xviii. [supplement.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



[June 1, 1912. 





NEW PLANTS. 



NON-COMPETITIVE GROUPS. 

 ' Gabdeners' Chronicle " Cup. — The 25- 



inea cup offered by the Gardeners 9 Chronicle 

 x>r the test novelty in the show has been awarded 

 to the Rev. A. T. Boscawen, of Cornwall, for his 

 exhibit of the New Zealand plant Leptoepermum 

 •coparium Nichollii, a variety with brilliant red 

 flowers. As was recorded in our Supplement last 

 week, a First-class Certificate has also been 

 awarded for this variety. 



A large Gold Medal was awarded to Capt. 



Dorrien -Smith, D.S.O., of Kingshill, Berkham- 



sted, for an interesting group of Olearias, the 



11 Daisy Bushes " of New Zealand and Australia. 



Some of the species of Olearia are amongst th 



<3 



on the east coast of New Zealand. This species 

 is a compact bush, and has close-set leaves that 

 measure 2j to 3 inches long by £ to £ inch broad, 

 lanceolate in outline, narrowed at the base, ser- 

 rate or serrulate near the tips, and covered on 

 the under-surface with white tomentum. It is 

 described as growing in swamps, and the flowers 

 are stated to have purple rays and violet disc 

 florets. A white-flowered form of this species is 

 also known. Another species from the Chatham 

 Islands is Olearia chathamica, which has oblong- 

 lanceolate leaves 3 inches long by 1| to 2 inches 

 broad, serrate at the margins, covered with white, 

 loosely-adpressed tomentum beneath. The flowers 

 are described as purplish or white, with violet- 

 coloured disc. Olearia Colensoi belongs to the 

 broad-leaved species which has thick, coriaceous 



O 



crowded with thick, coriaceous leaves at the tips; 

 the latter oblong or ovate, 7 inches long by 

 4 inches broad, entire, the older leaves shining 

 above, white with adpressed tomentum beneath, 

 the young leaves covered with white tomentum 

 on both surfaces. Species with a Holly -like ap- 

 pearance are Olearia macrodonta, with leaves 4 

 inches long by 2 inches broad, strongly toothed 

 and waved at the margin, whitish beneath ; its 

 variety minor with similar but smaller leaves, and 

 0. ilicifolia with linear lanceolate glaucous green 

 leaves, toothed and waved at the margin, sparsely 

 pubescent beneath ; both the species have a musk- 

 like fragrance. Olearia avicennisefolia has 

 broadly lanceolate leaves, narrowed at both ends 

 and measuring 4 inches long by 1£ inch broad, 

 whitish-buff beneath ; 0. oleifolia, oblong-lanceo- 



i ■ ' 





Fig. 10.— GROUP OF ORCHIDS AWARDED THE KING'S CUP. 



most beautiful and striking members of the flora 

 of New Zealand. A familiar example is Olearia 

 Haastii, a hardy, free-flowering shrub frequently 

 seen in English gardens. The majority of species 

 are, however, tender, and require a sheltered 

 position out of dcors or the protection of a cool 

 greenhouse, except in favoured localities. The 

 group exhibited by Capt. Dorrten Smith com- 

 prised 33 distinct species, all (with one exception) 

 out of flower, but attractive, nevertheless, owing 

 to the handsome evergreen foliage which these 

 shrubs possess. .Included in the group was the 

 rare Olearia semidentata. which has only recently 

 been introduced to cultivation by the exhibitor 

 from the Chatham Islands, a small volcanic group 



Exhibited by Sir George Holford, K.C.V.O. (gr. Mr Alexander). 



leaves, 6 inches long by 3 inches broad, oblong- 

 lanceolate, obtuse, the older leaves shining above, 

 densely felted on the under-surface ; the younger 

 leaves covered above as well as beneath with 

 whitetomentum. Closely resembling this species 

 in foliage is Olearia Lyallii, from Ewing Island 

 in the Lord Auckland group and the Snares. From 

 the North and South Islands and Stewart Islands 

 comes Olearia nitida, a handsome species with 

 broadly ovate-lanceolate leaves 3£ inches long by 

 2^ inches broad, sinuate at the margin, more or 

 less coriaceous, distinguished by the silvery lustra 

 of the under-surface. One of the most magnifi- 

 cent species of the genus is Olearia insignia, 

 which has stout, densely-pubescent branches 



late leaves, 2-3 inches long by £ inch wide, glowy 

 above, white beneath ; 0. nummularifolia, small, 

 close-set, coriaceous leaves, £-£ i nc ^ l° n £> ^ 

 orbicular in outline ; 0. virgata lineata, slender, 

 twiggy branchlets, leaves 1-1£ inch long, exces- 

 sively narrow-linear ; O. furfuracea, leaves o 

 inches lone, 2^ inches broad, margins wavv »^ a 

 toothed, shining above, silvery white beneath; U. 

 lacunosa, leaves 4 to 6 inches long, narrow -lift* **, 

 | inch broad, with white mid-rib, rugose beneatn, 

 covered with rusty tomentum ; 0. angustifoh*» 

 reaves narrow lanceolate, coriaceous, 3 to 5 incft» 

 long, £-§ inch broad, doubly serrate at the mar- 

 gin, white beneath ; 0. mosehata, leaves obovaWi 

 J inch long, white beneath, musk scented ; 



