144 STOVE PLANTS. 



yellow in coloar, -when arrived at a flowering state. This 

 species cannot fail to be a grand ornament to the plant stove. 



Lagebstbcemia. 



A beautiful ornamental, genus of plants of the Lythrum 

 family, so beautiful and so easy of culture that they should 

 be in every collection. They are mostly stove shrubs which 

 require a rest during winter, with only just sufficient water 

 to keep the shoots from shrivelling. In spring, water must 

 be given more liberally, and with it more heat, which 

 should be increased as the season advances. When the 

 first growth is made, more air should be given, and the 

 plants should be fully exposed to its influence .to ripen the 

 ■wood. This being effected, should a larger pot be required, 

 the plants may at once be shifted, using a mixture of peat and 

 * loam, in equal parts, with plenty of silver sand, and then 

 started into growth again by giving them a close moist 

 atmosphere ; this will soon cause them to push out fresh 

 shoots, and upon these the flowers will appear. No collec- 

 tion of plants should lack these grand though ill-used old 

 plants. 



L. Indica. — This beautiful species will succeed in a green- 

 house, or even in the open border in the southern counties, 

 if slightly protected in winter, but requires a stove to show its 

 great beauty. The leaves are somewhat ovate, acute, and 

 quite smooth. The panicles are terminal, the flowers very 

 numerous, and the petals curiously curled, and of a lively 

 flesh colour. Native of China and Japan. 



L. Indica alba. — A variety of the preceding, differing only 

 in having the flowers pure white in place of flesh-coloured. 

 It is a charming and most desirable variety. Native of 

 China. 



