THE GREEN-HOUSE. 197 



mer the building is entirely empty. About the 

 month of March it is in its greatest perfection, as 

 most of the trees are then in blossom. It is im- 

 possible to conceive the elegance and beauty of 

 the mimosas of New Holland, some of which are 

 covered with long spikes and others with tufls 

 of flowers variously coloured (1). With these 

 are mingled the sophora microphylla, S. tetrap- 

 tera (2) and cassia jlavescens ; the sparmannia (3), 

 the pittosporum(4), the camphire-trees and lau- 

 rels of Madeira, banksias, melaleucas, hakeas, 

 visneas, etc., and the two palms already men- 

 tioned. In front of these trees, which spread their 



(1) There are in the green-house sixteen species of arborescent mi- 

 mosa from New Holland, of which the M. lophanta and M. botricephala 

 are the finest, at least, in foliage ; the simple-leaved species as the 

 M.floribunda, M. armata and M. sophora, are very beautiful when in 

 flower : it is to be hoped that they will one day he cultivated in our 

 southern departments. Some of the mimosas are employed in New 

 Holland in cabinet-work and ship-building. 



(2) Both originally from New Zealand, and first introduced into 

 England by sir Joseph Bankes. 



(3) A beautiful shrub, originally from the Gape of Good Hope, in- 

 troduced into the King's Garden at the beginning of the century. It 

 is covered with bunches of flowers from September to May. If by 

 multiplying it from the seed we can retard its bloom, as there is every 

 reason to hope, it will become one of the finest ornaments of our gardens. 



(4) Pittosporum undulalum, Vent. H. Gels ; and P. Tobira, Hort. Kew. 

 The first is a shrub brought from Teneriffe by Riedle, whose, flowers 

 have the smell of jessamine. The juice of the stalk, oozing through 

 the bark, concretes in the form of a resinous powder. The second is a 

 tree recently known in Europe, which is cultivated in China for i Is 

 odoriferous flowers. 



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