SUCCULENT-HOUSE. 



719 



freely by cuttings, and prefers a rich, light, turfy 

 soil. The humid atmosphere of an aquarium is 

 a very fit place for this plant, if trained near to 

 the glass. 



Strelitzia. — An old but interesting tribe, with 

 flowers somewhat resembling the beak and 

 crested head of some species of cockatoo. Pro- 

 pagated by separating the large fleshy roots, 

 having at their tips a portion of the plant ; re- 

 quire a rich soil and abundance of root-room. 



Talauma. — A fine genus related to Magnolia, 

 producing very fragrant flowers. Propagated by 

 cuttings, and requiring a rich turfy soil. 



SELECT LIST OF FINE-FLOWERINQ STOVE- 

 CLIMBERS. 



1. AUamanda cathartica, Schotti, grandiflora ; 

 2. Bignonia venusta, Chamberlaynii, chirere ; 3. 

 Combretum purpureum, elegans, Pincianum ; 4. 

 Clerodendrum splendens ; 7. Dipladenia craa- 

 sinoda, splendens, atropurpurea; 8. Eohites sub- 

 erecta, grandiflora, Harrisonii ; 11. Ipomea 

 Learii, insignis, Horsfallias, palmata ; 13. Per- 

 gularia odoratissima ; 12. Passiflora racemosa, 

 alata, quadrangularis, kermesiua, amabilis ; 1 5. 

 Stephanotis floribunda,Oblisii; 5. Cissus discolor ; 

 6.. Convolvulus pentanthus; 7. Dioscorea dis- 

 color, zebrina; 9. Hoya imperialis, and several 

 others of the genus ; 10. Jasminum sambao ; 

 14. Physianthus aurioomus. 



LIST OF ORNAMENTAL ANT) VARIEGATED- 

 LEAVED STOVE -PLANTS. 



Achimenes cupreata, A. picta; iEchmea miniata, 

 discolor; Alloplectus speciosus (capitatm) ; Aneo- 

 tochilus argenteus (Physurus), A. argenteus pid- 

 tus, A. Lobbianus, A. Lowii, A. setaceus, A. 

 setaceus cordatus, A. setaceus intermedius, A. 

 xanthophyllus {setaceus pictus) ; Aspidistra lurid a 

 variegata ; Begonia argyrostigma, B. dipetala, B. 

 frigida, B. manicata, B. ramentacea, B. sanguinea, 



B. stigmosa, B. zebrina ; Bertolonia maculata 

 {Erionema wnea), B. marmorea; Bilbergia vit- 

 tata; Brexia chrysophylla, B. errata; Bucelia 

 violacea ; Caladium pictum, C. bicolor splendens, 



C. bicolor picturatum, C. hscmatostigma, C. 

 rubricaule ; Campylobotris discolor ; Coccocyp- 

 selum discolor; Combretum Afzelii; Cossignia 

 borbonica; Croton longifohum variegatum, C. 

 pictum, C. variegatum; Cypripedium barbatum, 



C. venustum, C. javanicum ; Didymocarpus cri- 

 nitus ; Dichorizaudra vittata variegata ; Dieffen- 

 bachia maculata ; Dionsea muscipula ; Dioscorea 

 variegata (bicolor) ; Distiganthus basilateralis ; 

 Dracsena ferrea, D. ferrea versicolor (terminalis), 



D. maculata, D. nobilis; Eranthemum leuco- 

 nervum, Erionema senea, see Bertolonia. Eu- 

 phorbia pulcherrima, E. alba; Ficus barba- 

 tus ; Gesnera zebrina, G. zebrina compacta, 

 G. zebrina splendens ; Goodyera discolor, 

 Q. repens; Graptophyllum pictum ; Hsema- 

 diotyon nutans ; Hoya picta, H. variegata ; 

 Maranta albo-lineata, M. bicolor, M. eximia, 

 M. glumacea, M. rosea lineata, M. sanguinea, 

 M. vittata, M. zebrina ; Pandanus javanicus 

 variegatus ; Pavetta borbonica ; Plectranthua 

 conoolor picta ; Rhopala corcovadensis, E. 



magnifioa ; Tillandsia acaulis zebrina, T. acaulia 

 viridissima; Tradescantia zebrina ; Vriesia splen- 

 dens. 



Climbing plants are for the most part planted 

 in borders or pits prepared for them in the floor 

 of the structure. Now, we think a worse situa- 

 tion for their roots could hardly be devised; 

 they ai-e, in general, beyond the reach of air or 

 warmth, exposed to damp, and so situated that 

 their roots cannot be examined or fresh supplies 

 of soil added to them. It were better to plant 

 them in slate boxes placed on the surface of the 

 floor, and these even elevated a few inches, to 

 admit of a free passage for the superfluous water 

 to escape, and allow air to reach the roots. 

 Where plant-tables are placed around the sides 

 of the house, these boxes may be set under 

 them, and if in the vicinity of the hot-water 

 pipes, so much the better. The plants, instead 

 of being trained directly upwards under the 

 roof, should be carried along in a horizontal 

 direction ; the weaker-growing sorts nearest the 

 bottom, while the stronger-growing ones should 

 be trained nearest the top. This deviation 

 from the usual practice, and using small chains 

 instead of iron rods for conducting the branches 

 along, hung in festoon fashion, would give the 

 roof a more elegant and less formal appearance; 

 besides, the flow of the sap would be moderated, 

 and instead of the flowers and foliage being 

 almost confined to the extremities of the 

 branches, they would be clothed with both from 

 near the bottom of the plant to its farthest 

 extremity. More air and light would also be 

 brought to bear on the foliage, and the whole 

 arrangement could be easily changed to suit the 

 condition of the plants or taste of the cultivator. 

 Too little attention has hitherto been paid to 

 the graceful training of scandent-growing plants 

 not only in our plant-houses, but in the open 

 air also. 



§ 8. — SUCCULENT-HOUSE. 



Succulents are of easy culture, requiring, 

 however, abundance of light, a limited supply of 

 water at their roots, and during their growing 

 season a somewhat humid atmosphere ; hence 

 they should be grown in pits or low houses, and 

 kept as near to the glass as possible. Naturally, 

 they inhabit the driest situations, where scarcely 

 any other vegetation exists, on naked rocks and 

 sandy hot plains, alternately exposed to the 

 dews at night, and the most powerful rays of 

 the sun during the day. On soil they seem to 

 place little reliance, and grow in the very poorest, 

 such as sand, gravel, or the debris of decaying 

 rocks, drawing their nourishment through innu- 

 merable mouths, which cover theirwhole surface, 

 and through which aqueous nourishment is 

 conveyed to the juicy beds of cellular tissue 

 which constitute the greater part of their bulk. 

 In imitation of these conditions in culture, they 

 are potted in light sandy soil, with a portion of 

 lime rubbish to render it still more porous ; 

 receiving little water at the roots, but abundance 

 once a-day over-head, which, during summer, 

 should be administered in the afternoon, and 

 the house shut closely up : in the winter, this is 



