3J4 



On the Cultivation of Rare Plants. 



Morsea flexuosa. Ker in Bot. Mag. n. 695. cum Ic. Ixia Ion- 

 gifolia. Jacq. Hort. Vind. v. 3. p. 47. t. 90. 



This plant flowered and ripened seeds very abundantly at 

 Kew in 1786, and is hardy enough to live through winter 

 under a hot-bed frame ; but the root must be kept dry after 

 the leaves decay. 



Galaxia Grandiflora. Kenn. in Bot Rep. n. 164. cum 

 Ic. Galaxia ovata a. Ker in Bot. Mag, n. 1208. cam Ic. 



Few gardeners succeed in preserving the different species 

 of Galaxia, more than one year after they are imported ; for 

 they only vegetate a few months, and require to be con- 

 stantly exposed to the sun, without any rain, after their 

 leaves decay. Anxious to understand the genus, I built a 

 flue round a small hot-bed frame at Mill Hill, where I culti- 

 vated three of those now mentioned, during five years of my 

 residence in that delightful village ; and by fecundating the 

 stigma, I obtained ripe seeds of this species, repeatedly. They 

 were planted in one part of peat earth, mixed with two parts 

 of sea sand, draining the pots, which were thirds, up to the 

 middle with broken tiles. About the middle of November 

 they were watered for the first time, arid the soil kept just 

 moist all winter, no fires having been made till after Christmas, 

 and then only in very sharp frost. Towards the middle of 

 February, as the leaves pushed, more water was given ; and 

 from that time a gentle fire was lighted every evening, which 

 brought them into flower about the end of March, or be- 

 ginning of April. In May, both fires and waterings were 

 discontinued; but the frame was well closed up at night; 

 and during the rest of summer they remained under the 



