ACANTHACEAE. 



85 



This I have not seen. It is probably not now in cultivation. 

 See Nicholson's "Diet.," vol. iii. p. 333. 



Lorentziana, Gris. in " Goet. Abh." xxiv. (1879), 259 ; (fig. " Rev. 

 Hort." 1902, 136).— Uruguay. Erect. Stern 4-sided; leaves 

 entire, opposite, decussate, oval, subcordate or attenuate at base, 

 acuminate at apex, 3-4 inches long, somewhat scabrous beneath ; 

 panicle terminal, loose, about 6 inches long ; heads 3-flowered ; 

 flowers violet blue ; calyx segments narrow, glandular ; corolla 

 infundibuliform, tube bent a little above the base and then ex- 

 panding, lobes five, large, 1 1 inch across. 



A very pretty species in cultivation at Kew, &c, nearly allied to 

 B. ciliatiflora, but the leaves are not serrated. 



maerantha, Nees, "Mart. Fl. Bras." ix. 37 ; ("Bev. Hort." 1881, 

 t. 410), "Bot. Mag." t. 7892. — Brazil. Leaves long lanceolate; 

 flowers axillary, very large, about 3^ inches long, by 2 J inches 

 across the lobes, rose-coloured with veined throat, tube narrow at 

 the base, gradually expanding upwards. 



The finest of all the species. There is a very good figure of it in 

 the "Garden" vol. xxxi. (1887), p. 604, which shows what a 

 beautiful species it is. This was drawn in my garden by Miss 

 Lowe, the daughter of the celebrated gardener Dr. Lowe. Cut- 

 tings taken between April and July flower better the next winter 

 and early spring than the old plants (which may be thrown away). 

 To flower these well, they require a rest in the late summer and 

 a short period in the open air to ripen the wood. Without this 

 treatment the flowering is often very unsatisfactory, whereas the 

 other species flower without any special attention in this way. 



macrophylla, Vahl, " Symb. Bot." ii. 72, t. 39 ; (fig. " Bot. Mag." 

 t. 4448) ; "Bot. Reg." 32, t. 7.— Santa Marta, Colombia. Leaves 

 opposite, petioled, ovate, acuminate, sinuate, or slightly toothed ; 

 panicles axillary, spreading, subsecund ; corolla bright scarlet, 

 tube about 3 inches long, curved, broader upwards, laterally com- 

 pressed, limb large, lobes reflexed. Syn. Stemonacanthus macro- 

 phyllus. 



A very fine species exceedingly like B. amoena in habit and in 

 its laterally compressed flowers, but the corolla tube is very long, 

 whilst in amoena it is short. This species is rare in cultivation 

 {amoena very common) ; it flowers profusely without any special 

 attention ; it seeds well. (Attention might be given to hybridising 

 some of these Ruellias.) Cuttings should constantly be put in, as 

 old plants soon get unsightly. 

 Makoyana, Hort. Makoy ex Closon (fig. "Rev. Hort." (1815), 

 109). — Brazil. Leaves olive-green, shaded with violet above, 

 purple beneath ; flow r ers solitary, axillary and terminal, rosy- 

 carmine, tube long, ventricose upwards from a contracted base. 



A low- spreading very pretty species, best grown in a pan, foliage 

 very attractive. 



paniculata, L. " Bp. PI." 635 ; (fig. " Bot. Reg." t. 585).— Jamaica. 

 Leaves oblong, oval, pubescent ; peduncles axillary, dichotomous ; 

 flowers bluish-purple ; calyx segments 5, linear ; corolla funnel- 



