent to the Eew 

 Herbarium, and Mr. N. E. Brown has referred it to 

 the above species. We were somewhat sceptical as to 

 its being rose-coloured with us, however permanent 

 that colour may be in its own habitat ; as many 

 plants that hail from these bright sunny lands with 

 most beautiful coloured and tinted flowers are quite a 

 failure when an attempt is made to reproduce 

 them in our ever-changing clime. Many instances 

 might be cited of plants that are most gorgeous in 

 colour in their own homes, but which when introduced 

 and grown in our country arc almost worthless be- 

 cause they lack the colour they possess in their own 

 countries. In this plant we noticed one flower 

 which had a slight tendency to become rose-coloured, 

 but the rest are white, and with age have a ten- 

 dency to become green. The leaves are long and 

 narrow, tapering at each end, measuring some 

 14 inches in length at most, and from 1 to 4 inches 

 in width at the widest part, the petioles being a little 

 longer than the length of the leaves. As far as we 

 are able to judge from our plants, they do not 

 seem very floriferous, but we cannot say definitely as 

 to its capabilities in this direction, as the rhizomes 

 we received were not all of equal vigour. It cer- 

 tainly is a plant well worth growing, and next year 

 we hope to be in a position to say something more 

 of its merits. W. Harrow, Botanic Garden, Cam- 

 bridge. 



Doronicum plantagineum excelsum. 



This is by far the finest Leopard's-bane, and un- 

 doubtedly one of the most showy and useful hardy 

 perennials we possess. It should be grown in every 

 garden, if only for the sake of its lovely flowers for 

 cutting — a use for which they are particularly well 

 adapted. They last for a week in water, and their 

 rich golden yellow colour makes them highly attrac- 

 tive. It has been so frequently described, that little 

 need be added to what has been said before. I 

 enclose a few blooms cut from an open bed, which 

 has been in continuous flower ever since spring, and 

 even now in November they look as gay as ever. 



To procure a good supply of cut flowers in early 

 spring, I am now potting up a number of plants in 

 large pots, which I keep in a cool frame during the 

 winter. In early spring I place them in a green- 

 house, with but little heat, where they soon send up 

 numerous flower-stems. Thus treated, I always 

 manage to have an abundance of these beautiful 

 blooms before the early spring-flowering varieties, 

 such as D. austriacum, D. caucasicum, and others, 

 make their appearance. C. S. 



GEOUP OF ODONTOGLOSSUMS. 



[See Supplementaby Sheet.] 



No genus of Orchids lends itself more readily to 

 the skill of a tasteful arranger of plants than the 

 Odontoglossum, it being almost impossible to arrange 

 its arching sprays of handsome flowers in a still' or 

 ungraceful manner, even when set up without special 

 skill in arranging. A few broad foliage plants at 

 the back, a plant or two of Adiantum Earleyense 

 and A. cuneatum, a few dwarf Selaginellas, some 

 Isolepis, and variegated Panicum, or so, for the 

 front, the floral part of the arrangement being mado 

 up with the handsome snow-white or quaintly 

 blotched Odontoglossum crispum and 0. Pescatorei, 

 and a few rich brown and yellow 0. triumphans 

 and 0. Hallii, form a display sufficiently striking 

 to give a good excuse for the enthusiasm of any 

 lover of Orchids. Such a group we depict in our 

 Supplementary Sheet, and such a group is to be met 

 with in scores of our gardens, now that Orchid 

 growing has become a general and not an exclusive 

 fancy in our gardens. Many photographs of effective 

 grouping of Orchids have been sent to us, and from 

 time to time reproduced, acknowledgment to the 

 sender being at the same time made, Unfortu- 



