FLOWERS OF THE STOVE. -OQ 



Grifflnia.— This 



genus contains 

 some hall' • a - 

 dozen species 

 of bulbous 

 plants t h a t 

 need much the 

 same culture as 

 a E u c h a r i s. 

 They are not 

 at all common. 

 G. hyacinthina, 

 with blue 

 flowers lit up 

 with white, is 

 the best know n 

 and the most 

 amenable to 

 cultivation. 



Henfreya 

 seandens. 



A rare stove 

 plant seldom 

 seen outside 

 botanic gar- 

 dens, although 

 its long loose 

 clustersof white 

 flowers termi- 

 nating slen- 

 der t win i n g 

 branches possess 

 much beauty. 

 The Henfreya 

 is a delightful 

 plant to train 

 against a wall, 

 pillar, or trellis 

 in the hothouse, 

 and clusters of 

 pretty. 



Hibiscus. — There are not many species of Hibiscus that 

 require stove treatment, but one of them, H. rosa sinensis, 

 is represented by numerous forms, which in many 

 tropical countries are among the commonest of shrubs. 

 They are all quick-growing subjects that need a constant 

 use of the syringe to keep down red spider, which is often 

 very troublesome. The ordinary form of II. rosa sinensis 

 is single, but there are also several double - flowered 

 varieties. A very distinct species is II. schizopetalus, a 

 rambling-growing bush which may, if needed, be trained 

 to a roof. The flowers are pendulous, and borne on 

 particularly long stalks. They are about 3m. in diameter, 

 of a brilliant orange red colour, with the petals so deeply 

 cut and slashed as to give to the flower a very uncommon 

 appearance. H. rosa sinensis may be grow n in a green- 

 house or even out of doors during the summer. 



ImpatienS. — This group, which includes the common 

 Balsam (I. Balsamina), also contains many quick-growing, 

 free-flowering species. The best are : I. Episcopi, rich 

 purple ; I. flaccida, light purple ; I. flaccida all a, white ; 

 I. Hawkeri, red, shaded violet in the centre; I. 

 Hookeriana, white, streaked crimson; 1. [erdonia:, 

 yellow and red ; and I. Sultani, a well-known plant w ith 

 rosy scarlet flowers. There are two distinct varieties of 

 this — carminata, bright carmine, and salmonea, salmon. 

 Except I. Jerdonise, they all need liberal treatment and a 

 fairly open soil. This last-mentioned is a small succulent 

 kind, and should be grow n in a suspended basket near 

 tlie roof, and kept dry during the w inter. 



Ixora. — These aie for the most part compact - grow ing 

 shrubs, the majority of which have neat rounded heads of 

 blossoms, borne during the summer months. The principal 

 tin's represented among them are orange, salmon, and 

 bull, but there are a few quite distinct therefrom. They 

 all need the warmest part of the stove, and should be 

 potted in a soil consisting of three parts good sandy peat 

 to one part of loam. There are about too species, and 



HENFRE YA SCAN DENS. 



jwers gathered and put into vases are 



innumerable 

 garden varie- 

 ties, a selection 

 I herefrom being 

 given below : 

 1. coccinea, 

 orange red; 

 I. Colei, white ; 

 I c r o c a t a , 



r a n g e ; I. 



1 (ixiana, deep 

 orange; I . 

 floribunda, sal- 

 mi 'ii red ; I. 

 m a c r o t h y r s a 

 (Duffi), a tall- 

 growing plant, 

 w i t h huge 

 heads of crim- 

 son I ilossoms ; 

 [. odor at a, 

 yellowish 

 while; [. Pil- 

 grimi, orange 

 scarlet; I . 

 Prince of 

 Orange, bright 

 orange: I . 

 princeps, buff ; 

 I . Westi, 

 blush, changing 

 to deep pink : 

 and 1. Wil- 

 liamsi, reddish 

 salmon. 



J u s t i e i a, or 

 Jacobinia. — 



A showy class of 

 shrubby plants 



of easy culture, for the most part of erect growth, and 

 bearing large terminal heads of blossoms. J. carnea, 

 pink; \. chrysostephana, yellow; [• coccinea, scarlet; 

 and |. Ghiesbreghtiana, bright crimson, are the best. 



Medinilla. — By far the finest member of this genus is 

 M. magnifica, which forms a large sturdy-growing shrub, 

 clothed with handsome ovate shiny green leaves. The 

 flowers, borne generally about May, are produced in huge 

 pendulous clusters at the points of the branches. They 

 are of a pleasing shade of bright rosy pink, and last in 

 beauty a long time. When in lull bloom this well merits 

 the specific name of magnifica. A second species, 

 amabilis, has the flower clusters erect, and is therefore 

 wanting in a good deal of the grace and beauty of the 

 other. To flower the Medinilla well, the principal con- 

 sideration is by liberal treatment to induce it to grow 

 away freely after bloc ing. and then when growth is 

 complete by giving air and a reasonable amount of 

 sunshine to thoroughly ripen the wood. 



PentaS Carnea. — A neat little shrubby plant with bright 

 green leaves, soft in texture, and rounded heads ol flesh- 

 coloured blossoms. It flowers, on and off, throughout the 

 year, and is particularly valuable from the lact that 

 the greatest quantity of blossoms are borne during the 

 w inter. The variety kermesina has carmine - tinted 

 blossoms, but the plant is more delicate than the type. 



Fiteaimia.- - An extensive family of Bromeliaceous plants 

 nearly related to Bilbergia, with lor the most part red 

 blossoms, and large showy bracts of much the same tint. 

 They bloom during the spring and summer months. A 

 selection is as follows: 1'. aphelandreeflora, 1'. corallina, 

 and P. fulgem. 



Pltimbag'O rosea. — This West Indian species needs 

 stove temperature, and a beautiful feature it forms during 

 the flowering season, which is in the summer months. 

 The flowers, borne in terminal spikes, are of a rosy 

 scarlet colour, but there is a variety, coccinea, in 

 which they are much brighter than those ol the ordinary 

 form. 



