277 



to M. Van Houtte, and other continental horticul- 

 turists. Mr. Bull is, if we mistake not, the first 

 among our British exhibitors to show the plant. 



Before giving a description of this novelty, it may 

 be as well to say a few words relating to its botan- 

 ical history, as it is one which would be very likely 

 to perplex a student into whose hands it fell. The 

 vast order Euphorbiacese, according to the most 

 recent revision of M. Muller, in the "Prodromus," 

 is first of all divided into two series, — the one in 

 which the cotjdedons or seed leaves are narrow ; the 

 other in which these organs are broad. This latter 

 series, to which our present plant belongs, is subdi- 

 vided into nine tribes, according to the number of 

 ovules in each compartment of the ovary, the way 

 in which the parts of the fiower are folded, and other 

 minor points. Thus the tribe Dalechampiae may 

 be easily recognized by the presence of a single 

 ovule in each compartrnt^nt, by the anthers being 

 erect in the bud, by the segments of the calyx in 

 the male flowers touching by their margins, (val- 

 vate,) and by the two leaved involucre encbsing 

 flowers of both sexes. As there happens to be 

 only one genus in the tribe, the characters of the 

 tribe serve also for the genus. 



Most of the species have palmate leaves, which, 

 togeiher with the large leafy bracts, produce a great 

 resemblance to the Mallows, so that, on a first 

 glance, were it not for the climbing habit which 

 most of them have, they might be mistaken for 

 some Grossypium. Of course the slightest exami- 

 nation would sufiice to dissipate this superficial im- 

 pression, though there are points of resemblance 

 also in the flower. 



The species before us differs from the great ma- 

 jority of its congeners in its erect, not climbing 

 stem, and in its undivided leaves. It is an erect, 

 low-growing perennial or under shrub, with broad, 

 leafy, egg-shaped stipules. The leaves are 5 to 9 

 inches long, 1 to 3 inciies wide at the widest portion, 

 are very shortly stalked, sub-cordate, obovate or 

 spoon-shaped, tapering towards the base, acuminate 

 at the apex, and smooth, or nearly so, on both sur- 

 faces. The peduncles are slender, thread-like, an- 

 gular, slightly downy stalks, 2 to 3 inches long; 

 they bear at the top, two small, ovate bracts placed 

 at the base of two large, broadly egg-shaped, acu- 

 minate, denticulate, rosy-pink, floral leaves. With- 

 in these two latter are other smaller bracts placed 

 around and among the male and female flowers, 

 some of them thick and club shaped, and bearing 

 at the top a fringe of short, yellow, waxy-looking 

 threads, which gave a singular appearance to the 

 blossoms. These filaments have been regarded as 



abortive flowers or anthers by Muller, while Baillon 

 considers them to be modified bracts. The male 

 flowers have a 4-5 leaved calyx, inclosing a number 

 of stamens united into a column, as in Mallows. The 

 female flowers have a similar calyx, and a 3-4 celled 

 ovary, surmounted by an equal number of confluent 

 styles. 



The large, rosy bracts recall those of Bouganvillea, 

 and will render the plant acceptable in our stoves, 

 and specially in bouquets and for purposes of table 

 decoration. 



We are informed by Mr. Bull that the Dale- 

 champia blooms so freely, that plants a few inches 

 in height are now full of fiower. Moreover, it seems 

 to produce its flowers throughout the year, while 

 the individual blossoms retain their beauty for sev- 

 eral weeks, owing to the persistent nature of the 

 colored bracts.— ii. T. M 



Keteleeria, a new genus of Coniferas. — In the 

 Rtvue Uortlcole, M. Carriere has shown that the 

 plant called Abies Jezoensis by Lindley, and Abies 

 Fortune! by A. Murray, is not the Abies Jezoensis 

 of Siebold and Zuccarini, nor an Abies at all ; but 

 a new genus, which he has named Keteleeria, in 

 honor of M. Keteleer, the eminent nurseryman of 

 Paris. The name M. Carriere proposes is Ketelee- 

 ria Fortune!, and it is distinguished from Abies 

 and Picea in having the erect cones of the latter 

 and the persistent scales of the former. 



The Illustration Horticole figures the following : 



Alnus Aurea (the Golden Alder Tree). — This 

 will be one of the finest trees. It is the common 

 Alnus, with splendid golden leaves. 



Tea Pv.ose Isabella Sprunt. — One of the best 

 Tea Roses sent out. 



Pear Beurre de Fromentel. — One of the best 

 Pears sent out. This fine Pear obtained several 

 Prizes. 



New Sweet-scented Violet, King of Violets 

 is advertised in London by E. Gr. Henderson & Son. 

 Its style and constancy of growth has been proved 

 as a seedling, by six successive seasons of culture. 

 The flowers are very double, and rosette-like in form, 

 to, occasionally, inch in width, delightfully 

 fragrant, and, in some soils, are casually striped 

 with white. The growth is dwarf and compact,not 

 liable to exuberant leaf-growth as in the single-flow- 

 ered forms of its tribe. In color it approaches the 

 rich indigo blue of the well-known Tree Violet, but 

 its individual blossoms are double the average size 



