USEFUL FLOWERING SUBJECTS 83 



For fine plants with a dozen stems, 15-inch pots will not 

 be too big to finish with. 



Spiny Euphorbia 



{E. splendens). — An ugly plant in pots, but excellent 

 when planted out in a bed of light, sandy soil and brick 

 rubbish, and given a position well exposed to sun, the 

 shoots being tied to a wall. It is more serviceable than 

 many Cacti, and as curious as most. The scarlet flowers 

 are freely produced over many months, and are useful 

 for cutting. Sow in a dry or sunny position in stove or 

 intermediate house. 



EXACUMS 



These are very beautiful, but unfortunately not easily 

 procured, except in one case — E, affine, a charming little 

 Socotran plant, introduced by Professor Bayley Balfour. 

 Seed may be obtained from large firms. Some should 

 be sown in March, and some a month later. Sow and 

 grow and flower in intermediate house. When the 

 seedlings are | inch high, prick them off in pans, using 

 any light soil, and later transfer them singly to 3 or 3^^ 

 inch pots. If preferred, a dozen plants or so could go 

 into a shallow pan. The habit of this pretty annual is 

 good, and the shoots require no pinching to keep them 

 neat. The flowers have lilac-blue petals and yellow 

 anthers, and are very sweetly scented. Exacum affine 

 has the points of a good winter flowering plant. It is 

 neat, easily grown, and brightly coloured. From the 

 sowings suggested above, plants flowering from December 

 to March will be obtained. The allied E. Forbesu is unfor- 

 tunately lost to cultivation. E. macranthum (blue-purple) 

 and E, zeylanicum (violet) have much larger flowers, and 

 well grown are very fine. Treat as E. affine, giving, 

 however, more space. 



