THE PUBLIC GARDEN IN FUNCHAL, MADEIRA. 479 



Melia Azedarach presents a beautiful appearance when covered with 

 the lilac and very fragrant panicles of flowers. The seeds are employed 

 in making rosaries. 



Ocotea foetens ( = Oreodaphne foetens) is one of the finest of the 

 laurel family. The wood, which takes a beautiful polish and is exten- 

 sively employed for ornamental work, gives off an extremely disagree- 

 able odour when cut. 



Phoenix dactylifera grows to a great size in Madeira, but the dates 

 never appear to ripen. As an ornamental palm it is not nearly so graceful 

 or luxuriant as the very closely allied P. canariensis. 



Tibouchina Benthamiana. The intense beauty of the flowers of this 

 plant can only be realised when seen. It is rather a loose growing 

 shrub, up to 10 feet high, with terminal clusters of dark-purple flowers. 



Poinciana regia, the ' Royal Peacock ' flower, greatly resembles 

 Jacaranda in form and leaf, and bears loose terminal racemes of flowers 

 in great profusion. The flowers are bright scarlet, striated with golden- 

 yellow on the upper petal and claws. This tree flowers much better in 

 the Canary Islands, and when in full bloom is one of the most magnificent 

 sights in the vegetable kingdom. 



Schotia brachytoma is an evergreen tree with deep-crimson flowers 

 clustered along all the branches. It is more curious than beautiful. 



Stanhopea Bucephalus has hanging clusters of flowers which resemble 

 a flight of dragonflies and give off an almost unbearably strong odour of 

 vanilla, only pleasant at a distance. It is extremely hardy, and is seen 

 in hanging baskets in most Madeira gardens. 



Streptosolen Jamesonii, which is labelled with the old synonym of 

 Browallia, is everywhere in Madeira, and is used for hedges or covering 

 walls, giving a wonderfully gay appearance to the gardens with its panicles 

 of brilliant orange and red. 



Sobralia Buckeri grows well everywhere and flowers freely : it is one 

 of the most beautiful of orchids. I have given the name of Buckeri to 

 this Sobralia, as the description in the Jouenal R.H.S. applies most 

 closely to the one grown here. I may be wrong in so naming it, and 

 should be glad of correction if so. 



