LIST OF STOVE PLANTS. 



553 



decoration. They all like light rich soil, plenty of heat 

 and moisture, and shade. Division. 



Marcgkavia. — A genus of Ivy-like habit, with two 

 kinds of growth, the juvenile stage having ovate leaves 

 and clinging closely exactly as Ivy does, whilst the mature 

 stage has lanceolate leaves and does not cling. M. umbel- 

 lata (dubia) is an excellent plant for clothing a wall or 

 pillar. Loam. Cuttings. The plant grown in gardens 

 as M. paradoxa is Monstera tenuis, an Aroid. 



Marica. — Flag-like plants, thriving in a shady, moist 

 position, useful for furnishing out-of-the-way places. M. 

 ccerulca, blue and gold, M. gracilis and M. Northiana, 

 yellow and purple, are the best. Division. 



Medinilla. — Strong - growing shrubs, with usually 

 broad, leathery leaves, and bunches of handsome flowers. 

 Loam. Cuttings. M. magnifica (fig. 676) bears rosy-pink 



Fig. 676.— Medinilla magnifica. 



flowers in large drooping panicles in May. M. amabilis is 

 similar in growth and flowers, but has erect instead of 

 drooping panicles. M. Curtisii is a smaller species, with 

 pendulous branchlets, producing clusters of pretty ivory- 

 white flowers. 



Mimosa pudica, the "Sensitive plant", should be raised 

 annually from seeds and grown on singly in 4 -inch pots. 

 It is most sensitive when grown in a hot, moist, rather 

 shaded position. Loam. 



Monstera deliciosa {Tornelia fragrans). — A strong- 

 growing Aroid, with stout, fleshy, scandent stems, from 

 which are borne large leathery heart-shaped leaves, with 

 numerous slit-like perforations. The spathe is 8 inches 

 long, fleshy, white, and boat-shaped. The long cone-like 

 spadix is edible. Loam. Cuttings. M. tenuis (Marcgravia 

 paradoxa) has clinging stems and ovate leaves until it 

 gets to a considerable height, when the leaves are much 

 larger and pinnate. It is an excellent wall-plant. 



Musa. — Some of the species are worth growing in large 

 houses for the sake of their noble foliage. M. sapientum, 

 the Banana, of which there are many varieties with most 



delicious fruits, should be grown both for its leaves and 

 fruits. Some of the forms have stems 9 to 12 inches in 

 diameter, and grow 20 to 25 feet high. M. Cavendishiana 

 has stems about 6 feet high, and sometimes produces 

 clusters of fruit weighing over half a cwt. M. coccinea, 

 M. rosea, and M. rubra are smaller species with erect 

 flower - spikes clothed with large bright - red or rose - 

 coloured bracts; M. sup>erba is a bulbous-stemmed deci- 

 duous species about 6 feet high; M. Ensete has a short 

 stem, and leaves from 15 to 20 feet long; it does best in 

 a cool house. M. vittata has variegated leaves; M. suraa- 

 trana and M. zebrina have bands of brown-purple on 

 their leaves. They all like a well-manured loamy soil. 

 Suckers or seeds. 



MusSjENDA frondosa. — A low spreading bush, bearing 

 on the points of the young shoots bunches of small yellow 

 flowers, encircled by large white bracts, which give it a 

 singular and pleasing appearance. May and June. Loam. 

 Cuttings. 



Nepenthes. See p. 477. 



Oxera pulchella.—A vigorous climber, with the habit 

 of Clerodendron Thomsonce, and large panicles of tubular 

 white flowers. Should have a sunny position to flower 

 well. Loam. Cuttings. 



Panax. — Aralia-like plants, with herbaceous usually 

 crisped foliage. Most of the species form elegant little 

 pot-shrubs. Loam and peat. Cuttings. P. cochleatum, 

 P. crispatum, P. fruticosum, and its varieties Guilfoylei 

 (Aralia) and Victories; P. elegans, and P. Mastersianum 

 are in cultivation. 



Pandanus. — The Screw-Pines when small are useful 

 for general decoration, and when room can be afforded 

 they are noble plants when large. They are easily grown, 

 and most of them produce offsets freely. They like a 

 rich soil and plenty of water. P. graminifolius is dwarf, 

 branching freely horizontally, the leaves narrow and 

 grass-like; P. inermis, also known as amaryllidifolius, has 

 green spineless leaves, a variegated form of it is called 

 Baptistii; P. discolor, bronzy-green; P. javanicus, silvery 

 and green, very spiny; P. pacificus, short, broad, bright- 

 green leaves ; P. Sanderi, a most decorative plant, the 

 leaves green with broad stripes of cream-yellow; P. utilis, 

 green with dark-brown margins; P. Veitchii, the most 

 popular of all, elegant in habit, green, with stripes of 

 white. 



Panicum plicatum. — A handsome grassy-leaved plant, 

 useful for furnishing. P. variegatum (Oplisrnenus Biw- 

 mannii) is an elegant plant with white and pink striped 

 leaves. 



Passiflora. — A large genus of most useful climbers, 

 of easy culture, and usually very free -flowering. Suitable 

 for draping pillars, roofs, walls, &c. They should be 

 planted out if possible. In earby spring the shoots should 

 be cut back to spurs, and the whole plant thoroughly 

 cleaned, as they are much subject to bug. The best tropi- 

 cal sorts are: — P. alata, large entire leaves, and fleshy-pink 

 and purple flowers, succeeded by large edible fruits: P. 

 Bellottii and P. Buonapartea are not unlike the last, being 

 hybrids between it and P. quadrangularis; P. ccendea does 

 well in a warm house; P. cdulis, the " Granadilla", 

 worth growing for its delicious purple Plum-like fruits; 

 P. Jcnmani, yellow -flowered; P. Jcewensis, a hybrid between 

 ccerulca and Raddiana; P. macrocarpa, like the first- 

 named, but with fruits as large as a Melon ; P. racemosa 

 (princeps) (fig. 677), pendent racemes of bright-scarlet 

 flowers; P. Raddiana (Kermesina), one of the prettiest, 

 the flowers bright-crimson and purple: P. trifasciata. re- 

 markable for its velvety variegated leaves; P. Watsoniana, 



