6 



THE FLOWER GROWER'S GUIDE. 



white traversing the leaves from base to point, under side purple ; M. Iverchoveana, Brazil, 

 leaves greyish-green with a row of purplish blotches on each side of the mid-rib, dwarf ; 

 M. Lindeni, Peru, leaves deep green, with blotches of yellowish-green on each side of 

 the mid-rib, under surface purplish-rose, through which the markings of the upper side are 

 visible ; M. major, leaves on long footstalks, various shades of green, promises to become 

 exceedingly serviceable for house decoration ; M. Makoyana, Tropical America, leaves 

 outer margin dark-green, central portion semi-transparent, beautifully blotched with 

 creamy -yellow and white; M. Massangeana (Fig. 3), Brazil, leaves olive-green, 

 beautifully blotched with velvety-maroon, dwarf ; M. ornata, Columbia, and its varieties 

 albo-lineata majestica and regalis ; M. prinseps, Peru, leaves rich dark-green, broadly 

 margined with yellowish-green, purple beneath, tall growing ; M. Veitchi, Tropical 

 America, leaves rich glossy- green, marked along each side the mid-rib with crescent- 

 shaped blotches of yellow, under side light-purple, tall growing, and a desirable species ; 

 and M. zebrina, Brazil, leaves long, broad and velvety, light-green, on the upper side, 

 barred with greenish-purple ; a free grower, and the best known Maranta in cultivation. 



Propagation is effected by division in the spring, taking care that each crown is well 

 furnished with roots. Place the divisions in pots just large enough to conveniently 

 hold the rhizomatous stems, using a mixture of equal parts of loam, peat, and leaf soil, 

 adding sand freely. A somewhat shady position in an ordinary plant stove, is suitable 

 for Marantas. When the young plants have become strongly established in small pots, 

 give them a shift into larger sizes. Avoid overwatering before root action is free, or the 

 new soil may turn sour ; but when the pots are filled with active roots, supply water 

 copiously, also weak liquid manure to the strong growers, gradually reducing the 

 supplies in the autumn and applying very little in January and February. 



Early in March old plants may have the balls of soil and roots considerably reduced 

 before returning them to much the same size of pots they were in previously. Large 

 puts ought to be heavily drained, and the compost employed should be broken up 

 coarsely. 



medinilla. — Of this genus of flowering shrubs four species are considered worthy 

 of cultivation in the larger plant stoves, where, if properly treated, they make a grand 

 display at different periods of the year. M. amabilis, India, forms long broad leaves, 

 and in the spring produces large, erect, branching panicles of rosy-pink flowers ; M. 

 Curtisi, Sumatra, has white flowers with purple anthers in terminal panicles; M. java- 

 nensis, Java, flowers, flesh colour, with dark-purple anthers. M. magnifica, Manila, 



