164 



HOT-HOUSE — OF REPOTTING, ETC. [^May. 



pandursefblia have the handsomest foliage; and both have 

 scarlet flowers: the appearance of the foliage of this genus 

 is the only object : the flowers are small, in coarse disfigured 

 panicles, and several of the species have not been known to 

 flower in artificial cultivation. The seeds of J. curcas are 

 often received from the West Indies ; the leaves are cordate, 

 angular and smooth. J. manihofj now Manihot cannahma, 

 is the Cassada root, the juice of which, when expressed, is 

 a strong poison. They are all easy of culture; want of 

 strong heat in winter will make them cast their leaves, but 

 does them no other injury. (Soil No. 17.) 



Justicia. A few species of this genus are fine showy hot- 

 house plants. J. earned^ flesh color flowers in large spikes, 

 very fine, blooming nearly the whole season. J. coccinea 

 has large terminal spikes of scarlet flowers, blooming from 

 December to March, and is a very desirable plant, of easy 

 culture, and should be in every collection; it is apt to 

 grow spindley, if not kept near the glass. /. picta, with its 

 varieties, /. lucida and L calyctricha, are fine shrubby spe- 

 cies. /. specidsa is a beautiful profuse j)urple flowering 

 plant. (Soil No. 11.) 



Ldntdna, a genus of twenty species, all free-flowering 

 shrubs; the flowers are small, in round heads blooming from 

 the axils, in yellow, orange, pink, white and changeable colors; 

 principally of a rough straggling growth, and are not es- 

 teemed. However, L. selldi, light purple; L. mutdhilisj 

 yellow, orange and pink; L. hicolor, white and pink, and L: 

 fucdta (or Dougldsu of some), lilac and white; L. rosea j 

 white, changing to rose ; L. mexicana, very rich orange, one 

 of the finest. These are very handsome growing plants, 

 and will even keep in a good green-house; but in such case 

 will only bloom in summer. They will not bear a strong 

 fumigation ; therefore, when the hot-house is under that ope- 

 ration, they must be set down in the pathway, or other low 

 part in the house. (Soil No. 9.) 



Lasiandra, a genus related to melastoma, of which there 

 are several very handsome species. L, splendens with 

 hirsute rich crimson foliage and brilliant purple flowers, 

 blooming from January to May. L. Benthamiana with very 

 elegant foliage and rich bluish purple flowers, grows freely 

 in Soil No. 1. 



Latdnias. This genus contains three species of handsome 



