306 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENlNa. 



potted in a compost of two parts of peat, one of loam, 

 and one of sand; drain -well, and water freely. 

 When the leaves decay, very little water is neces- 

 sary, hut do not thoroughly dry them, or the tuhers 

 will get dry rot and fall into powder. Stove. 



C. australasica—a species 

 with lanceolate leaves, 

 upwards of a foot long, 

 light green ; flowers yel- 

 low, produced in a cylin- 

 drical spike.and enveloped 

 in large bracts, the low«r 

 Goes green, the upper ones 

 bright rosy-red, rendering; 

 it very effective. Autumn 

 months. North-east Aus- 

 tralia. 



C. cordata — leaves ovate- 

 cordate, and tapering to 

 a point, slightly hairy ; 

 deep green ; spilte cylin- 

 drical ; flowers yellow, 

 bracts green and red.upper 

 ones rich violet. Summer 



and autumn mouths. East 

 Indies. 

 C. petiolata— leaves broadly 

 ■ oblong -lanceolate, taper- 

 ing to a point ; deep 

 green above, paler below ; 

 spike cylindrical ; flowers 

 pale yellow, lower bracts 

 yellowish-green, bordered 

 with rosy-pink ; upper 

 ones rich, bright, rosy- 

 purple. Autumn months. 

 East Indies. 

 C. Roscoeana-leaves broadly 

 ovate, deep green ; spike 

 cylindrical ; the flowers 

 orange-yellow,^ enveloped 

 in lich scarlet bracts. 

 Autumn months. East 

 Indies. 



Dioscorea. — A very large family of twining 

 plants, the typical genus in the order Dioscoreacem ; 

 the roots of many of the kinds, under the napae of 

 Yams, are extensively used for food in those coun- 

 tries where the climate is suitahle. Yams vary 

 much in size, colour, and weight, according to 

 the species. The principal kinds grown for food 

 are J), mhella, fflobosa, purpurea, aculeata, fasci- 

 citlata, alata, and sativa. The ornamental -leaved 

 sorts are admirably adapted for the decoration of 

 pillars and rafters in the stove. Being tuberous- 

 rooted, they require resting in winter, but they 

 must not be put into a cold place. Pot in peat, 

 leaf-mould, rotten manure, and sharp sand, in about 

 equal parts ; give plenty of root-room, and an abun- 

 dant supply of water when growing ; as they show 

 signs of decay, gradually reduce the supply, and 

 rest them through the winter in a dry state. Stove. 



D. AnEBctochilus — leaves 

 broadly-ovate, tapering to 

 a point ; when young, 

 bright green, changing 

 with age to deep olive- 

 green, beautifully mar- 

 bled with golden blotcbes, 

 and having a broad golden, 

 band through the centre. 

 Amazon Valley. 



1). argyrea— leaves cordate, 

 deep green ; the veins, 

 which are jjrominent in 

 all this family, are bor- 

 dered with silvery-grey in 

 irregular blotches. Co- 

 lumbia. 



D.chrysophyllar— leaves cor- 

 date-acuminate, ground- 

 colour of a rich bronzy 

 hue, with a broad band of 

 gold on the midrib, and 

 in addition, irregularly 

 freckled with rose. South 

 America. 



D. discolor— leaves large, 

 cordate, ground-colour a 

 deep green, irregularly 



marbled with various 

 shades of green; the 

 reverse side port wine 

 colour. South America. 



D, discolor vittata r— this 

 variety, in addition, has a 

 broad metallic- white band 

 down the centre of the 

 leaves. South America. 



D. Eldorado — leaves cor- 

 date-acuminate, bronzy- 

 green, the veins banded 

 with silvery-white, upon 

 which are numerous dots 

 of a golden hue. Brazil. 



D. illustrata— leaves large, 

 bluntly cordate, ground- 

 colour deep olive-green, 

 with a central band and 

 various irregular patches 

 of metallic-grey ; the re- 

 verse side is vinous pur- 

 ple. Brazil. 



D. melanoleuca^leaves cor- 

 date - acuminate ; a deep 

 brilliant green, with a 

 central band of silvery- 

 grey, and various irregu- 



lar blotches of the same 

 colour on the principal 

 veins. Brazil. 



D. metallica — leaves cor- 

 date ; ground-colour rich 

 bronze, with a central 

 band of creamy - pink. 

 BraziU 



D, prismatica — the leaves 

 of this magnificent 'form 

 are large, broadly heart- 

 shaped and acute; ground- 

 colour olive-green, shaded 



with emerald-green and 

 crioason, with a band ol: 

 silvery - grey down the 

 centre, and all the pri- 

 mary veins as well as the 

 transverse ones white ; 

 reverse side vinous pur- 

 ple. Peru. 

 D. sagittaria — leaves hal- 

 bert- shaped ; the ground- 

 colour light green, blot- 

 ched between the veins 

 with silvery- white. Brazil. 



G-esnera.— This genus gives its name to the 

 order Gesneracem^ but has been much subdivided; 

 thus some of the old favomites have become Nmge- 

 lias, Eueodonias, KohleiaSj Moutteas, &c. &c., whilst 

 garden varieties have sprung up and been estab- 

 lished as new genera, such as JBifflcmduiaria, JPlecto- 

 poma, Rosanoivia. They all, however, require the 

 same treatment, and their differences are so imma- 

 terial to the cultivator that we purpose treating them 

 all together. By having a good selection of these 

 plants, and treating them judiciously, their flowers 

 may be had in perfection nearly the whole season. 

 Gesneras an(i their allies thrive best in a compost of 

 fibrous peat two parts, light loam and leaf-mould 

 one part each, adding a little rotten manure and 

 sharp sand ; the pots should be drained well, as they 

 enjoy an abundant supply of water to their roots, 

 and moisture in the atmosphere, but they dislike 

 water sprinkled over their leaves ; gradually with- 

 hold water when the leaves begin to wither, but do 

 not allow the rogts to shrivel, or their next growth 

 win be weak, and probably without flowers. Many 

 cultivators remove the bulbs from the pots aitei 

 growth is complete, and store them in sand. This 

 system is convenient, but we prefer to let there, re- 

 main in the old soil until growth commences again. 

 The following list contains some of the best kinds in 

 cultivation : — 



Gr. Adeline • — white, with 

 yellow throat. 



G. amabilis — snowy-white, 

 stained with lemon in 

 front. - 



G. aureo-roseum— tuberosy- 

 hlac, lower part of limb 

 spotted with carmine ; 

 throat orange. 



G. Barlowii— salmon, with 



' a few darker spots in the 

 throat. 



G. Blassii— fine clear scarlet. 



G. Candida — pure white, 

 with yellow throat. 



G.Cerise d'Or— tube cherry- 

 red, limb and throat gol- 

 den-yellow, spotted with 

 red. 



G. cinnabarina — tube and 

 limb rich cinnabar - red ; 

 leaves densely covered 

 with fiery-red hairs. 



G. citrino-amarantina — yel- 

 low, banded and dotted 

 with amaranth. 



G. Cliftoni — upper half of 

 flower a rich vermihon; 



lower golden-j^ellow, and 

 dotted vrith crimson. 



G. Cooperii— tube brilliant 

 scarlet ; tliroat much 

 spotted. 



G. Donklarii — tube red ; 

 limb spreading ; throat 

 yellow. 



G. exonieusis— rich orange- 

 scarlet ; throat yellow. 



G Leichtlinii — rich yellow, 

 bordered with rose. 



G. lilacinella — flowers large, 

 lilac, marbled with deep 

 mauve. ^ 



G. luteo - punctatissima— 

 brilliant yellow, spotted 

 with worimson on the 

 throat. 



G. macrantha — tube bright 

 crimson, clothed with 

 short hairs ; throat white, 

 streaked with black. 



G. Madame A. Lacotnble— 

 pure white, netted with 

 rose. 



G. 'Madame Van Houtte— 

 tube bright rose; limb 



