464 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



order to which it belongs, and stands apart on account of its usually more 

 or less succulent leaves, though not rarely they are hard and dry. The 

 exception is Furcraea, commonly known as Fourcroya. The flowers of 

 Agave have a funnel-shaped perianth with a short tube. The filaments 

 are long and filiform. An Agave allied to A. americana, 4 feet high, has 

 survived out of doors at Cambridge for several years. A. utahensis 

 (fig. 79) is perfectly hardy, so also appears to be A. Parryi. 



Furcraea. — This genus is distinguished as a rule from Agave by its 

 flatter, paler-green leaves. The flowers are white and rotate, while the 

 filaments are strumose at the base. The plants are usually dwarf, as in 

 the case of Agave, but, in the subgenus Roezlia, F. longaeva attains 40 to 

 50 feet. All are found in tropical America. (For the literature of 

 Furcraea with synopsis of known species, see report of the Missouri 

 Botanic Gardens for 1907.) 



Echeveria. — Botanically the genus Fcheveria is not now separated 

 from Cotyledon, but it may usually be distinguished by the rosulate 

 arrangement of the leaves, and also by their being alternate ; and as they 

 are all Mexican, with the exception of one Peruvian and one Japanese 

 species, I doubt the wisdom of foregoing the advantages of using the name 

 in gardens. Cotyledon is native of South Africa, and the leaves are 

 usually opposite. In gardens the genus is popular, and it is represented 

 by the well-known Echeveria secunda glauca and the fine E. gibbiflora 

 metallica. Of the latter there is a curious monstrous form at Kew. 

 E. farinosa and E. agavoides are indispensable plants. Mr. Cannell 

 grows E. edulis, a rare Calif ornian species. E. fulgens is ornamental as 

 a greenhouse flowering plant in winter, and the cut flowers last a long 

 time. 



Sedum. — In North America are a few species deserving of note. 

 S. oxypetaluvi, a native of Mexico, is very interesting. It has an erect 

 fleshy trunk, and in the Botanic Garden of Kouen is a specimen about 

 4 feet high and having a stem several inches thick. S. obtusatum, 

 frequently found in gardens, is a native of California. One of the 

 prettiest of Sedums is S. pulchellum. S. tematum is well known, and 

 in North- West America we have S. spathulifolium and S. stenopetalum. 

 S. ebracteatum is not very ornamental, but it has a persistency of life 

 in collections worthy of a better plant ; it is Mexican. S. Stahlii, 

 introduced not long since, is worth cultivation. This is also, a native of 

 Mexico. 



Fouquicria. — This is a genus of the order Tamaricaceae composed of 

 about three species, sometimes represented in succulent collections. The 

 flowers have never been seen in this country, but they are said to be showy. 

 All are native of Mexico. 



Pedilanthus. — A curious genus of Euphorbiaceae. P. tithymaloides 

 of South America, known as the 1 Jew-bush,' is sometimes grown. It has 

 red flowers remarkably like a foot, the stems are green, and bear ovate 

 acuminate leaves, with margins wavy. Mr. Cobbold has a curious species 

 in the Alexandra Park collection, Manchester, named P. macrocuspis. 



Plumcria. — A genus of the order Apocynaccae, with thick stems, 

 fleshy leaves, and fine ornamental flowers, sometimes represented in 

 tropical houses. The habit of growth, unfortunately, is not ornamental. 



