ABCTILON 



MALLOW OBDEB 



HIBISCUS 279 



gradually hardened off with plenty of air 

 and sunshine, and will be ready for the 

 outdoor garden by the beginning of June. 

 Cuttings of the ripened shoots will also 

 root readily in heat about August and 

 September, and plants raised at this period 

 will make fine specimens for planting out 

 the following June if grown on in heat 

 during the winter and early spring months, 

 afterwards hardening them off as advised 

 above. Seeds of Abutilons may be sown 

 as soon as ripe or in spring in a tempera- 

 tme of 65°-70° Pahr. 



A. Darwini. — A Brazilian species about 

 4 ft. high, with large, broad leaves, and 

 finely cupped, bright orange flowers, with 

 darker veins. There are many hybrids 

 raised fi:om this. 



Culture do. as above. 



A. megapotamicum (A. vexillarium). 

 A well-known species from the Eio Grande 

 river with ovate acute toothed leaves and 

 masses of drooping bell-shaped flowers, 

 having deep red sepals, and pale yellow- 

 brown petals with deeper coloured netted 

 veins. 



Culture dc. as above. This species is 

 usually grown up pillars or on the roofs 

 or sides of greenhouses, in which it is very 

 ornamental during the autumn and winter 

 months. In the south and west it is 

 practically hardy in ordinary winters, as 

 is also A. vitifolmi/m below, and both are 

 valuable for covering south walls. 



A. striatum. — A free-growing Brazilian 

 species, with large lobed leaves and orange- 

 yellow flowers, veined with blood-red. 

 Culture £c. as above. 



A. vitifolium. — A fine Chilian climbing 

 shrub, suitable for walls. Leaves heart- 

 shaped, 5-7-lobed, assuming a fine golden 

 tint in autmnn. Flowers in early summer, 

 large, cupped, porcelain-blue. A. Sello- 

 viianum marmoratum, with beautifully 

 marbled- leaves, is a lovely plant. 



Culture dc. as above. 



HIBISCUS. — This genus contains 

 150 species of trees, shrubs or herbs, 

 with leaves often lobed or variously cut. 

 Braeteoles persistent or caducous, numer- 

 ous, rarely 3-5, often narrow, free or 

 united. Calyx 5-cleft or toothed. Stamen- 

 tube truncate or 5 -toothed below the apex, 

 rarely anther-bearing, with numerous pro- 

 truding filaments. 



CultureandPropagation. — The follow- 

 ing are the only species which grow well 



out of doors in this country. They like a 

 rich loamy soil and warm sunny positions 

 to bring their flowers to perfection as early 

 in the summer as possible, otherwise they 

 will not bloom until autumn and may be 

 spoiled by early frosts. The perennial 

 kinds may be increased by seeds, or cut- 

 tings rooted imder glass ; the annual kinds 

 from seeds sown in gentle heat about 

 February or March, or in the open border 

 in April and May. 



H. Manihot. — A handsome shrub 6-9 

 ft. high, native of the Old World Tropics, 

 with pedately lobed leaves 6 in. across, and 

 beautiful soft yellow flowers 4-6 in. across, 

 with a deep purple blotch at the base of 

 each petal. 



Culture and Propagation. — This plant 

 is best treated as an annual, and may be 

 raised from seeds sown in heat in February 

 and planted out at the end of May. Seeds 

 may also be sown as soon as ripe in cold 

 frames or in gentle heat, and the seedUngs 

 may be grown on during the winter 

 months under glass, until favourable 

 weather in May, when they may be 

 planted out. 



H. militaris. — A fine perennial 3-4 ft. 

 high, native of the United States. Leaves 

 heart-shaped, toothed, more or less 3-lobed, 

 downy beneath. Flowers rosy, about 4 

 inches across, beU-shaped, produced in 

 late summer and autumn. 



Culture dc. as above. This species 

 should be grown in damp places. 



H. Moscheutos. — A vigorous N. Ame- 

 rican perennial 3-5 ft. high, with large, 

 ovate, pointed, serrate leaves, downy 

 beneath. Flowers white, with a purplish 

 centre, sometimes pale rose or purple. 



Culture dc. as above. 



H. palustris. — A native of the swamps 

 and marshes of N. America, 3-5 ft. high. 

 Leaves broadly ovate, bluntly serrate, 

 downy and whitish beneath. Flowers 

 large, bell-shaped, 3-4 in. across, white 

 tinted with rose, and having a ring of 

 deep pittple at the base. 



Culture dc. as above. This species 

 requires to be grown in damp situations, 

 where, however, it will have plenty of 

 sunshine. 



H. roseus. — An attractive species, 4-6 

 ft. high, naturalised in marshy spots in 

 France, but native of N. America. Leaves 

 large, broadly ovate, pointed, white beneath. 

 Flowers large, rosy, solitary, about 4 in. 



