September 5, 188S.] 



Garden and Forest. 



529 



numbers of broad, long leaves, and overtopping these 

 is the huge head of flowers, like a half globe of scarlet 

 stars bespangled with golden tipped stamens which pro- 

 trude from them. It lasts in bloom for some weeks, 

 and amidst the usual surrounding greenery of a plant-stove 

 stands out a conspicuous object. It came from the west 

 coast of Africa, and therefore delights in heat and moisture 

 in its growing season. It is certainly a plant to note 

 by those who look for brightly-flowered stove plants in 

 August. Another highly commendable stove bulb is 

 Crinium giganleum, from the same region. Its flow- 

 ers, produced in an umbel of from five to eight on a stout 



'ml 



three or more flowers on each stem, and has been 

 in bloom for a month past. Similar to this variety, but 

 not so fine, is that named eximia, and there is another 

 called major, all of which will, perhaps, in course of time, 

 be grown in place of the old sort. 



Among other flowers of the week here worth noting are 

 the following : Imbalkns Hookeri, the new tropical^Bal- 

 sam sent out recently by Mr. Bull. It is in all respects a 

 stove plant of the first rank, easily grown, of vigorous habit 

 and a profuse bloomer. The flowers are large and of a 

 brilliant carmine-magenta. Like its relative, / Stdlani, it 

 is already largely grown in this country, and may be 



A Brid.^e in the Tliiergaiten, Berlin.— See page :;27. 



Stem from two to three feet high, are nearly si.x inches 

 across, pure white and with a fragrance like that of va- 

 nilla. It is of the easiest culture, and remains in bloom 

 for weeks. Its specific name is misleading, as there are 

 several Criniums to which this would be a pigmy jn size. 



Of quite a different type of beauty is \h& MUla biflnra 

 from Me.xico. It is a slender growing plant, with nar- 

 row, grassy foliage and wiry stems rising about a foot high 

 and carrying one or more flowers. These are about 

 two inches across, perfectly star-shaped, of snowy white- 

 ness and fragrant. It is very beautiful, and lasts in 

 beauty a long time during the present month. At Kew it 

 is grown in pots, and treated as an ordinary half hardy 

 bulb, as it has been found useless to plant it in the 

 open ground. It is quite worthy of any e.x-fra attention 

 bestowed upon it. 



Another green-house bulb of surpassing brilliancy is a 

 variety of the common Vallota purpurea named magnifica. 

 It is altogether larger than the type in bulb and leaf, 

 has a taller and stouter flower-stem, and flowers nearly 

 twice the size. They are funnel-shaped, of a glowing 

 vermilion, with conspicuous white centre. It carries 



fotmd in all the best gardens. Another of IMr. Bull's re- 

 cent introductions is Aris/olochia elegans, one of the pret- 

 tiest in flower and most elegant in growth in the genus, 

 and while most of the species are too large for ordinarv 

 houses, this may be grown as a small trained pot-plant. 

 The peculiar shape and strange color of its flowers make 

 it an object of interest in a plant-store. Those who want 

 a continuous and abundant crop of cut flowers should o-et 

 the Bolivian Dipladenia {D. Boliviensis). Its large, fun- 

 nel-shaped flowers are snow-white, with onl)^ a^ blotch 

 of orange in the centres. The plant is a climber, graceful 

 yet vigorous, and continues in bloom for weeks in suc- 

 cession. This and the lovely little Passiffora Kcnnesiua. 

 of which I lately made a note, are two of the best stove- 

 climbers, and if planted close together the)^ add to each 

 other's charms. In the green-house one of the best 

 climbers is Rhodochiloii vo/ubi/e, an awkward name for a 

 most exquisite plant. .Al this season it fesloons ihc 

 rafters or pillai's of a cool green-house w\\\\ wreaths of 

 purple, bell-like caly.xes, with deep crimson — almost Iilack 

 — corollas. It is of the simplest culture in large pots or 

 when planted out in free soil. 



