ON STOVE PLANTS. 



665 



These plants are readily propagated by cuttings in spring, and 

 thrive in a mixture of peat, loam, and sand. 



Alocasia. — Handsome foliage plants, with often bronzy or 

 variegated, and generally peltate leaves ; these when well grown 

 have a noble appearance. Use as compost two parts very 

 fibrous peat, broken into lumps (discarding most of the fine 

 dusty portion), and one part of live sphagnum, with a 

 little fibrous loam and silver -sand. Put an extra quantity of 

 drainage material in the pots, arid raise the crown of the 

 plants on a mound above the rim. Make the compost just 

 firm, but not hard, and place the plants in a warm, moist, 

 shady part of the house. Apply water freely when in full 

 growth, but rather sparingly during the resting period. Alocasias 

 may be propagated by dividing the rhizomes in spring. 



A. Tenningsii is a free, dwarf-growing, prettily-marked species 

 from India; in habit it more resembles a Caladium than 



Fig. 431. — Alocasia Lowii. 



any of the following named sorts : A. Lowii, from Borneo 

 (Fig. 431) has large handsome dark green leaves, veined 

 with white. A. macrorhiza variegata, a robust, free-growing 

 species from Ceylon, has large, somewhat heart-shaped leaves, 

 blotched and marbled with white, and with striped leaf-stalks. 

 A. metallica [A. cupred) produces bronzy peltate leaves i2in. 

 to i8in. long, resembling highly-polished metal shields; a native 

 of Borneo. A. Sedeni is a hybrid variety obtained by crossing 

 A. metallica with A. Lowii, and in which the characters of the 

 parents can be distinctly traced, the leaves being bronzy-green, 

 with ivory white veins on the upper surface and purple beneath. 



