HOT-HOUSE OR STOVE PLANTS. 



59 



A. capitatiis. — Stems red, bearing- ovate dark green 

 leaves; flowers numerous in the axils; calyx large, 

 deep crimson ; corolla small, yellow. Spring months. 

 Brazil. 



A. chrysantJms. — Leaves deep green above, purple 

 beneath; calyx deep red; the tubular corolla rich 

 golden-yellow. Summer months. Columbia. 



A. coHcolor. — The calyx and corolla are both yellow 

 in this species, the latter curiously curved. Spring 

 months. Brazil. 



A. dichrous. — Leaves ovate-oblong and entire ; 

 flowers axillary ; calyx large, reddish-purple, whilst 

 the long tubular corolla is yellow, ^nd clothed with 

 long hairs. Summer months. Brazil. 



A. SchUmii. — Leaves green above, deej) velvety- 

 purple shaded with Aiolet beneath ; calyx bright 

 red ; the tube of the corolla yellow on the under side, 

 purplish- violet above. Summer and autimm. Xew 

 Grenada. 



Aloeasia. — A large genus of Arads, nearly allied 

 to Caladlum ; it contains many plants with strikingly 

 beautiful leaves, for which they are so much sought 

 after, and cultivated in our plant-houses. The older 

 species were called " Colocasias," but that name seems 

 to have di-opped out to a great extent, and the present 

 becomes the accei)ted term. In their native coun- 

 tries the roots of some kinds are cooked and used as 

 an article of food, which, being filled \\ath starch, is 

 very nutritious. The leaves are also boiled and 

 eaten in the way of Spinach. 



Alocasias enjoy plenty of heat and an abundant 

 supply of water during the growing season, but as 

 they lie nearly dormant during the winter season, 

 much less will be required. The soil that Alocasias 

 thi-ive best in is a mixture of i^eat, loam, leaf -mould, 

 and well- decomposed manure, and a small jDortion of 

 sand. 



A. glgantea. — This species attains a height of 

 nearly or quite four feet ; the leaves are sagittate, 

 with the upper lobes much spread, upper surface 

 rich deep green, of a metallic hue on the under side. 

 Indian Islands. 



A. intermedia. — This is a garden hy])rid, and, 

 liice nearly all hybrids, a very free-gro'^'ing plant ; 

 the leaves are sagittate, and some three feet long, 

 metallic green above, the principal veins rayed with 

 white, purplish slate-colour beneath ; an extremely 

 ornamental plant. 



A. JennhujHu. — A free-groTs-ing plant, attaining a 

 height of about three feet ; leaves about ten inches 

 long, rather less across, ground-colour a glaucous- 

 green, with about six large oblong blotches of black 

 on each side of the midrib. An elegant species 

 from the East Indies. 



A. Johnstoni. — This is a remarkable plant, and 



not a true Aloeasia ; the leaf-stalks are mottled and 

 furnished with rings of spines at intervals ; blade of 

 leaf sagittate, with very long lobes ; the whole length 

 of the leaf is about two feet, bright olive-green, 

 mottled and veined with red. Solomon Islands. 

 Correct name, Cyrtosperma Johnstoni. 



A. Lowii. — Although one of the first of the genus 

 to find favour in the eyes of cultivators, it stiU re- 

 tains the high position it obtained on its introduc- 

 tion about a quarter of a century ago ; leave^^ 

 twelve to eighteen inches long, sagittate, with two 

 large ear-like lobes, upper side dark green, primary 

 veins ivory-white, T\dth a narrow white marginal 

 border, under side deep purple. Borneo. 



A. macrorhiza, var. variegota. — A bold, strong- 

 growing ^•ariety, differing only in colour from the 

 species; leaves very large, cordate-acuminate, with 

 large lobes at the upper part ; ground-colour bril- 

 liant green, splashed and mottled with pure white 

 and grey, petiole of leaf streaked with pure white. 

 Ceylon. 



A. inetaUlca. — This species is totally distinct from 

 any other known plant ; the petioles are usually one 

 to two feet high, the blade of the leaf some eighteen 

 inches long, and twelve inches across, somewhat 

 ovate in shape, with a shallow sinus at toj), surface 

 bullate, shining, of a uniform rich bronzy metallic 

 hue, under side deep shining purple. Borneo. 



A. . neo-Guineensis. — A superb species, with very 

 short foot-stalks, which renders it dwarf and compact ; 

 blade of leaf broadly-ovate cordate, the surface deep 

 green, smooth and shining, irregularly spotted and 

 blotched with creamy-white. Kew Guinea. 



A. Sanderiana. — The leaves of this very beautiful 

 species are sagittate and deeply lobed ; gi'ound- 

 colour deep metallic green with a narrow border of 

 white ; the midrib and primary veins grey, broadly 

 bordered with pure white. Indian Archipelago. 



A. Thihautiana. — A fine, bold species, with large 

 cordate-sagittate leaves of deep olive-green, over- 

 spread with a film of greyish-green, the midrib and 

 primary veins white. 



A. Veitchii. — This very beautiful plant produces 

 leaves about eighteen inches in length, sagittate in 

 shape, with very long upper lobes; ground-colour 

 intense deep green, with a white marginal border ; 

 the midrib and principal veins light green, bordered 

 on each side with grey, and the spaces between 

 slightly netted with white hair-like Hues ; the under 

 side is of a uniform deep purple. Borneo. 



A. zchrina. — A strong, bold-growing plant, with 

 large and broad sagittate leaves some two feet long, 

 and bright green; the petioles attain a height of 

 about four feet ; these are light green, encircled 

 with zigzag bands of blackish-green. Philippine 

 Islands. 



