360 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



close again at night, and if open in the day, when 

 rain is ahout to fall the Tetrathecas hegin to shut up 

 their hlooms. 



They are verj' showy when in flower, and are well 

 suited for exhibition pur- 

 poses ; the treatment re- 

 quired to obtain good 

 specimens is similar to 

 that recommended for 

 Ericas, but they wOl not 

 bear the exposure to the 

 full sun like those plants. 

 For soil use about two 

 parts of peat, one of 

 light loam, and one of 

 sand. Tetrathecas dis- 

 like flre-heat, but damp 

 and mildew must be kept 

 from them during winter 

 by a free circulation of 

 air. 



T. erieoides. ■ — A free 

 grower and a profuse 

 bloomer ; the leaves ar- 

 ranged in whorls, linear 

 and dark green ; the 

 flowers rosy-lilac. May 

 and June. 



T. hirsuta. — Leaves 

 small, oblong, clothed 

 with long hairs on the 

 upper side, downy be- 

 neath ; it is an abundant 

 bloomer ; flowers purple. 

 Spring months. 



T. verticillata. — Avery 

 free grower, and almost 

 a perpetual bloomer ; it 

 makes very slender 

 branches, and the narrow 

 leaves are disposed in 

 whorls ; these are shghtly 

 hairy and bright green ; 

 flowers large, on long ^ 



foot-stalks, rich violet- * 



blue in colour. After ''* 



flowering, the stems 

 should all be cut back to 



within one or two Joints of the old wood. This 

 species blooms in the spring and summer months. 

 (The correct name of this is Flatytheca galioidea.) 



TMbaudia.— The plants of this genus are re- 

 markable for the beauty of their flowers ; they belong 

 to the F«c««i(E— an order we have noticed under the 

 genus Ceratoatema — and require the same treatment. 



Testcdiharia elephahtipes. 



Thibaudias are deserving of the notice of all plant- 

 growers, though careful attention is requisite to pro- 

 duce good specimens and to keep them in health. 

 T. acuminata {Cavendiahia acuminata). — A beautiful 

 evergreen shrub, with 

 drooping branches, and 

 alternate ovate lanceo- 

 late leaves, which taper 

 sharply to a point ; when 

 young these are purplish- 

 red, but change to dark 

 green with age ; flowers 

 tubular, produced in 

 large clusters towards 

 the points of the shoots ; 

 tubes swollen at the base, 

 scarlet, tipped with 

 greenish-yellow. Natu- 

 rally this plant is an al- 

 most perpetual bloomer ; 

 in cultivation, however, 

 it flowers during the 

 winter months. Ecuador, 

 at 10,000 feet elevation. 

 T. cordifolia [Ca/iien- 

 dishia cordifolia). — 

 Leaves broadly -oblong, 

 thick and leathery In 

 texture, smooth, and deep 

 green ; flowers in dense 

 terminal racemes, tubes 

 tapering upwards, about 

 an inch long, and bright 

 rosy - red, tipped with 

 white. Winter months. 

 New Grenada. 



T. coronaria ( Themisto- 

 clesia coronilla). — An ele- 

 gant shrub, with small 

 Myrtle-like leaves; 

 flowers tubular, on long 

 drooping footstalks; 

 tubes swollen at the base 

 and ribbed, deep red. 

 January and February. 

 New Grenada. 



T. Jeaaias. — A robust 

 plant with large broadly- 

 ovate leaves, which taper to a long point, eight to 

 ten inches long, bright green above, paler below: 

 racemes almost sessile, dense; flowers large and 

 tubular, swollen at the base, both calyx and corolla 

 being soft rosy-red. Autumn months. Caraooas. 

 (Correct name Fsammiaia Jeaaicce.) 



T. sanoMtha {Paammisia aarcantha). — Leaves broad, 

 somewhat ovate, leathery in texture, dark green; 



%S«C 



