146 



PLANT CUI.TURE 



PEPEROMIA. Useful little plants with peltate leaves, finely 

 marked with bands of white between the principal veins. Peperomia 

 Sandersii is grown either for fiUing shallow pans, mixed with other 

 plants, or as specimen plants for the window. P. maculosa and P. 

 marmorala are also well worth growing. 



Fig. 16. — Leaf cuttings of Peperomia. A, Simple cutting of Peperomia Sandersti. 

 B, A leaf properly cut prepared for making a leaf cutting. C, The growth from such a 

 cutting as B. The young plantlet starts from a callus at the base of the leaf stem, 



or petiole. 



Culture. Give plenty of water in Summer, but water carefully 

 in Winter. They are best in a warm, shaded greenhouse. 



Propagation. Propagation is effected at any time of the year by 

 placing entire leaves edgewise or flat in sand. 



PERESKTA. These are seldom grown for their value as deco- 

 rative subjects. The flowers of several of the species are of a rather 

 pleasing appearance, but they last only a short time and are not 

 freely produced. Two of the species, P. actdeata and P. grandifolia, 

 are common in cultivation, and are used chiefly as stocks for the 

 gaudy flowered Epiphyllums. 



Culture. (See Epiphyllum, page H3O' 



Propagation. (See Epiphyllum.) 



