December 1, 1888.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



631 



beautiful ; the finely cut fronds are about 1 foot long 

 aud 2 inches broad, of a pale glaucous green on the 

 upper surface, and densely covered with greyish- 

 brown scales underneath. It is commonly called 

 the Lace-Fern. C. tomeutosa, a very distinct 

 species, with rather long narrow tronds, not quite so 

 finely cut as the above, thickly covered with silvery- 

 grey scales or hairs, the whole plant having a greyish- 

 green appearance. C. hirta (Ellieiana) is another 

 desirable variety ; it has larger fronds than either of 

 the above, with a bright green surface, and brownish 

 underneath. 



All of the above may be readily obtained from 

 spores, and are of free growth. They will succeed well 

 in any ordinary compost ; aud a good loamy soil will 

 suit them better than peat. They succeed best in 

 an intermediate temperature, though C. elegans may 

 be grown in the stove, and the other two in a low 

 temperature, and although they like a fairly shady 

 position they should not be grown under the shade of 

 other plants or too closely together, or they will get 

 drawn up, and when separated the fronds will not 

 support themselves. A few young plants grown 

 together in shallow pans make the best display ; 

 this is the best way to treat all of the smaller grow- 

 ing Ferns, especially if a succession of young plants 

 can be obtained. A few fresh young plants grown 

 together always have a better appearance than older 

 specimens grown singly. Pteris. 



Plant Notes. 



PLANTS FLOWERING AT KEW. 



The following interesting plants are now in flower 

 in the Palm-house at Kew : — 



Bauhinia tomentosa var, glabra. --This is one of the 

 few species of the very large genus Bauhinia which 

 are amenable to stove cultivation and which flower an- 

 nually. It is a bush b' feet high, with long switch-like 

 branches and leaves 3 inches across. These are bi- 

 lobed, as are all Bauhinias, and they always have a 

 healthy look. The flowers are in pairs on the ends 

 of the branches, each one being 1 inch across, and 

 deep cupped, composed of five ovate petals which are 

 canary-yellow in colour, the upper one having an 

 additional blotch of purple. This species is figured 

 in Bot. Mag., t. 55l>0. It is a native of India, &c. 



Carludovka rotundifolia. — A large tuft of this 

 stemless, tall-leaved species is a conspicuous orna- 

 ment in one of the beds. The leaf-stalks are 8 feet 

 high, 1 inch in diameter at base, half an inch at top, 

 round, smooth, shining green. The blade is 3 feet 

 across, palmate, split to the base into about four 

 divisions, which are again split into narrow segments 

 at the top. The flower-stalk rises from the sheath- 

 ing base of the youngest leaf, and is about a yard 

 high, as thick as the leaf-stalk, and it bears three 

 overlapping boat-shaped sheaths, 8 inches long and 

 2} inches wide, green, falling off as soon as they un- 

 fold. They enclose a spadix (j inches long by \h 

 inch through, which is covered with flowers, with 

 long white filaments attached to them, and hanging 

 down in the most graceful manner. Afterwards the 

 fruits, or rather the whole spadix, ripens, curves 

 downwards, and the fruits split away at the base, re- 

 vealing the most brilliant scarlet and yellow colours. 

 It is difficult to describe the peculiar character of 

 these flower- and fruits. A figure has been made 

 for the Botanical Magazine. An allied species, C. 

 palmata, is the source of the well known Panama 

 hats, whicli are manufactured from its leaves. 



Pandamus ceramieus, — It is only rarely that the 

 cultivated species of l'andanus flower. In the l'alm- 

 house at Kew the very large P. odoratissimus has 

 borne cones several times, and a male plant of the 

 same species has only lately borne a magnificent in- 

 florescence. P. ceramieus is a small kind when 

 compared with that species. The plant now in fruit 

 is 10 feet high, the stem naked, 1\ inch in diameter, 

 covered with abortive spine-roots, and bearing at the 

 top a crown of graceful green leaves, each one a yard 

 long, and 1.1 inch wid», channelled, the ken spinv 



only near the apex, and the margins clothed with 

 fine white spines. The fruit (they are really flowers, 

 but one doesn't like to use the term for a solid cone, 

 made up of little nuts) are in clusters on curving 

 peduncles a foot long ; each cone is 2.V inch long, by 

 H inch through, green at first, ripening to a ricli 

 scarlet colour of great attractiveness. This species 

 is generally known in gardens as P. ceramensis. 



Licnala grandis. — The large specimen of this is 

 again flowering freely. It has bloomed every year 

 for the last five years, but it has never ripened seed, 

 although the flowers were carefully pollenised last 

 year. The older name, viz., Pritchardia grandis, is 

 that generally used for this Palm, although it is not 

 a bit like a Pritchardia. 



Xanthosoiiia robusia. — This grand Aroid attains 

 gigantic proportions when liberally treated and 

 allowed plenty of space. The plant now flowering has 

 a stem 4 feet long, 6 inches in diameter, nearly erect, 

 and bearing six leaves, the blade of which is i\ feet by 

 3 feet, and the stalk 5 feet long, 6 inches in diameter 

 at base, narrowing to an inch where it joins the 

 blade. The flowers spring from the sheath of the 

 young leaf, the scape being stout, 1 foot long, the 

 boat-shaped spathe being 1 foot, and the erect spadix 

 8 inches, the whole not unlike a gigantic Caladium 

 inflorescence. For large plant-stoves this Aroid is as 

 useful as a JIusa, and as easily grown. 



Begonia socotrana and two of its otl'spring, viz., 

 B. John Heal and B. Adonis, are now flowering side 

 by side in the Begonia-house at Kew. As winter 

 blooming kinds these are of first-rate excellence, for 

 they bloom freely, remain in perfection several weeks, 

 and are large flowered and brightly coloured. There 

 is no reason whatever why these three plants should 

 not be the forerunners of a race of winter-flowering 

 Begonias as useful and beautiful as the race which 

 owes its origin to two or three South American 

 species. Everyone knows that the Messrs. Veitcli 

 set the ball rolling which resulted in the grand 

 summer blooming Begonias, and it is to them that 

 we owe this new and very promising race. B. 

 Adonis is very much like an ordinary tuberous 

 Begonia, except that it is flowering now when 

 they are all at rest, and it retains its blooms 

 longer. These are 1.+ inch across, rosy-red, paler in 

 the centre. 



Shipsalis Houlletianus.— There is only one really 

 good garden plant amongst the numerous species of 

 Khipsalis known, and that is the above named. The 

 stems are flat, like a knife-blade ; each " blade " is 

 about 9 inches long, sinuately lobed or toothed, witli 

 a flower springing from each sinus. This flower may 

 be called a small white Epiphyllum-like flower. The 

 stem is thin and cylindrical below, so that the flat- 

 tened portion looks like a long leaf with a thin stalk. 

 A well grown plant when in bloom is a pretty and 

 unusual picture ; such a plant may now be seen in 

 the collection at Kew. 



Ipomata ternata — This is now flowering freely in 

 the stove at Kew. As will be remembered, it was 

 introduced a few years ago as " the white-flowered 

 I. Horsfallia;, "and was then named I. Thompsoniana. 

 It afterwards proved to be the old I. ternata, of 

 which Jacquin published a good figure in 1797 from 

 a cultivated plant. Of course it is not nearly so 

 attractive as I. Horsfalli;e, of which a verv large 

 example, covered with bunches of bright crimson 

 blossoms, may be seen in the same house with I. 

 ternata. II'. W. 



StEKOQASTOA C0NC1NNA VAE. MULTIl'LOUA. 



This is a neat small plant, attaining a height of 

 about 2 or 3 inches. It should be treated as a stove- 

 plaut, and several of its tuberous rhizomes put into 

 pans just below the surface of the soil. A mixture 

 of peaty sandy soil suits their requirements, and this 

 should be raised well above the rim, mound-shaped, 

 with several small pieces of sandstone inserted here 

 and there over the surface, between which the rhizomes 

 may be planted. It is very floriferous, continuing in 

 flower for a long period, the colour being of a lilac- 

 blue. To propagate it, each small stem should be se- 

 parated and put into small pots, or, if sufficient can be 



procured, made up into a permanent pan and put into 

 a close case for a few days, which is best done in the 

 spring time ; or the rhizomes may be cut into two or 

 three pieces. This is figured in Bot. Mag., t. 5253 ; 

 but this genus, together with Gloxinia aud a few 

 others, is now placed with that of Sinningia. 



TOIIUEYA MVRISTICA. 



In any collection of Conifers the above-named de- 

 serves a place, not so much ou account of its appear- 

 ance as a tree, for as such it cannot be compared 

 with many of the beautiful Pines and Piceas, but it 

 is worth planting for the sake of its curious appear- 

 ance when in fruit, especially from July to the end 

 of October. 



A plant in the collection here, about 20 feet in 

 height and the same in diameter of branches, has 

 borne fruit regularly the last eleven years, some 

 years more abundantly than others ; but this year I 

 have never seen it better, many hundreds of its 

 curiously nutmeg-shaped fruits, about 1.J inch long 

 having been produced near the extremities of the 

 branches, giving the tree a quite distinct appearance 

 from any other Conifer. 



A thick husk, similar to a Walnut, encloses the 

 solitary fruit, and when ripe, peels off in the same 

 manner. This husk has a unpleasant and peculiar 

 smell, and the tree has, no doubt, on that account 

 been called the Fcetid Yew. 



It is a native of California, and is said to attain a 

 height of 40 or 50 feet. It thrives well in a gravelly 

 subsoil, and is very hardy, our winter not appearing 

 to injure it at all. Its wood seems hard and durable 

 like tlie Yew, but the trunk is small in comparison 

 with the spread of branches. A. Harding, Orton Ha'l, 

 Hunts. 



THE CHEMISTRY OF VEGETA- 

 TION, IN REFERENCE TO THE 

 GROWTH OF THE POTATO. 



(Continued from p. 432.) 



Now to get an idea of the passage of starch from 

 the leaves to the tuber — which journey it cannot, it is 

 said, perform as starch — let us for a moment, as we 

 used to as little children, "just pretend." We 

 will pretend there are groups of happy little beings 

 in parties in a leaf made up of six Cs, ten lis, and 

 five Os, and they want to go a long journey 

 exploring. They don't know what has become of 

 little beings like them before. They all have hold 

 of one another and they find, try how they will, they 

 can't get away as they are. Ami then pretend that 

 some good fairy tells them that if they get two more 

 little H's and one more little O to join them, they 

 will be as if they were something quite different, 

 and able to get about. People won't know them. 

 And they do ; and then they journey ever so far and 

 ever so long. And then they get to a place where 

 they want to stop. But some of them want to be as 

 they were before. And the good fairy tells them 

 that to do so they must say good-bye to two little 

 H's and one little 0; and they do, and find they 

 are just what they were before : and so they settled 

 down in their new home, and — well — lived happily 

 ever after, and never wanted to go any more jour- 

 neys. 



But although it is so commonly believed starch 

 molecules cannot, or do not, go as such from one 

 part of a plant to another, Sachs distinctly speaks of 

 finding starch in the petioles.* 



Now although the grouping, or, as it is often called, 

 the " linkage " of atoms in molecules of inorganic 

 compounds has been arrived at in many cases with what 

 appears to be tolerable certainty, the case is very dif- 

 ferent with organic. It has indeed been suggested that 

 the composition of soluble starch may be C„ n . H„„ , 

 Oiocr'l' (The relative proportions, (i, 10, 5, still 

 remain.) 



* Mar-hill War.l's translation of tbe Vorlesungen edition 

 of 1887. p. 329. 



Horace T. Brown and John Heron, "Contribution- to the 

 History of Starch ant its Trun-foroiatkm-," Jonrn. Cnein. 

 v > , nit,, 1*79, pp. M>>j- 651, The reference i« to p. Hits. 



