FOLIAGE PLANTS FOR THE GREENHOUSE. 



295 



house plants, especially C. elegans variegata. They 

 require plenty of water in summer. 

 ColeUS. — Well-known and easily-grown plants, some of the 

 best varieties of which may be utilised for the embellish- 

 ment of the greenhouse during the summer. 



Coprosma Baueriana variegata. — A neat-growing 



evergreen bush with particularly shiny leaves, the centre of 

 which is bright green with a broad margin of creamy white. 

 Cordyline. — The members of this genus arc often spoken 

 of as Dracaenas, particularly those varieties that need a 

 stove temperature. The largest growing is C. australis, 

 which is equally effective whether 2ft. or 12ft. high. 

 The variety Veitchi is distinguished from the type by 

 its somewhat broader leaves and reddish leaf stalks. 

 •Smaller kinds, equally useful, are : C. Bruanti, C. 

 congesta, and C. rubra. 



Cyperus alternifolius is a well - known plant 



that form s 

 quite a tuft. 

 T he bright 

 green stems, 

 from l8in. to 

 2ft. high, are 

 terminated by a 

 quantity of long 

 narrow leaves, 

 arranged in an 

 u m b e 1 1 a t e 

 manner. There 

 is also a varie- 

 gated leaved 

 variety. C . 

 1 a x u s has 

 broader leaves 

 of a thinner 

 texture than 

 the preceding. 

 The spikes of 

 grass - like 

 in floresc ence 

 w h i c h are 

 freely produced 

 are a notable 

 feature of this 

 kind. 



Eucalyptus. — 



Thei e are many 

 species, but far 

 and away the 

 best is the 

 Blue Gum (E. 

 g 1 o b u 1 us), 

 whose whitish 

 leaves with 

 thei r w a r m 

 aromatic frag- 

 rance are well 

 k n o w n . K. 

 citriodora has a 

 pleasing lemon- 

 like perfume. 

 These are easily 



raised from seed sown in gentle 

 Elllalia. — A group of Grasses 



decorations. They reach a height of 6ft. or more, but 

 excellent little specimens lyd. high may be had. The 

 variety alba lineata has the leaves variegated with white, 

 in univittata the leaves are narrower, and the variegation 

 is limited to a central band of white ; while Zebrina 

 has the creamy markings arranged transversely, thus 

 presenting a singular appearance. 



Eurya latifolia variegata. a Camellia-like shrub 



with leaves marked with green, yellow, and pink, in 

 varying proportions. 

 FiGUS elastiea. — The well-known India-rubber plant, 

 which is such a favourite for dwelling-houses, the stout 

 leathery leaves with their polished surface resisting 

 draughts and dust well. It is a good greenhouse plant. 



DWARF CAN N AS. 



heat in the spring. 



much employed for 



Grevillea robusta. — An erect-growing plant with Fern- 

 like leaves ; it is often bedded out during the summer. 

 Readily increased by seeds if fresh, but they quickly 

 lose their vitality. 



ISOlepiS gracilis. forms a dense tuft whose slender 

 Rush-like leaves droop all around the pot in such manner 

 as to completely hide it. It is extremely useful for 

 draping the edges of stages or similar purposes. 



Leueadenclron argenteum.- This, the Silver Tree ol 

 South Africa, is a beautiful plant, the leaves being thickly 

 clothed with silky hairs of a silvery whiteness, but it is 

 seldom met with. 



Ophiopogon spicatum variegatum, w ith whitestriped 



leaves, and O. Jaluiran variegatum, in which they are 

 marked with yellow, are a couple of dense-growing plants 

 with Grass-like loliage of firm texture. 

 Panieum variegatum. A free-growing creeping Grass 



v a 1 u a b 1 e for 

 hanging 

 baskets, drap- 

 ing stages, and 

 similar pur- 

 poses. The 

 leaves are freely 

 striped with 

 white, and 

 when exposed 

 to the sun 

 tinged with 

 pink. 



P 1 1 a 1 a n g i u m 

 1 i n e a r e 

 aureo varie- 



g a t a and 

 argenteo varie- 

 gata are Grass- 

 like plants with 

 leaves nearly 

 tin. w i d e , 

 variegated with 

 y e 1 1 o w and 

 white respec- 

 tively. 



Phormium 



(A r i-cu Zealand 

 Flax). — This 

 forms a tuft of 

 sword-like 

 leaves from 3ft. 

 to 5 ft. long, 

 and is very 

 effective in a 

 large structure. 

 The common 

 form — P. tenax 

 — has deep 

 green leaves, in 

 atro - purpurea 

 they are tinged 

 with brown, 

 while Veitchi 

 has the foliage 



striped with green and yellow, and in Colensoi the centre 

 of the leaf is green, broadly margined with white. 

 RicillUS (Castor Oil Plant). — The varieties of this are 

 easily raised from seed sown in heat in the spring, and 

 with their large divided leaves are very showy in the 

 greenhouse. 



TradeSCantia zebrina.— A creeping plant of a fleshy 

 nature whose leaves are coloured green and silvery grey 

 with a purplish tinge, very useful for similar purposes to 

 the Panieum. 



Veronica Andersoni variegata. — A free-growing 



shrub with pointed leaves prettily variegated with white. 

 The purple flowers are also very pretty. 

 Yucca aloifolia variegata.— A stately-growing plant 

 lorming a stout stem furnished with long rather narrow 

 leaves, terminating in a sharp spine. 



