HOVEA. 293 



H. atrorubens, — .A very useful and ornamental plant, 

 forming handsome little bushes if treated in the way recom- 

 mended above. The stems and branches are dark red ; the 

 leaves large, opposite, somewhat ovate, and toothed at the 

 edge ; the Ageratum-like flower-heads are reddish, shaded 

 with Ulac, and produced in abundance during the autumn 

 and winter. Native of Mexico. 



H. ianthinum. — This is the most common species, and is 

 a most useful plant for winter flowering. The leaves are 

 large, ovate, soft, deeply serrate at the edges, and dark green. 

 The flower-heads are purple, produced in very large corymbs 

 from the points of the branches ; it is an abundant bloomer, 

 and well deserves cultivation in the choicest collection for its 

 winter flowers. Native of Mexico. 



H. macrophyllmn. — A gigantic form of the preceding ; the 

 leaves are large, cordate, and dark green ; the corymbs of 

 flower-heads are reddish lilac, and produced during autumn 

 and winter in great profusion. Native of Mexico. 



HovEA. 



This genus of Leguminosm consists of AustraUan shrubs of 

 great beauty, which should be grown in every collection. For 

 soil, &c., see Daviesia. The Hoveas make fine plants for 

 exhibition, furnishing a colour which is much wanted amongst 

 a collection of plants, and yet we now seldom see them grown 

 for this purpose. If required for the decoration of the con- 

 servatory or greenhouse they make some of the finest of all 

 plants that can be grown. Cuttings of the young wood root 

 tolerably free if inserted in sand under a hand-glass. 



H. Celsi. — This very handsome plant has alternate, simple, 

 broadly lanceolate leaves, somewhat blunt, mucronate, and of 

 a very dark green. The flowers are pea-shaped, and of a 



