ON PITCHER AND INSECTIVOROUS PLANTS. 



625 



the scorching rays of the sun during the hottest part of the day. 

 With this condition of high temperature naturally the plants 

 require an abundance of moisture at the roots and in the atmo- 

 sphere at all times. They make their growths and pitchers 

 during the summer months, and are generally seen in perfection 

 about September. After this time, with shorter days, accom- 

 panied by cooler nights, the temperature may be reduced to 

 about 65deg. at night, and the atmospheric moisture diminished 

 correspondingly ; but the plants must not, under any considera- 

 tion, be allowed to suffer from want of moisture at the roots 

 at any season. The plants are best accommodated when grown 

 in baskets, which show their graceful habit to perfection, and 

 they can also thus be more easily transferred or suspended, as 

 desired, in any position, for exhibition purposes, &c. 



The most distinct and desirable kinds are Nepenthes hicalcarata. 

 The plant is of robust habit, with very broad foliage. The pitchers 

 are large, of elegant form, about 5in. long, and upwards of 

 3in. wide at the broadest part ; the colour, when mature, is light 

 reddish-crimson, marked with parallel ridges. They are of 

 remarkably stout texture, have two prominent fimbriated wings 

 in front, and on the inner side of the triangular process at the 

 articulation with the lid, two strong, spiny spurs, which suggested 

 the specific name. A rare species from Borneo. 



N. Burkei is a native of the Philippine Islands. It has distinct 

 cylindrical pitchers. Sin. long, narrowed in the middle ; the colour 

 is green, spotted with red. They have a distinct, ridged, deep 

 red rim at the top. This species is remarkable as being the most 

 variable one in cultivation. The variety N. B. excellens has 

 much larger and somewhat more cylindrical pitchers, which are 

 more richly coloured. The spots on them are larger and more 

 numerous ; the lid also is prettily spotted, which, in the type, 

 is almost destitute of spots. Both possess a good constitution, 

 and pitcher freely. 



N. cincta is a native of Borneo ; the pitchers are fine in tex- 

 ture, yin. or Sin. long, and the colour is green, flushed with red, 

 and with numerous irregular purple blotches. The plants are of 

 good constitution and pitcher freely. There is a question of the 

 possibility of its being a natural hybrid between N. Noi'thiana 

 and N. albo-marginata. It certainly has many of the character- 

 istics of these species. N. Curtisii is another distinct and desir- 

 able species from Borneo, having pitchers of a dull green, thickly 

 mottled with purple, while the lid is prettily marbled, with purple 

 on a pale ground. The variety N. C. siiperba is, however, a 

 very striking improvement on the type. Not only are the 

 pitchers of the variety much larger, but their coloration is also 

 much superior. The ground-colour is of a rich sanguineous 

 red, wath longitudinal yellow-green streaks and markings. The 

 rim, which has here a much greater development, with the 



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