October 31, 1888.] 



Garden and Forest. 



423 



by streamlets in the woods, in stubble fields by acres, their 

 white or yellow flowers giving color to miles of territory, but 

 only in the early part of the day; for theirbroad and handsome 

 rays, at least those of most species, wither like the corollas of 

 Morning Glories, or Four O'Clocks, as soon as the sun is in 

 mid-sky. The tallest species {Madia elegans) is a strikingly 

 showy. Coreopsis-like plant, altogether neat and graceful, 

 however offensive its tar-like stickiness is to the touch. The 

 rays, one inch long and deeply three-lobed, are of a lively 

 yellow, with a velvety red base. The heads are borne loosely 

 and somewhat pendently at the ends of slender, almost leaf- 

 less branchlets, the main stem standing six feet high or more. 

 No lover of things beautiful can fail to admire the uncommon 

 grace and coloring of this iVIadia, as it lightens up the 

 roadsides and l)anks of streams through miles of mountain 

 forests. 



Afar from the fields and waysides, in deep mountain shades, 

 where, after the drought of more than half a year, the stream- 

 lets are still flowing, one may find in October fine masses of 

 flowers and ferns; not strictly autumnal plants, yet such as, at 

 least, have the faculty of putting forth just now a second and 

 a truly autumnal display of color. Such are two or three 

 species of Mimulus. Wc shall find no scarlet to match that of 

 the Lobelia of eastern brook-sides, but the Mii/uihis car- 

 dinalis is scarcely inferior to that; and the banks of Mimulus 

 inodorus, often two feet high, and seeming like an overgrown, 

 large-flowered and scentless Musk Mimulus, are a charming 

 sight. 



Another plant, one of the Sa.xifragc tribe {Boykinia occiden- 

 talis), with most elegant foliage and loose panicles of white or 

 pinkish flowers, lingers in bloom from June until October. 

 Here, too, the lirilliant pendants of Euonymus and the large 

 red globes of Cornel berries {Corntis Nuttallii), and the fall- 

 ing acorns of the California evergreen Chestnut Oak, all 

 blend their sweet influences, and make us feel that, even in 

 California, there are autumnal days. Edw. L. Greene. 



Oakland, Cal. 



The Centennial of the Fuchsia. 



TF there is one plant which has reached the maximum of 

 -'■ popularity it is certainly the Fuchsia. Every one knows 

 this charming shrub, with its highly-colored flowers. In 

 winter one finds it in the green-houses ; it decorates our 

 homes in spring, and in summer it adorns our gardens, and 

 it may be seen in every window. 



It is just a century since the first Fuchsia (Fuchsia coccined) 

 was introduced into Europe. Since that time travelers in the 

 mountains of tropical America have discovered numerous 

 varieties and brought back specimens. A. De CandoUe, in 

 the " Prodroiniis, ' mentions twenty-six species, which number 

 was increased to forty by Dietrich in his " Synopsis Phnitarum." 

 Now there are fifty distinct species known. 



As to the number of varieties which are the result of the cross- 

 ing of these species it is impossible to get even an approximate 

 idea. Mr. Porcher, in the fourth edition of his work on 

 Fuchsias, published in 1874, describes or mentions more than 

 300 varieties, selected from the most beautiful. Few plants 

 lend themselves so readily to hybridization. We cannot dis- 

 cuss these varieties here, as it would require a volume to 

 mention them even, but it may be interesting for some of 

 our readers to know the primitive type of the varieties which 

 they cultivate, or, at least, the groups to which they belong. 

 We shall briefly summarize, therefore, the different sections 

 under which Fuchsias have been arranged, with a short de^ 

 scription of the species which have been introduced. 



De CandoUe adopts the following classification : 



FIRST SECTION. 



Calyx-tube cylindrical or obconical, narrowed above the 

 ovary ; leaves opposite, verticalate or rarely almost alternate ; 

 ovules in two ranks in each cell. 



1. Breviflora. — Tube of the corolla as long as or shorter 

 than the lobes, stamens included. 



2. Macros/e?nonecB. — Tube of the corolla as long asorshorter 

 than the lobes. 



3. Longiflora. — Tube of the corolla two or three times as 

 long as the lobes. 



SECOND SECTION. 



Tube gibons at the base below the ovary ; ovules minute, 

 grouped without order about a central placenta ; leaves 

 alternate. 



This section included a single species only, F. cxcorticata, 

 when De CandoUe published his monograph. 



FIRST SECTION. 



I. Breviflores. — This group is composed of species with 

 small flowers, nearly all of which are in cultivation. 



I. Cultivated Species. 



F. inicropliylla, a handsome shrub, with numerous devari- 

 cate branches and abundant small red flowers. 



F. lycioides, one of the first species introduced. Brought 

 from Chili by Menzies about 1796, and now rarely cultivated. 



F. thyndfolia, a species near F. inicrophylla, from which it 

 may be distinguished by its nearly entire pubescent leaves 

 and by its greenish sepals. 



F. bacillaris, a dwarf species, with bright rose-colored 

 flowers, the petals broad in comparison with the sepals. 



F. cylindracea, with cylindrical flowers. 



F. acinifolia, with very small leaves. Introduced about 

 1840, and now lost from gardens. 



II. Species not Introduced. 

 F. tetradactyla, Guatemala. 

 F. Notarisii, Mexico. 

 F. spinosa, Chili. 



3. Macrosteinona\ — In this group, which has few representa- 

 tives, there are a small number of species in cultivation. 



I. Cultivated Species. 

 F. Magellanica {F. inacrosteinma, Ruiz and Pav.), first in- 

 troduced under the name of F. coccinea. Several forms of 

 this plant have been described by different botanists as species, 

 and have been introduced into cultivation. Among them are 

 F. conica, so named on account of the shape of the calyx ; F. 

 globosa, named from the shape of the flower buds. Accord- 

 ing to Don, this variety was raised from the seed of F. conica. 

 It is possible, if this plant is only a variety, that it was ob- 

 tained accidentally, although it is certainly found in a state of 

 nature. Some authors are of the opinion that it is a native 

 of Chili, and I have found it myself in May, 1876, in New 

 Grenada. It is the only form of F. Magellanica that I saw 

 growing wild. There is reason to believe, therefore, that it is 

 not a hybrid, and the fixity of its characters will cause it to be 

 considered, perhaps, a species. F. discolor, F. gracilis, and 

 its variety, F. decussata, F. reciirvafa, F. araucaria, are also 

 considered to be spontaneous varieties of F. Magellanica. 

 The hybrids of these varieties obtained by cultivation are 

 now innumerable.' To this section also belong F. coccinea, a 

 Brazilian species {Botanical Magazine, t. 5,740), which was for 

 a long time confounded with F. Magellanica ; F. arborescens, 

 which looks like almost anything rather than a /^;(i7;j-/rt y /■". 

 racemosa and F. syringivflora, varieties of this species, which 

 is a native of Mexico;" /\ alpestris. a Brazilian species, with 

 large leaves and inconspicuous flowers, rare ; /■"■. peniculator, 

 near /•". arborescens, was introduced from Guatemala in 1856, 

 and is rarely seen in cultivation. 



II. Species not Introduced. 

 F. ovalis, of Peru ; F. pubescens, Brazil; F. intcgrifolia ; F. 

 radicans, Brazil ; F. verrucosa, New Grenada. 



III. Longiflores. — A group containing the largest number 

 of species, most from the north-western part of South 

 America, and corresponding to Endlicher's sub-genus 

 Fuchsia. 



I. Species in Cultivation. 



F. corynibiflora, a species with large leaves and terminal 

 clusters of dark red flowers. There is a variety with white 

 flowers. 



F. Boliviana, a species near the last, and introduced into 

 England about a dozen years ago, and about which little is 

 known. 



F.fulgens, a showy Mexican species, with denticulate leaves 

 and long vermilion-colored flowers hanging from the extrem- 

 ity of the branches. 



F. dependens, near F. corynibiflora, but with smaller leaves 

 in fours. 



F. apetala, a species with apetalous flowers, less known 

 than the following. 



F. mcerantha, discovered in Peru by Mathews, anil by Lobb 

 in Colombia, who sent it to Europe. Its flowers, without 

 petals and with a very long, dark-reddish purple calyx, are very 

 beautiful ; unfortunately the plant is delicate. 



F. peiiolaris {F. miniata, Planchon and Linden), a native of 

 New Grenada, with axillary flowers with a i)urple vermilion 

 calyx and small red petals. 



F. bcnsta, a species near the last, with vermilion-orange 

 undulate petals ; discovered by Humboldt and Bonpland, in 

 New Grenada. 



