AND GENERAL HORTIOULTUEE. 



479 



VIO 



Bisting of numerous petals, passing In alter- 

 nate tints from pure white to rose and pink. 

 Tlie smootli water was covered witli tlie 

 flowers ; and as I rowed from one to the other 

 I always found something new to admire." 

 In 1845 Mr. Bridges, an English traveler, 

 while riding along the Elver Yaoouma, a 

 tributary of the Mamore, came across a large 

 colony of the Victoria, and succeeded in col- 

 lecting a quantity of ripe seeds, which he took 

 with him, soon tifiereafter, to England. Some 

 of them he intrusted to Sir John Paxton at 

 Chatsworth, who succeeded in producing the 

 plant in November, 1849, and presented a 

 flower to the Queen at Windsor Castle, where 

 a brilliant assemblage met to admire the new 

 and beautiful treasure. 



It was first successfully grown and flowered 

 in this country about 1852, by Mr. Caleb Cope, 

 of Philadelphia, who built a house and tank 

 expressly for its culture. Since then it has 

 been flowered in many places, and is Still one 

 of the chief attractions during the summer 

 season in the principal botanic gardens of 

 Europe. Mr. Sturtevant, of Bordentown, 

 New Jersey, has for several years flowered 

 it with great success in the open air by treat- 

 ing it as a tender annual. The seeds are 

 started in winter or early spring, in water 

 kept at a uniform temperature of from eighty 

 to ninety degrees. After germination they 

 are potted and shifted on as they require it. 

 Early in June they are planted out in a bed 

 of very rich soil, in a tank fully exposed to 

 the sun and which is artificially heated until 

 hot weather sets in. It produces leaves six 

 feet across, one plant covering a space thirty 

 feet in diameter ; the flowers are from twelve 

 to sixteen inches across, and the first night 

 they open they are of a lovely white, with a 

 perfume resembling that of Pineapples, often 

 perceptible at a distance of some rods. The 

 second night the flowers have changed to 

 pink and have lost their perfume. It may be 

 grown with every chance of success in open 

 ponds in the Southern States. In 1886 Mr. 

 Sturtevant flowered, for the first time, a crim- 

 son-flowered Victoria regia, the chief differ- 

 ence of which from the type is its more 

 robust habit and that the flowers, which are 

 also white the first day, change on the second 

 day to a deep crimson. 



Victorian Dogwood. Prostranthera lasianthoa. 



Victorian Hazel. Pomaderris apetala. 



Vieusseu'xia. Named in honor of M. Vieua- 

 aeux, a Swiss botanist. Nat. Ord. IridacecE. 



Small bulbs from the Cape of Good Hope, 

 ■usually known as the Peacock Iris, on account 

 of their very .brilliant fiowers, varying from 

 white to crimson and purple. They are not 

 hardy but will grow well with partial protec- 

 tion, like most of the Cape bulbs. They are 

 rapidly increased by offsets. Introduced in 

 1776. Syn. Moram. 



Vi'gna. In memory of Dominic Vigni, a com- 

 mentator on Theophrastus, 1625. Nat. Ord. 

 uminoscB. 



A genus of about thirty species of trailing 

 ■ and climbing plants, allied to Dolichoa, the 

 principal distinction being the yellow flowers 

 and cylindrical seed-pods, while thQ Dolichoa 

 has purple and white flowers, and flattened 

 podsT The genus is chiefly South American ; 



VIN 



one or two species being found in the South- 

 ern States. Propagated by seeds. 



Viguie'ra. Named after Alexander Viguier, of 

 Montpellier, who wrote a work on Poppies, 

 1814. Nat. Ord. Compoaitm. 



A genus of annual or perennial herbs, rarely 

 shrubs, natives of the warmer parts of Amer- 

 ica. They resemble the Helianthus, and only 

 one or two are in cultivation. Harpalium 

 rigidum is placed under this genus by some 

 botanists. 



Vi'lfa. Rush Grass. Name unexplained. Nat. 

 Ord. Graminacem. 



Under this genus Steudel describes one 

 hundred and twenty-three species which have 

 an extensive geographical range, from Mex- 

 ico through the southern hemisphere to New 

 Holland. Some of the annual species are 

 pretty and are cultivated on that account. 



Villare'sia. Named after Matthiaa Villaree, a 

 Spanish botanist. Nat. Ord. Olacacew. 



A genus of evergreen, climbing shrubs or 

 trees, natives of tropical Australia, the Indian 

 Archipelago, Brazil and Cliili. V. mucronata, 

 the only species yet introduced, forms a 

 showy, evergreen, stove-house shrub, bear- 

 ing white flowers in paniculate heads* It was 

 introduced from Australia in 1879, and may be 

 increased by cuttings or by seeds. Syn. CU- 

 ronella. 



Villa'rsia. Named in honor of D. Villa/ra, a 

 famous French botanist. Nat. Ord. Oention 

 nacecB. 



A small genus of aquatic plants and herba- 

 ceous perennials. The flowers are in axillary 

 clusters or terminal panicles, and mostly of a 

 yellow color. V. nymphceoidea, a native of Eng- 

 land, and one of the finest species, is an aqua/- 

 tic of easy culture, and well adapted for the 

 aquarium. 



Villoae. Villous. Shaggy; covered with soft, 

 close, loose, long hair. 



Vilmori'nia. Named after P. L. Vilmorin, a 

 famous French cultivator, who wrote on Legu- 

 minous plants, 1825. Nat. Ofd. LegiwninoscB. 

 A small genus of erect, stove-house shrubs, 

 natives of San Domingo. V. multiflora, the 

 only introduced species, is sometimes found 

 under the name of Clitoria multiflora. 



Vimina'ria. Australian Rush Broom. Victo- 

 rian Swamp Oak. From vimen, a twig ; the 

 appearance of the species is that of a bundle 

 of twigs, being destitute of leaves. Nat. Ord. 

 LeguminoacB. 



V. denudata, the only described species, is 

 a very interesting and curious plant, bearing 

 small, orange-colored flDwers in long terminal 

 racemes. It is found generally in botanical 

 collections, and is propagated by cuttings of 

 the half-ripened shoots. 



Vimineoua. Having long, flexible shoots or 

 twigs ; like many Willows. 



Vi'nca. Periwinkle. Creeping Myrtle. Prob- 

 ably from vincukmn, a band ; in allusion to the 

 suitableness of the shoots for making bands. 

 Nat. Ord. Apocynacew. 



A well-known genus of hardy, herbaceous, 

 evergreen, trailing plants, and green-house, 

 low-growing, woody herbs. V. major and 

 V. minor are respectively the Large-leaved 

 Periwinkle and the Common Periwinkle, known 

 in common cultivation as Myrtles. They are 

 natives of Europe and have long been in cul- 



