ALSTRCEMERIA. 



9 



ALTHAEA. 



sameness in all the species, both in 

 flowers and fruit, and therefore one 

 kind is enough for a small collection. 



Alsine'. — The ornamental kinds 

 are now called Arenaria. — The com- 

 mon Alsine is chickweed. 



Alstonia. — Apocynece. — Stove 

 shrubs, natives of the East Indies, with 

 jasmine-like flowers. 



Alstr(eme x ria. — Amaryllidacece. 

 — This is a genus of tuberous-rooted 

 plants, with beautiful flowers, natives 

 of South America, and capable of be- 

 ing grown to a high degree of perfec- 

 tion in British gardens, in the stove, 

 greenhouse, or open air, according to 

 the species. The soil which suits all 

 the Alstrcemerias is a mixture of 

 sandy loam and leaf mould, or well- 

 rotted dung. Of all the stove species, 

 A. Ugtu, with white and scarlet 

 flowers, is the most difficult to flower ; 

 but by giving it abundance of water 

 during summer, and a strong heat in 

 December, it will flower in February ; 

 and one plant will scent a whole house 

 with fragrance like that of mignonette. 

 After flowering the plants ought to be 

 allowed to rest for three months, 

 during which time very little water 

 ought to be given to them. After this 

 they should be repotted, and en- 

 couraged to grow, by giving them 

 plenty of water, &c. A. edulis, Jus. 

 is another stove species, which climbs 

 to the height of ten or twelve feet, 

 and, like all other climbers, thrives 

 best when turned out into the open 

 border. It may, however, be grown 

 in a pot, commencing with one of 

 small size, and shifting it several 

 times, till it is at last put into a pot 

 of eight or nine inches in diameter, 

 when a frame of wire, three feet or 

 four feet high, may be fixed to the 

 pot, and the stems trained over it. 

 These species will live and flower in 

 a greenhouse, but not so freely as in 

 a stove. The treatment of the green- 

 house species of Alstrcemeria, consists 



in setting the plants to rest by with- 

 holding water after they have done 

 flowering, which is generally about the 

 end of July ; fresh potting them about 

 October or November, and giving 

 them plenty of heat and water during 

 April and May, the time when their 

 growth is most rapid, and when, from 

 the brittleness of their shoots, and 

 the tenderness of their leaves, they 

 require to be sheltered or shaded 

 from the sun and wind, The climb- 

 ing species, A. acutifolia, L. et O. ; 

 A. hirtella, Kunth, and A. salsil- 

 la, L., succeed best both in flowering 

 and ripening seeds, when planted in 

 the border of a conservatory, or in the 

 front of a stove or greenhouse, close 

 under the wall, with protection during 

 severe weather. Several of the species 

 from Mexico, Chili, and Peru, will 

 live in the open air in similar situa- 

 tions ; and the greater part of these 

 will grow luxuriantly, and in fine 

 seasons will flower freely, producing 

 flowers of a much darker colour than 

 those which have been grown under 

 glass, and they will even ripen seeds. 

 Those species which have been found 

 to succeed best in the open air, are A* 

 pulchella, Sims, A. pelegrina, L., 

 and A. versicolor, R. et P. All the 

 species are readily increased by parting 

 the roots or by seeds. 



Altagona. — See Caragana. 



Althaea. — Malvacece. — The Hol- 

 lyhock. Strong herbaceous plants, 

 natives of the middle and south of 

 Europe, and also of India and China, 

 of which one species, A. rosea, the 

 common hollyhock, is one of our 

 most splendid ornamental biennials. It 

 grows to - the height of from five to 

 eight feet, and there are varieties of 

 almost every colour, including white, 

 and purple so deep as to be almost 

 black. The flowers being large, and 

 the stems erect, the plants have the 

 best effect when grown in rows at the 

 back of a border ; or when one or two 



