HOT-HOUSE OR STOVE PLANTS. 



229 



youiig plants from cuttings every spring- ; and, 

 moreover, so rapid are they in gro-wth, that plants 

 many feet in diameter can he ohtained in a few 

 months, so that want of space will at once show the 

 necessity of throwing a^'ay the old plants in autumn. 

 Loam and peat in equal proportions suits them ad- 

 mirably, to which add a little sand. During the 

 summer months Coleus may he used with advantage 

 in the green-house or conservatory, hut they require 

 the warmth of the stove during winter and spring. 

 Their names are legion ; but we select a few of the 

 best kinds : — 



been introduced in a living state. These plants may 

 be grown in pots, but they thrive better, and display 

 theii- charms to greater advantage, when suspended 

 in baskets. 



\). Amazement — deep brown 

 flaked witli crimson, tip- 

 ped with green. 



Aurora — ground-colour yel- 

 lowish-green, blotched in 

 centre with rosj'-purple. 



Beauty of Widmore — pur- 

 plish-bronze, flaked ^^•ith 

 rich cai-nune, and edged 

 with creamy-yellow. 



Bijou— ground-colour green, 

 centre flaked with creamy- 

 white. 



Captivation — ground-colour 

 blight green, flaked in 

 centre with yellow, and 

 sutfused with piirj^le. 



Chelsea Beauty — rich crim- 

 son-lake, marbled with 

 deep maroon, bordered 

 with, white and green 



Cherub— deep red, veined 

 with maroon, edged with, 

 yellow and greeu. 



Dolly Yarden — deep green, 

 curiously mottled and 

 splashed with crimson, 

 magenta, and rosp-pink. 



Duchess of Edinburgh — 

 deep maroon, flaked with 

 pink, rose, magenta, and 

 cream-colour. 



rirefly — purplish. - crimson 

 and Tiolet-rose, witb yel- 

 lowish - green dots on 

 margin. 



Flambeau — deep maroon, 

 flaked with magenta, nar- 

 rowly edged with deep 

 green. 



Glow-woi-m — Centre bril- 

 ] ant crimson and inirjile, 

 edeed with bi'onzy green. 



Harlequin — yellow and 

 green ground, marbled 

 and flaked with various 

 shades of deep brown, 

 purple, and bronze. 



Kentish Fire — centre fiery- 

 crimson, bordered with 

 maroon. 



Lord Uxfdrd — rich mag'^nta, 

 flaked with green, edged 

 with, green and yellow. 



Maggie — deej) crimson, 

 marbled and flaked mth 

 yellow, bronze, and green. 



Mrs. Simpson— bright scar- 

 let, suiiused with deep 

 velvet blackish-crimson. 



Phoebus — bri;^ht scarlet, 

 shaded with crimson — 

 margin yelluw and green. 



Pine-apple Beauty — bril- 

 liant scarlet and golden- 

 yellow. 



Queeu Victoria— rich bronzy 

 crimson, bordered with 

 golden-yellow. 



Eoi al Pui-ple— purplish ma- 

 genta centre, bordered 

 with deep maroon, and 

 edged with dark green. 



Sensation — brilliant rose in 

 centre, bordered with 

 deep maroon, and nar- 

 rowly edged with green. 



Tbe Sliah— lower half of leaf 

 deep crimson, ux'per half 

 rich yellow. 



Sparkler — crimson - maroon, 

 flaked in centre with rose. 



Sunbeam— fiery-red, flaked 

 with rose. 



Troubadour — bright green 

 centre, flaked with ama- 

 ranth and white, edges 

 spotted with, crimson. 



Turban — deep crimson, 

 flnked in centre with pur- 

 ple, narrow edge of bright 

 green. 



Victory — deep brown, flaked 

 in centre with crimson. 



Yellow Gem — bright canarr- 

 yellow, veined with white. 



Colmnnea. — genus of Gesneracccc, destitute of 

 tubers. They are, for the most part, epiphytal in 

 the dense woods of tropical America, and form 

 splendid ornaments treated as basket plants; and 

 although they grow freely when planted in free open 

 soil, and treated to plenty of heat and moisture, 

 they are by no means to be neglected during the 

 winter months with impunity. The soil best adapted 

 for Columneas is fibrous peat and sand, w4th chopped 

 sphagnum and some nodules of charcoal. Some ex- 

 tremely beautiful species of this genus have not yet 



C. aurantiaca — a slender- 

 growing species, with op- 

 posite, smooth, bright 

 green leaves. Like all the 

 species of this genus the 

 flowers are tubular, with a 

 spreading limb. Spring 

 and early summer. Xew 

 Grenada. 



C. crassifolia — a distinct 

 and handsome species, 

 with erect linear-lanceo- 

 late leaves, which are 

 smooth and deep green 

 above, but clothed on the 

 under side with rufous 

 hairs; flowers rosy-scarlet, 

 the tube densely hairy. 

 Spring and summer 

 months. MeKico. 



C. crytLrophasa — this spe- 

 cits is very showy when 

 in bloom ; flowers freely 

 produced, tubes upwards 

 of three inches long, in- 



creasing upwards, cf a 

 uniform deep red; calyx 

 veiy large and spreading, 

 a x>ale yellowish - green, 

 blotched towards the base 

 with rosy-red. Summer 

 months, Mexico. 



C. scandens — a smaller- 

 growing plant than either 

 of the preceding, and a 

 profuse bloomer ; bright 

 scarlet flowers, in some 

 V arieties flesb-colour. 

 Early summer. West 

 India Islands. 



C. Scheidiana — an elegant, 

 somewhat small- grooving 

 species ; flowers upwards 

 of two inches long, srround- 

 colour rich yellow, over 

 which are numerous spots 

 and tessellations of rich, 

 brown ; calyx large and 

 spreading, rosy-purple. 

 Early summer. Mexico. 



Combretum. — A genus of climbing plants, the 

 type of the order Comhretacece. They are extremely 

 showy when trained upon pillars or the roof of the 

 stove, and succeed still better when planted in the 

 border ; indeed, they do not generally produce a great 

 effect when treated as pot-plants. The soil should be 

 about two parts loam, one part peat, and a small por- 

 tion of sharp sand. Other fine species are C. grancli- 

 fiorum, C. Pincea/Hum, and C. paniculatwn, all natives 

 of "West Africa. 



C. micro-peialum. — Leaves ojDposite, oblong-lanceo- 

 late, nearly six inches long, and deep green. Flowers 

 produced in long dense racemes, rich bright yellow 

 and orange. Autumn months. Brazil 



C. purpureum. — This plant is i^erhaps more cor-- 

 rectly named Poivrea coccinea. The two genera are, 

 however, very closely alhed, and this species is gene- 

 rally known as Comhretum. It is a grand ornament 

 in the stove. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, some six 

 inches long, and deep shining green. Flowers pro- 

 duced on dense branching racemes, intense .deep 

 scarlet in colour. Early summer months, lasting 

 long in beauty. Madagascar. 



Cossignia. — A family belonging to the Soap-- 

 worts {Sr/ponariie), natives of the Mauritius and 

 Isle of Bourbon, where they are called " Bois de 

 Judas." They are small pinnate - leaved trees, 

 with inconspicuous flowers ; but C. borbonica has 

 very handsome foliage. The soil should consist of 

 peat and loam in about equal parts, with a con- 

 siderable portion of sharp sand. Strong heat and a 

 moist atmosphere are necessary to fully develop its 

 beauties. 



