ALONSOA. 



8 



ALPINIA. 



■when they are in a growing state and 

 about to flower ; but the water that 

 runs through the mould in the pot, 

 should always be poured directly out 

 of the saucer ; as if water be allowed 

 to remain in a stagnant state about the 

 roots, the leaves will rot and drop off. 

 It is to prevent water lodging round 

 the crown of the plant, which would 

 produce the same effect, that gravel or 

 lime rubbish should always be mixed 

 with the soil. When the plants have 

 done flowering, water should be given 

 to them very sparingly, not oftener 

 than once a month ; and they should 

 be kept in a dry, warm situation, 

 where they will have plenty of light ; 

 as in this respect also they differ from 

 the Agave, which may be kept during 

 the winter almost in darkness. The 

 Aloe is generally propagated by off- 

 sets or suckers, but in some instances 

 they may be increased by stripping off 

 a leaf, letting it dry for a day or two, 

 and afterwards planting it, quite shal- 

 low, in a pot of sandy soil, and giving 

 it very little water. In the course of 

 a few months, one or several buds 

 will be found formed at the base of 

 the leaf, and roots being thrown down 

 from the same point, a new plant will 

 be produced. 



Alonsoa Scrophularinece. — 



The Mask flower. The species are low 

 under-sbrubs, or herbaceous plants, 

 natives of Peru; and two of them, A. 

 incisifolia, R. et P., and A. linearis, 

 H. K., formerly known as Celsias, 

 afterwards as Hemimeris urticifolia, 

 &c, are very ornamental either in the 

 greenhouse, or grown as annuals in 

 the open border during summer. 

 They thrive well in any light rich 

 soil, and are readily increased by seeds 

 or cuttings. They are very desirable 

 for flower-gardens, on account of the 

 brilliant scarlet of their flowers : and 

 where there is no greenhouse the 

 plants should be raised from seeds, 

 sown on a hot-bed in February, or 



struck from cuttings early in spring, 

 and brought forward in a frame or pit, 

 and turned out into the open air in 

 May. When kept in a greenhouse 

 they should always be set out in the 

 open air when the other plants are 

 fumigated, as they are easily killed by 

 tobacco smoke, or any other strongly 

 smelling vapour. 



Aloysia. — Verbenacece. — The 

 only species of this genus known in 

 Britain is A. citriodbra, a native of 

 South America, formerly called Ver- 

 bena triphylla, or the lemon-scented 

 verbena. It is a half hardy shrub, 

 with panicles of small pinkish white 

 flowers, and very fragrant leaves, 

 which fall off in the winter. It re- 

 quires a rich but light soil, well 

 drained ; and when grown in pots, it 

 should never have water kept in the 

 saucer. In winter, after its leaves 

 have dropped, it should be kept nearly 

 dry till the buds begin to swell, 

 when it should be watered frequently 

 and abundantly, but the water should 

 never be suffered to remain in a stag- 

 nant state about the roots. It is easily 

 propagated by cuttings, and only re- 

 quires to be protected from severe 

 frosts. 



Alpine Plants. — Dwarf plants, 

 natives of high mountains, and usually 

 with bright coloured flowers ; gener- 

 ally employed for ornamenting rock 

 work, and which, as they are covered 

 with snow during winter in their 

 native countries, require protection. 



Alpi'nia. — Scitaminece A genu9 



of reed -like plants, natives of the 

 East Indies and South America, with 

 large and showy white or pink flowers, 

 of which one or two species merit a 

 place in select collections of stove 

 plants. A. nutans is one of the most 

 common, and when grown in rich 

 sandy soil, in a moist heat, with plenty 

 of room, it will flower freely. Like 

 most of the other Scitamineous gene- 

 ra, there is a considerable degree of 



