240 



FLORA AND SYLVA, 



8,000 feetupon Mount RiloinBulgaria, 

 thriving in moist grassy places just be- 

 neath the snow-line. Its leaves are slight- 

 ly fleshy, covered upon the upper surface 

 with minute glands, and with viscid gum 

 upon the dark-coloured flower-stem, 

 bracts, and calyx. 



W. T. HINDMARSH. 



Alnbank, Alnwick. 



HYBRID GLADIOLI, NEW 

 AND OLD. 



Gladiolus princeps is the latest gain amongst 

 the many hybrids of this gorgeous family. 

 Four distinct species have united in its produc- 

 tion, as may be seen by reference to the ex- 

 planatory table of its descent, which shows at 

 the same time the origin of the other great 

 strains of hybrid Gladioli, to which is due the 

 present place of these flowers in gardens. 



Though it is rare to find records of crossing 

 so complete as with the Gladioli, there is at 

 the outset a doubt as to the parentage of the 

 Ghent race of hybrids (G. gandavensis), from 

 which all the rest have sprung, and which no 

 less an authority than Van Houtte declared to 

 come from Gladiolus psittacinus, and G. cardi- 

 nalis. In opposition to this it is contended that 



G. psittacinus X 

 I 



not only have later attempts completely failed 

 to reproduce this result, but that by crossing 

 G. psittacinus with oppositiflorus plants identi- 

 cal with gandavensis have been obtained. This 

 point, then, must be left for fuller knowledge 

 to decide, and it explains why in our table G. 

 gandavensis appears as coming from G. psitta- 

 cinus crossed either with cardinalis or oppositi- 

 florus. Again, some writers have inadvertent- 

 ly declared Gladiolus Ghildsii to be issue of 

 Nanceianusa.ndgandavensis,but upon the autho- 

 rity of M. Max Leichtlin, the raiser, it would 

 appear that Gs. Saundersii and gandavensis are 

 the true parents, thus linking G. Childsii closely 

 to Saundersii, a point of some importance in 

 settling the origin of G. princeps. It is also in- 

 teresting to gather that M. Krelage regards G. 

 Childsii of Leichtlin as identical with G. turi- 

 censis of Froebel, and upon enquiry they are 

 shown to be of the same but inverse parentage, 

 the seed and pollen parent being transposed. 

 But in any case, no doubt exists that from G. 

 Childsii the new plant has come. 



To America, in the person of Dr. Van Fleet 

 of Little Silver, this new gain is due. Its other 

 parent, G. cruentus, was first discovered many 

 years ago upon the slopes of the Drakenburg, 

 in Natal, but as of difficult culture it has re- 

 mained rare in Europe, being perhapsnowhere 



G. cardinalis or 

 oppositiflorus. 



Ghent race of hybrids 

 (G. gandavensis). 



gandavensis X psittacinus purpureo-auratus X gandavensis 



Saundersii X gandavensis 



Deleuil's hybrids 

 {G. massiliensis). 



Lemoine's hybrids 

 (G. Lemoinei). 



G. cruentus X Leichtlin's hybrid (G. Childsii). 



Van Fleet's new hybrid 

 {G. princeps). 



dracocephalus x Lemoinei 



I 



Lemoinei X Saundersii 



Lemoine's hybrids 

 of G. dracocephalus. 



The Nancy hybrids 

 (G. nanceianus). 



