AUEICCLA 



PBIMBOSE OBDEB 



AURICULA 619 



varieties were being continually raised 

 and ' improved,' until in 1850 there were 

 enumerated about 1200 varieties. 



Aviricula flowers exhibit all shades 

 and combinations of yellow, maroon, and 

 purple, usually in concentric rings, either 

 smooth in the ' Alpine ' varieties or more 

 or less densely covered with a mealy 

 powder or paste, which also covers the 

 stems and leaves as in the ' Show ' 

 varieties. 



There is also a good deal of variation 

 in the density of the powdery thickening 

 on the leaves. Some are very heavily 

 coated and appear quite white, and 

 for this reason the Auricula is known 

 north of the Tweed as the ' Dusty 

 MUler.' The Show Auriculas are divided 

 into four groups as follows : — 



Oreen - edged. — Outer edge of the 

 flowers green, sparingly dusted with 

 powder, and surrounding a darker- 

 coloured zone called the body colour, 

 being black, maroon, or rarely red. 

 Within this is a broad pure dense zone 

 called the ' paste,' in the centre of which 

 is the yellow or golden throat. None of 

 the green-edged varieties has powdered 

 leaves. 



Grey-edged. — ■ Edge heavily dusted 

 with powder almost obscuring the green 

 colour beneath and thus giving a greyish 

 appearance. The body coloured zone, 

 ' paste ' zone, and throat are the same as 

 in the green-edged varieties. 



White-edged. — Outer edge densely 

 covered with white powder, completely 

 hiding the green colour beneath, and 

 almost as dense as the ' paste ' zone. 

 Other characters like the green-edged. 



Selfs. — These have a golden-yellow 

 throat, and a zone of paste, outside 

 which is another zone of a different 

 colour extending to the extreme edge. 



The Alpine Auricula (probably de- 

 scended trotnP. pubescens) is distinguished 

 by various shades of yellow or white in 

 centre and an outer zone of one colour, 

 or two colours blended together, and 

 without any powder. The ' Laced ' 

 Alpine Auriculas have distinct and well- 

 defined pale edges outside deeper colours. 

 There are also Alpine Auriculas with 

 double flowers, at present but little 

 known. 



' Fancy ' Auriculas, obtained from the 

 seeds of the ' Show' varieties, have a 

 zone of deep gold in place of the dark 

 body colour, and a brilliant green edge. 



gold and yellow being the predominating 

 features of the flowers. 



The ideal florist's Auricula is 

 supposed to have a perfectly circular 

 outline, with the corolla-lobes neither 

 pointed nor indented, and each zone of 

 colour should be clear, well-defined, and 

 with a regular outline. The throat should 

 be regular and filled with anthers, mak- 

 ing the flowers 'thrum-eyed,' in contra- 

 distinction to those in which the roundish 

 stigma appears, making the flowers ' pin- 

 headed ' or ' pin-eyed.' Of course it is 

 impossible to obtain flowers exactly 

 conforming to these ideals in every 

 detail, but they represent what florists 

 are aiming at. The results of their 

 labours may be seen at the exhibitions 

 held annually about AprU, but to attain 

 like results special care and treatment in 

 cold frames are necessary. So that the 

 begiimer may not be disappointed if he 

 undertakes the cultivation of the ' Show ' 

 or ' Edged ' Auricula, it may be as well 

 to mention that when raised from seeds 

 only about one plant out of every hundred 

 will be worth growing, the others having 

 reverted more or less to the natural state, 

 although the seeds may have been 

 obtained from the very finest varieties. 

 Choice forms therefore are only kept true 

 when increased by dividing the plants or 

 taking the offsets, and putting them in 

 good soil in close cool frames shaded from 

 the sun. 



For outdoor gardening the Alpine 

 Auriculas are the more free and vigo- 

 rous growing, but a packet of seeds of 

 the Show varieties will yield excellent 

 plants with a great range of variation. 



Culture and Propagation. — 



Auriculas flourish in light loamy well- 

 drained soil with plenty of leaf mould. 

 They like plenty of moisture at the root 

 during growth, and in hot dry seasons 

 a little covering of weU-rotted manure 

 or coco-nut fibre wiU keep the soil nice 

 and cool, and prevent excessive evapo- 

 ration. 



Auriculas are easily increased by 

 sowing seeds in February or March in 

 gentle heat or in cold frames. Pots or 

 pans may be used with sandy loam, well 

 drained by crocks or pieces of charcoal. 

 The seeds should be sown about 1 in. 

 apart ; they germinate slowly, but when 

 4-6 leaves are made the seedHngs may 

 be transferred singly to small pots. Do 

 not throw away the weaker plants, as 



