HOT-HOUSE OR STOYE PLANTS. 



23 



Fittonia. — A small family of Acanthads of pros- 

 trate habit, remarkable for the extreme beauty of 

 their leaves. They are easily cultivated, their chief 

 requirements being heat, moisture, and shade. Pot 

 in loam and peat, with a little sand. Stove. 



P. dealbata— a slow-growing 

 plant, with somewhat 

 ohovate-acuminate leaves ; 

 deep green above, snowy- 

 white beneath. Upper 

 Amazon. 



F. elastica. — the India- 

 rubber Tree— is too well 

 known to need a lengthy- 

 description ; its large, 

 dark green, shining leaves 

 render it very ornamental 

 in any position. East 

 Indies. 



F. exsculpta— a distinct and 

 beautiful form, with ele- 

 gant sinuate leaves, of a 

 rich green. South Sea 

 Islands. 



P. Parcel li — leaves oblong- 

 acuminate, thin in tex- 

 ture; the ground-colour 



light green, irregularly 

 marbled with deep green 

 and white. South Sea 

 Islands. 



F. religiosa — the " Pippul 

 Tree ; " this handsome 

 species has bright green, 

 nearly cordate leaves, 

 which are lengthened out 

 into long tail-like points ; 

 it is extremely ornamen- 

 tal. East Indies. 



P. stipulata — this is an ele- 

 gant little trailer, with 

 dark green leaves about 

 an inch long ; it fixes it- 

 self to a wall or any 

 similar ohject, and forms 

 a beautiful screen ; insects 

 do not like it, so there is 

 no trouble in keeping it 

 clean. East Indies. 



F. argyroneura — leaves 

 nearly ovate, about four 

 inches long ; bright shin- 

 ing green, the whole of 

 the veins being silvery- 

 white. Peru. 



F. gigantea— this species is 

 more robust than the 

 preceding, and produces 

 leaves double the jize; 



the ground-colour deep 

 green, covered with a 

 network of soft clear rose. 

 South America. 

 F. Pearcei — leaves about 

 four inches long ; bright 

 shining green ; the veins 

 all rich reddish-carmine, 

 rendering it very attrac- 

 tive. South America. 



and probably a full half of all the Gooseberries grown 

 are consumed or preserved in a green state. It is a 

 good practice to thin these off the whole of the 

 bushes when the crop is heavy, instead of, as is gene- 

 rally done, stripping a certain number of bushes for 

 the supply of green, and leaving, as a rule, far too 

 many on the bushes left to ripen. Some prefer the 

 green fruit very small, as the larger they are the 

 more acid. But if gathered before attaining a third 

 or a fourth of their normal size, they are prone to 

 prove about as insipid as a tart, pudding, or Goose- 

 berry fool made of leaves or shoots only, were that 



The surest way to enjoy Gooseberries is to eat 

 them off the bush, and if this is impracticable, then 

 gather and serve directly, as few fruits suffer more, 

 or more sudden deterioration, from being kept after 

 gathering, than ripe Gooseberries. 



HOT-HOUSE OE STOYE PLANTS. 



By William Hugh Gower. 



Ficus. — This family contains many handsome- 

 leaved plants, and, commercially, it is a most impor- 

 tant genus. From F. Carica comes the delicious 

 fruit known as the Fig, a slight alteration from 

 the Hebrew feg. Another species, F. elasticus, pro- 

 duces a very large quantity of " rubber," whilst 

 F. indica is the famous Banyan Tree of India. The 

 majority of the species have thick and leathery 

 leaves, which renders them proof against the gas 

 and changes of temperature in the dwelling-house, 

 and thus, with Palms, they form beautiful objects 

 for in-door decoration. They are all plants of easy 

 culture ; pot in a compost of about equal parts loam 

 and peat, with a little sand added. Ficus grow 

 more quickly in the stove, but thrive admirably in 

 the Intermediate House. 



Franeiscea.— A handsome genus of Scrophu- 

 lariaeece ; this must not be confounded with Francisia, 

 which belongs to a very different order. These 

 plants are free-growing, abundant bloomers, and 

 also very fragrant. We have seen young plants of 

 Franciseea grow and flower most abundantly when 

 potted in leaf -mould only, but for large plants it is 

 advisable to add a small portion of peat, loam, and 

 sand. They are mostly spring or early summer 

 flowers, and should be re-potted after the blooming 

 season is past, and placed in a strong moist heat, 

 stopping the shoots about every half-dozen joints 

 made. About twice stopping in the season will 

 suffice. When growth is finished the plants should 

 be removed to the Intermediate House, and again 

 brought into the stove as the flowers may be re- 

 quired. This genus is now named Brunfelsia. 



F. calycina — leaves dark 

 shining green; flowers in 

 large trusses ; purplish- 

 lilac. Spring months. 

 Brazil. 



F. confertiflor a— leaves deep 

 green ; flowers in terminal 

 trusses ; deep purple when 

 first open, fading to soft 

 blue and lilac with age. 

 Spring and early summer. 

 Brazil. 



F. eximia — flowers not so 

 large as calycina, mea- 

 suring some two inches 

 across ; these are deep 

 violet, changing to blue 



with age. "Winter and 

 spring months. Brazil. 



F. Hopeana — sometimes 

 called uniflora — a small- 

 leaved species, with soft 

 blue flowers, changing 

 with age to pure white ; 

 it is a most useful plant 

 for small stoves, as its 

 fragrant flowers are pro- 

 duced in abundance dur- 

 ing the mid - winter 

 months. Eio Janeiro. 



F. Lindeniana — flowers deep 

 rich purple, with a dis 

 tinct white eye. Spring 

 months. Brazil. 



G-arcinia. — A genus belonging to the Guttiferce. 

 It contains many plants of commercial importance, 

 and, as we shall not have occasion to refer to the 

 order again, a passing notice may be given to some 

 of them, especially as they are handsome-foliaged 

 plants. Garcinia Morclla is the producer of the best 

 gamboge, which is also yielded by Xanthochymus 

 pictorius ; Monorohca coccinea, of Jamaica, produces a 

 valuable gum ; Afammea americana produces a fine 

 dessert fruit, which is also preserved; Fentadesma 

 butyracea is the Butter and Tallow Tree of Sierra 

 Leone ; the Mangosteen of the Indian Islands, Gar- 

 cinia Mangostana, is the most delicious of Eastern 

 fruits. This plant is a native of the Moluccas, and 



