HOT-HOUSE OE STOVE PLANTS. 



119 



ojiye-green, blotched with 

 wile yellowish - green. 

 Faia. 

 M. Veitohii — leaves ovate- 

 elliptic, deep olive-green 

 and shining, variegated 

 with half - moon - shaped 



blotches of yellowish- 

 green and white; the re- 

 verse side is of a vinous- 

 purple colour, showing 

 the markings of the 

 upper side. Western Tro- 

 pical Amerioa. 



Medinilla.— A genus of Melastomads, containing 

 many species of great beauty. They are all natives 

 of the islands of the Indian Ocean, and enjoy a 

 high temperature and moist atmosphere. Pot in 

 fibrous loam and turfy 

 peat, with some sharp 

 sand added. Stove. 



M. amabilis — a species with 



dark green opposite leaves, 



producing iu abundance 



erect racemes of rosy-pink 



flowers. Summer months. 



Java, 

 M. magniflca — a bold-grow- 

 ing species having large, 



opposite, broadly-ovate 



leaves, and immense pen- 

 dulous racemes of rosy- 

 pink flowers. Spring and 



early summer. Java. 

 M. Sieboldii-.-this species 



is less showy than either 



of the preceding, but as 



it blooms through the dull 



months, it is specially 



valuable j leaves opposite, 



oblong, and somewhat 



fleshy ; racemes erect, 



flowers white, with purple 



stamens. "Winter months, 



Java. 



Mimosa, — A very 

 large genus of Legumi- 

 foite, the name coming 

 from mimos, " a mimic," 

 from the extreme sensi- 

 tiveness of the leaves, in 

 many of the species re- 

 sembling somevphat that 

 of animals. They are plants of easy culture, and 

 should be grown in sandy loam, peat, ,and leaf- 

 mould. Stove. 



M. pudica. — The whole of the species exhibit a 

 fine illustration of the sleep of plants, as the leaves 

 fold up at night, but the species here quoted (some- 

 times but erroneously named M. sensitiva) is re- 

 markable for its peculiar sensitiveness, its leaflets 

 and leaves shrinking from the slightest touch; it is 

 a somewhat dwarf plant of branching habit, having 

 strong prickles upon its stem. Leaves digitate, 

 bearing numerous pinnate, bright green leaflets. 

 Brazil. 



Monstera. — A genus of Arads, most of which 

 are climbers ; they are of bold growth, with thick 

 and leathery leaves, and are suflicientlj' hardy to 

 live in a green-house during the summer months, or 



even to foi-m ornaments in the sub-tropical garden. 

 Pot in peat and loam, in equal parts, giving abun- 

 dance of water. Stove. 



M. deliciosa, so called on account of its large and 

 luscious fruit, which has the flavour of the Pine, 

 Melon, and Peach combined. Leaves large and rich 

 deep green, having perforations in them as if cut out 

 with scissors or knife. Mexico. 



Musa,- 



Calathea kosea-piota. 



■This genus gives its name to the order 

 Miisacea, and contains 

 many, bold and hand- 

 some - leaved kinds as 

 well as some with beau- 

 tiful flowers. Smith says: 

 " They are of great im- 

 portance, producing food 

 for millions of people," 

 and that the area re- 

 quired to yield 33 lbs. 

 of Wheat, or 99 lbs. 

 of Potatoes, would pro- 

 duce 4,400 lbs. of Plan- 

 tains. 



The Plantain, M. para- 

 disiaca, and the Banana, 

 M. sapientum, have been 

 cultivated from time 

 immemorial, and the 

 varieties produced are 

 as numerous as those of 

 the Apple. Pot in rich 

 loam, and ■ water abun- 

 dantly. Musas enjoy a 

 high temperature and 

 moist atmosphere, there- 

 fore must be kept in 

 the stove. 



M. eh!nensis— a dwarf spe- 

 cies seldom exceeding five 

 or six feet in height, with 

 deep green oblong If aves 

 some three feet in length 

 and two feet in breadth ; 

 it is extrt-mely valuable as 

 ■ being not only ornamen- 

 tal, but very fruitful in a 

 somewhat low stove tem- 

 perature. This plant is 

 found in collections under 

 the names of M. Caven- 

 disbii and M. Sinensis. 

 China. 



M. coccinea — a slender spe- 

 cies, attaiiiing a height of 

 about four fee^, bearing a 

 terminal inflorescence ; 

 flowers yellow,, spathes 

 rich scarlet, tipped with 

 yellow. Summer months. 

 Cochin China, 



M.Ensete— the gigantic Ba- 

 nana of Bruce ; it bears 

 leaves ^when fully deve- 

 loped) some twenty feet 

 long, and between three 



and four feet wide ; these 

 are bright green, the stout 

 midrib at the back being 

 vivid crimson, and the 

 stem very stout; fruits 

 not edible. Abyssinia. 



M. rosacea — resembles coc- 

 cinea, but the flowers are 

 beautiful soft rosy-pink, 

 Mauritius. 



M. sapientum and its va- 

 rieties produce the lus- 

 cious fruits known as 

 Bananas, which are eatfen 

 in a fresh state ' when 

 ripe, whilst the fruits of 

 M. paradisiaca, tbe Plan- 

 tain, are usually gathered 

 in an unripe state and 

 roas#ed. M, sapientum is 

 a bold-growing plant some 

 iifteea or twenty feet 

 high, bciring enormous 

 bunches of pendent fruits 

 weighing upwards of sixty 

 pounds. Tropics. 



M. textiUs— a tall-growit.g 

 plant which is very orjia- 



