73 
At the conservatories, in house no. 4, the large plant of Medi- 
nilla magnifica is now in full bloom and strikingly beautiful. 
This species is one of the most showy members of the meadow- 
heauty family, Melastomaceae, and this is an unusually large 
specimen for greenhouse cultivation. Its numerous pendulous 
ilower-clusters, of a bright rose pink, make it a conspicuous object 
in that house. In the aquatic house, no. 9, isa plant in full flower 
of the Florida swamp-lily, Crinum americanum. This is the only 
species of the genus native to the southeastern United States, 
and inhabits shaded river swamps or open marshes from Florida 
to Texas; it is also found in some parts of Cuba and the Isle of 
Pines. Another plant of interest in this house is the Egyptian 
paper plant, Cyperus Papyrus, with its tassel-like inflorescences 
at the ends of the tall slender stems. ; 
In the fruticetum the Asiatic hazelnut, Corylus pontica, has 
already passed flowering, having first opened its catkins late 
in January. Thunberg’s willow, Salix gracilisiyla, is covered 
with “pussies,” which almost any warm day now may break into 
bloom; it is one of the earliest to show signs of activity, accommo- 
dates itself to either dry or wet situations, and is one of the best 
of oe shrubby willows. The goat willow, Salix caprea, is also 
“pussies,” and the first warm days will bring it into bloom. 
The Japanese Mahonia, Odostemon japonicus, has its flowers in 
the bud stage and will be in bloom ere long. Perhaps the 
Most attractive plant in the fruticetum has been the Japanese 
witch-hazel, Hamamelis japonica. Covered with its mantle of 
bright yellow flowers, it offers a striking contrast with its neigh- 
bors, still in their dormant condition of naked branch and limb; 
attractive as it is in itself, it is doubly so coming at a time when 
Most other shrubs and trees give no sign of an early awakening. 
In the flower gardens the snowdrops have been bold in their 
cHorts to tell us that spring is coming; they are very opti- 
mistic, for their first flowers appeared late in January, and have 
‘ppeared scatteringly ever since. The Cloth-of-Gold crocus 
came into full flower during the second week of March. 
