181 



has been seen of the French flowers during the 

 past few years. Flowers that are fantastically, ra- 

 ther than harmoniously and regularly marked, seem 

 to compose the bulk of foreign introductions ; they 

 are also generally smaller in size, and not so stout 

 in the build. Herein the English raisers excel ; 

 flowers of large size, combined with great substance 

 and rapidly improving form, and having also com- 

 bined with somewhat curious and eccentric marking, 

 a certain harmony of colors that forms a distinguish- 

 ing mark of their improvement. — Gard. Chronicle. 



Centaurea Gymnocarpa. — What an elegant 

 plant this is for a variety of purposes, both in doors 

 ^ and out ! We have employed it out of doors rather 

 extensively this season, and it has a charming ap- 

 pearance ; it is not so white as ragusina, but it is 

 far more graceful; so one quality is a set off against 

 \ the other. Gymnocarpa is easily managed, and a 

 stock of it can be secured much easier than that of 

 ragusina. It strikes freely, and may also be raised 

 from seed ; it is a most useful plant for decorative 

 purposes, especially when grown as standards in 

 smallish-sized pots. In this state I have seen it as 

 as white as the other kind. — John Edlington, in 

 Cottage Gardener. 



Arundo oonspicua. — This splendid ornamental 

 grass resembles in style of growth and bloom the 

 well-known Pampas Grass, but flowering nearly 

 three months earlier than that variety, and lasting 

 longer in beauty. When this variety is more known, 

 the Pampas Grass will doubtless be but little culti- 

 vated. 



AUBRIETTA GRiECA.— In size of flower and depth 

 of color this variety is superior to any yet introdu- 

 ced, and is a very desirable plant for r orders or 

 beds in early spring. It received a first-class Cer- 

 tificate at the Spring Exhibiti:n of the Royal Bo- 

 tanic Society, 1865. 



Anthurium reflexum. — OrontiaceaB. A stem- 

 less stove perennial, with thick green, elongate, 

 heart-shaped leaves, having semiterele petioles, and 

 short recurved peduncles bearing ovate spathes 

 about as long as the thick oblong spadix. The 

 leaves are about a foot in length. Native of tropi- 

 cal America. Flowered in the St. Petersburgh 

 Botanic Garden, where it was received from the 

 Garden of the Paris Museum. — Gartenjiora, 



BowiEA voLUBiLis. — Liliacess. A botanica^ 

 curiosity of much interest, but of little beauty;., 

 It has a fleshy leafless bulb and a climbing stem, 

 the lower branches of which are dichctomously di- 

 vided into numerous terete horn-like intertwisted 

 branchlets, and the upper parts bear a few green 

 Drimia-like flowers. Native ot South Africa. Flow- 

 ered at Kew. — Botanical Magazine. 



AUCUBA JAPONICA GRANDIDENTATA MACULATA. 



— Cornaceje. A handsome variety of the Aucuba, 

 w"th the leaves narrowish and deeply-toothed, and 

 the surface very heavily blotched with creamy white. 

 It is a berry-bearing form. Cultivated in the Dutch 

 gardens. — Neerl. Plant. 



CoRYSANTHES PiCTA.— Orchidacese. A beauti- 

 ful terrestrial stove Orchid, 3 or 4 inches high, 

 with a solitary cordate ovate reticulated leaf, and a 

 nearly sessile biblate flower of curious aspect, the 

 upper and hinder portion fornicato-adscendent, 

 richly stained with deep purple and yellow, the lo- 

 wer lip divided into four long subulate segments, 

 and a similar body, described as a bract, seated at 

 the base of the short ovary. It is the Calcearia 

 picta, Blume. Native of Java. Flowered in the 

 Leyden Garden. — JSfeerl. Plant. 



Aquilegia pyrenaica. — Ranunculaceae. This 

 beautiful dwarf herbaceous plant was cultivated 

 some 50 years ago, but has probably been since 

 lost. It resembles A. alpina, but is smaller, with 

 fewer flowers, these being comparatively large, and 

 of a paler lavender blue. A charming dwarf hardy 

 perennial. Native of the Pyrenees. Flowered by 

 Messrs. Backhouse & Son. — Floral Magazine 



Desmodium penduliflorum. — Leguminosse. A 

 hardy frutescent plant, growing 5 to 6 feet high, 

 with long pendulous branches, furnished with tri- 

 foliate leaves having oblong or oblong-lanceolate 

 leaflets, and producing from their axils, all over the 

 plant, longish slender drooping racemes of small 

 pendant purple flowers. It is remarkable for its 

 gracefulness and abundant blossoming. Supposed j 

 to be a native of Japan, having been introduced by j 

 Siebold from Yedo. Flowered in the Dutch garden 

 —Neerl. Plant. 



Ficus SuRiNGARii. — Moraceae. A handsome- 

 leaved stove plant, of stout erect habit, with broad- 

 ly cordate acuminate stalked membranaceousdenta- 

 to-serrate leaves, the five main ribs of which are of 

 a deep rosy red, the same color also feathering out 



