220 



FLORA AND SYLVA. 



of its great leaf-surface its good habit enables 

 it to stand more wind than other kinds. Though 

 often raised from seed and grown as an annual 

 for summer effect, the plant is perennial under 

 glass and may be grown from cuttings of the 

 roots, or side-shoots taken in August, and this 

 is the best way where few plants are needed. 

 To gain the finest efFect the side-shoots are 

 suppressed during active growth. The short, 

 tubular flowers of greenish-yellow, flushed in- 

 side with rose, are of little beauty and seldom 

 seen in the open. A handsome variegated va- 

 riety is sometimes grown and may be used finely 

 for summer gardening, the bold blotches of 

 creamy-white gaining beauty by full exposure 

 without being garish. It is, however, of difficult 

 increase, seedlings invariably damping when 

 they come true and cuttings turning out almost 

 as badly. A method stated to give good re- 

 sults consists in placing the base of the newly- 

 trimmed cutting within a notch cut in a small 

 potato ; though no union results (the potato 

 often disappearing) the nourishment so drawn 

 by the cutting tides it over the critical stage 

 and enables it to root in safety. Syn. N.colossea. 



Large-leaved Tobacco (N. wigandioides) . 

 — A stately shrub-like plant from Columbia, 

 growing 6 or 7 feet, with very large hairy leaves 

 like those of the Wigandia in size and shape, 

 and short flowers of yellowish-white in droop- 

 ing clusters. A greenhouse plant, sometimes 

 used with fine effect in the summer garden. 



Hybrids. — Numerous hybrid Tobaccos 

 have been raised, but the plant raised by Messrs. 

 Sander is the first conspicuous gain. Other 

 crosses have been made between the Common 

 Tobacco and several other species, including 

 Ns. alata and sy/vestris, but the influence of 

 N. Tabacum proves overwhelming. In America 

 a race of hybrids between tomentosa and wig- 

 andioides is said to excel both parents in beauty 

 and vigour, but remaining sterile,these plants 

 have probably never reached this country. A 

 cross between N. wigandioides and the Petunia 

 of gardens, produced a strange race of annuals 

 (called Nicotunias) with long trailing stems 

 covered with short woolly hairs and many 

 flowers,handsomeandofvariedcolour.Though 

 easily grown from cuttings they proved per- 

 fectly sterile and so defective at the root that 

 spite of their beauty they soon sank out of 

 cultivation. B. 



THE CHILIAN BELL-FLOWER 



(Lapageria) . 



There was a time when these lovely 

 greenhouse climbers were scarce and 

 considered delicate, but finely-flowered 

 plantsare common now that their needs 

 are understood . In one respect the Lapa- 

 geria has been fortunate,havingkept un- 

 changed its first name, given in honour 

 of the first wife of the great Napoleon 

 — Josephine de Lapageria. Discovered 

 early in the last century by travellers in 

 Chili, it was first sent to Kew in 1847 

 and to Messrs. Veitch in the following 

 year, flowering in 1850. From that 

 time it has been a favourite plant for 



glasshouses, though we think that 



in 



parts of Britain a finer use might be made 

 of it in the open air. 



As with many plants ot 



At Home. . ... J , 1 



the Chilian Andes success 

 lies in reproducing as far as may be the 

 peculiar climatic conditions of its native 

 home. A moist atmosphere, even tem- 

 perature, half-shade in exposed places, 

 and abundance of water during its time 

 of growth, are the essentials ofits culture. 

 In many parts of Chili it is one of the 

 commonest of plants, threading its way 

 through bushes and the moist under- 

 growth of shady places, generally near 

 the coast but often at a considerable 

 elevation, and hanging forth its richly 

 decked garlands of bell-shaped flowers 

 which are nearly as large as under culti- 

 vation. On its native hillsides the flowers 

 are followed by luscious fruit of the size 

 of a hen's egg, sweet, refreshing, and 

 much valued by the people. As a wild 

 plant it would seem indifferentastosoil, 

 thriving in clay or even on the rubbish 



