. 404 
member of the Vine family, which has one branch of the bifid 
tendrils curiously flattened and bearing embedded male and 
stalked marginal female flowers. It is native of the Malayan 
Peninsula id Islands. The Kew plants were received from the 
Botanieal Gardens at Singapore. 
Hop Hornbeam.—Osírya carpinifolia, Scop. The death and 
consequent removal of probably the finest specimen of this tree 
in Britain, although a grafted one, has unfortunately to be recorded. 
It stood near the Hardy Fernery on lawn L (7) of the Kew Key. 
Plan. For several years it had not t been in good health, and on 
being taken down, its roots were found to have been kiiled by 
fungus mycelium. A portrait of the Us appeared in the 
Gardeners’ Chronicle for September 30th, 1890, p. 275 ; another is 
given by Loudon in his Arboretum. et TEulistiuia Britannicum 
in 1838. The species, which is a native of South Europe, Asia 
Minor, &c., was introduced to this conntry prior to 1724, as it is 
mentioned in Furber’s V w sery Catalogue, published in that year. 
The actual measurements of the Kew tree were as follows : height, 
59 ft. ; spread of branches, 68 ft. ; girth of trunk 3 ft. from the 
ground, 9ft.4in. Fruit was abundantly produced, but no perfect 
seeds were ever developed. 
Tropical Fern House.—The reconstruction of No. II. which holds 
the collection TI Tropical Ferns, was com mpleted during the past 
ummer history of the house is given in the Kew Bulletin 
for 1895 (pp. 200, 201). The east wing was reconstructed in 1889 
on the mixed system of iron and wood construction described in 
the same volume (p. 300). The west wing and transept have now 
also been reconstructed on this principle. The e ridge of the tran- 
sept which formerly did not extend beyond the main body of the 
building, has been continued across it with a great improvement 
of both internal and external effect. 'The use of green glass has 
now been altogether abandoned. 
Nepenthes House.—During the past year a house has been erected 
for the cultivation and exhibition to the publie of the fine collection 
of Pitcher plants possessed by the Royal Gardens. They require 
peculiar treatment for their successful growth, and this cannot be 
given in a house devete to a mixed collection of stove plants and 
always open to visitors. Hitherto the greater part of the collection 
could only be grown in houses not accessible to the public, and 
when exhibited was not ion to advant 
The new Nepenthes House at Kew is a light dest -roofed 
strueture built alongside the stove (No. IX.) in the T. range. It 
is 70 ft. long, 12 ft. wide, and 9j ft. high ; the ^ is soie. 
kn of hot 
pipes that are deeply placed so nee they m be partially ed 
with water if necessary. Abundance of moist heat is thus pro- 
vided, so that the plants have "i on sh sate i they enjoy in 
nature ‘provided for them. The new house has no external 
doors ; visitors enter and leave it pg doors opening from the 
