HOT-HOUSE OE STOYE PLANTS. 



SI 



.Schmea — ^A genus of plants belonging to the 

 Pine-apple famUy (^r(w«e/ifl««), and deriTing their 

 3iame from aichnu, " a point," in reference to the stiff 

 points of the calyx. They are aU natives of tropi- 

 cal America, and are oftentimes fomid growing as 

 ■epiphytes in the company of Orchids, Ferns, and 

 other plants, on the stems and branches of the 

 forest trees. Their leaves are arranged in 

 a rosulate manner, the bases of the leaves 

 closely imbricating, so as to form a hollow 

 in the centre, capable of holding -water ; 

 ■and this should be always kept filled. 

 Many of the small-growing Mnds thrive 

 "best when grown upon a block of wood ; 

 the larger kinds, however, succeed better 

 ■treated as pot-plants, the soU being com- 

 posed of peat and loam in equal parts. 



^. etele»ti». — Leaves linear-oblong, the 

 ■edges armed with 

 ■closely-set short 

 spines, deep 

 green, but faintly 

 "barred trans- 

 Tersely with a 

 paler hue ; the 

 pednnde stout, 

 bearing a large, 

 dense raceme; 

 bracts rosy -pur- 

 ple ; calyx pale 

 brown; i>etals a 

 lovely pale blue. 

 Summer months. 

 £ra2dL 



JB. dueolor. — 

 leaves broad and 

 Tecurved, green above, purple below; the panicle 

 branched, destitute of bracts : calyx coral-red, tipped 

 with black; petals twisted, and dull purple. Summer 

 -months. BraziL 



^. distiaeantha. — Leaves linear - oblong acute, 

 glaucous-green, the edges distantly armed -with red- 

 dish spines ; panicle furnished with numeroiis large 

 and showy bright red biacts, which greatly add to 

 the display ; calyx rose-colour ; the petals of a deep 

 bluish-purple hue. Summer months. San Paulo, 

 BraziL 



J5. fulgens. — Leaves somewhat narrow, spiny at 

 the edges ; the flower-spike rather short, slightly 

 branched, ornamented with bright scarlet bracts ; 

 flowers scarlet, tipped with blue. Late smnmer and 

 autumn months. Cayenne. 



^. ghmerata. — ^Leaves quite smooth, upwards of 

 "two feet long, and nearly six inches broad ; linear- 

 ■oblong, distantly armed on the edges with short and 

 stout black spines ; dull green ; scape erect, eight to 



.3]CSM£A UISIATA BISCOLOS. 



twelve inches high, bearing its flowers in alternate 

 glomerate panicles, in which the large bracts are 

 bright red, _the petals deep blue. Spring months. 

 Bahia. 



-fi. Maria Segitue. — Very robust ; leaves some 

 eighteen inches long, armed -with spines at the 

 dark green; spike erect, the lower portion 

 bearing numerous, very large boat-shaped 

 bracts, of a rich magenta, flushed with a 

 shade of rose; raceme dense, flowers tipped 

 with a deep blue, which changes -with age 

 to rosy-pink. Its beautiful bracts last 

 months in full beauty. Spring months. 

 Costa Pica. 



jE. Melinoni. — ^IJeaves one to two feet 

 long, spiny at the edges, and dark green ; 

 scape erect, more than a foot high, bear- 

 ing a many-flowered panicle, the middle 

 branches being 

 the largest; 

 flowers rich scar- 

 let, tipped -with 

 pink. Summer 

 months. Brazil. 

 jE. Veitchii. — 

 This species 

 forms a pretty 

 rosette-like plant ; 

 the leaves strap- 

 shaped, up-WEirds 

 of a foot long, 

 and about two 

 inches -wide, finely 

 toothed at the 

 edges, pale green, 

 with some spots 

 of a darker hue ; flowers produced in a dense, oblong, 

 biactiate head, some six inches or more long, flowers 

 and biacts bright scarlet. Summer months. New 

 Grenada. 



.Sischynantlliis. — These are beautiful flower- 

 ing plants, belonging to the order Gesneracees. The 

 majority of the species thrive best potted in a mix- 

 ture of peat and Sphagnum moss, and they should be 

 placed in hanging baskets and suspended from the 

 roof. Naturally, ^schynanthus axe epiphytal, their 

 pendent stems and clusters of showy flowers hanging 

 do-wn amongst the branches of the forest trees ha-ring 

 a gorgeous effect. They enjoy strong heat, and an 

 abundance of water both to the roots and in the 

 atmosphere. 



-S. cordijhlius. — Leaves heart-shaped, thick and 

 fleshy, smooth, dark green above, paler on the under 

 side. Flowers tubular, produced in large axillary 

 clusters; tube orange inside, red -without; limb 



