HOT -HOUSE OR STOVE PLANTS. 



205 



T. osiatica — leaves opposite, 

 cordate - acuminate, ser- 

 rate at the edges, aud 

 light green; flowers tubu- 

 lar, with a four-lobed 

 spreading limb ; rich deep 

 purple, tipped with white. 

 All thespringaad summer 

 months. East Indies. 



T. Bailloni— similar inhabit 

 to the preceding ; tube in- 

 side and out dull brown, 

 limb orange-yellow. Sum- 

 mer months. East Indies, 



T. Pournierii— more erect 

 habit, and annual ; flowers 



pale blue, three lobes of 

 limb porcelain stained in 

 front with yellow. Sum- 

 mer months. East Indies. 



T.hirsuta— a trailing plant, 

 in general appearance very 

 like T. Asiatica; flowers 

 reddish - purple, witn a 

 white lip. Summer and 

 antumn months. East 

 Indies. 



T. pulcherrima — flowers 

 lai^e, rich violet-purple 

 ahd white. Suinmer and 

 autumn months. Bast 

 Indies. 



Tosicophlsea. — A genua of Apocynacece, from 

 South Africa ; one spe- 

 cies, T. Thtmbergii, is 

 the " Gift - boom," or 

 ** Poison Tree," of the 

 colonists, and the Caffres 

 are said to have used a 

 decoction of the bark for 

 poisoning their arrows. 

 The plant here described 

 is higlily ornamental ; 

 pure ■white ; flowers in 

 winter. Pot in loam and 

 peat, "with a little sand ; 

 when growing, stove ; 

 afterwards, Intermediate 

 House. 



T. spectahilis. — A 

 much - branched shrub, 

 with opposite dark green 

 leaves; flowers in large 

 clusters in the way of an 

 Ixora ; pure white, fra- 

 grant. Winter months. 

 Natal. 



Tradeseantia.— Commelynaceous plants of re- 

 markable beauty, named in honour of J. Tradescant, 

 gardener to Charles I. of England ; popularly known 

 as Spider-worts ; they are, for the most part, much 

 branched and trailing, consequently are admirably 

 adapted for f^TOwing in hanging baskets. Peat and 

 leaf-mould in equal parts ; water freely. 



TOREXIA FODKNIEI; 



T. discolor variegata— the 

 old form of this plant had 

 leaves arranged in a rosu- . 

 late manner, orect, and 

 stiff ; deep green on the 

 upper side, -vinous-purple 

 beneath ; in variegata the 

 upper side of the leaf is 

 diversified with longitu- 

 dinal streaks of pale yel- 

 low. Mexico. Properly is 

 BhcBO discolor variegata. 



T. multicolor — with thi-^ 

 may be associated several 

 species which form splen- 

 did basket plants ; the 

 leaves are pale green, pel- 

 lucid, beautifully diversi- 

 fied with white rose, pur- 



ple, and crimson ; tome- 

 times the leaves are wholly 

 of one or other of these 

 colom's. This plant is a 

 form of Zebrina pendula. 

 T. WarscewicziancL — an arbo- 

 rescent species, becoming 

 branched with age, leaves 

 nearly a foot long, yheath- 

 ing at the base, and re- 

 curved at the apex, form- 

 ing an elegant vase-like 

 plant ; it produces a large 

 much -branched panicle of 

 purplish - lilac flowers, 

 which, though small, are 

 very effective on account 

 of the density. Spring and 

 summer. Guatemala, 



Vriesia. — A genus named in honour of Dr. W. 

 de Vriyse, once Professor of Botany in Leyden. 

 These plants are now included under Tillaudsia. 

 Except where stated to the contrary, the species 

 bear the same specific name under Tilltindsia. 



V. brachystachya — a small species, with leaves three to 

 SIX inches long, and upwards of one broad, strap-shaped, 

 recurved towards the ends ; light green, slightly glau- 

 cous. Scape and spike double the length of the leaves, 

 the latter ovate, made up of broad imbricating bracts, 

 which are green and bright scarlet; flowers yellow, 

 stamens exserted, yellow. Winter months. Brazil 

 Correct name is Tillandsia carinata. 

 V. gigantea^this, as its name implies, is a large-growing 

 species ; leaves long and 

 broad, strap-shaped, re- 

 curved at the apex and 

 spreading ; deejj green, 

 slightly tesselated on 

 the upper side with a 

 paler hue. Spike erect, 

 bearing a massive scape, 

 clothed with large deeiJ 

 rose - coloured bracts ; 

 flowers green, stamens 

 exserted. Brazil. A form 

 of T. regina. 

 T, guttata — leaves erect, 

 spreading ligulate, with a 

 much-enlarged base ; deep 

 green, slightly glaucous, 

 and beautifully spotted 

 with purplish- crimson on 

 both surfaces. Tropical 

 America. 

 V. psittacina — a dwarf plant 

 with ligulate leaves, much 

 enlarged at the base and 

 furnished with a long stiff 

 point at the apex, and 

 pale green. Spike longer 

 than the leaves, bearing 

 on the top a broad disti- 

 chous scape ; bracts boat- 

 shaped, basal half deep 

 magenta, upper part light 

 green; flowers jellow,'eacU 

 petal tipped with darK 

 oHve-green ; very hand- 

 some. ■Winter months. 

 Brazil. 



V. psittacina, var. rubro- 

 bracteata— plant similar to the preceding, but the scape 

 is not closely two-ranked ; bracts large, brilliant scarlet, 

 flowers rich canary-yellow, tube open, stamens exserted. 

 Winter months. Brazil. 

 V. sanguinoleuta — a bold plant, with long strap-shaped 

 leaves, suddenly contracted at the apex into a stitt' point, 

 spreading; deep green, profusely blotch* d and marbled 

 from base to apex vrith dull crimson. Brazil. 

 V. tessellata — a massive and handsome plant, with broad 

 strap-shaped leaves, which are much enlarged at the base ; 

 ground-colour deep green, beautifully chequered with 

 yellowish-green, and on the under side veined with rosy- 

 pui-ple. Tropical America. 



Xanthorrhoea — the Grass-trees of Australia^ 

 belonging to the order Liliaceoi. They are also known 

 as ** Black Boys *' on account of the stems when left 

 behind after a fire (which frequently occurs) resem- 

 bling black men in the distance. From these trees are 

 obtained two kinds of fragrant resin, called " Botany 

 Bay Gum " and ** Black Boy Gum," which has led to 

 the name of " Grass Gum-trees," sometimes applied 

 to them. These plants form stout Palm-like stems, 

 from six to ten or more feet high, bearing on their 



