ON STOVE PLANTS. 



66i 



manner and recurved. The flower-scape rises from the centre 

 about a foot, and is terminated by a distichous, flattened, rose- 

 coloured spathe, from the bracts of which are produced in 

 succession lovely sky-blue flowers with a distinct white eye, 

 which once seen are not soon forgotten. The variety tricolor 

 has a green and rose-coloured spathe, and vivid blue flowers 

 with a pure white eye ; whilst another form, vera, is of a dwarfer 

 habit, the bright rosy spathe not being extended so high above 

 the foliage, and the flowers being of a beautiful liiac blue. 

 T. Zahnii, from Costa Rica, is another handsome species. In a 

 young plant the leaves are amber-coloured, with red veins ; as 

 the plants advance in age the centre becomes 

 a beautiful scarlet, and this colour continues 

 to increase until the flower-spike appears 

 with its scarlet bracts and clusters of golden- 

 yellow flowers, which are thrown well up 

 above the foliage. T. splendeiis (Fig. 428), 

 yellow, with purple bracts, is another beauti- 

 ful kind showing considerable variation. 



small-grow- 



ToRENiA. — A genus of beautiful 

 ing plants, with most charming flowers. They 

 are easily propagated from seed or cuttings, 

 and grow freely in equal parts of peat and 

 loam with a little sand and charcoal. Pinch 

 the points of the young shoots as they grow 

 to make them branch, and train on sticks. 

 Torenias are also well adapted for growing 

 in baskets to suspend from the roof. 

 The lovely tubular gamopetalous 

 corolla and the pretty arrangement 

 of the stamens and beautiful colours 

 of the flowers render them especially 

 attractive. T. asiatica, from China, 

 has marble-like blendings of blue, 

 purple, and lilac. T. Bailloni, a 

 native of India, produces golden- 

 yellow flowers with a purple throat. 

 T. Fournieri grandiflora, from Cochin 

 China, has sky-blue flowers with dark 



purple spots and yellow throat ; and alba is a beautiful new 

 white variety. T. rube?is, from Hong Kong, is purple. The 

 last four are best treated as tender annuals, sowing the seed in 

 March in pots plunged in a gentle hot-bed. 



Fig. 



428. — TiLLANDSIA 

 SPLENDENS. 



ToxicoPHL^A SPECTABiLis. — This is a poisonous, but very 

 handsome winter-flowering shrub, native of South Africa, and 

 sometimes called Winter-Sweet. The leaves are elliptic, and the 

 flowers are produced in large, dense, terminal and axillary sprays 



