72- 



PAXTON'S FLOWER GARDEN". 



Pitcaienia alt a. This plant appears to have been introduced some years ago, but 

 evidently has not been much known to cultivators, although its stately habit and brilliant- 

 coloured flowers are sufficient to commend it to the notice of the gardening community. The 

 general appearance is similar to others of the genus, the leaves assuming an erect position at 

 first, and then gracefully arching so that their extremities hang down to a level with the point 

 from whence they spring. The branching flower-stem, which springs from the crown of the 

 plant, rises several feet above the foliage. The flowers are wholly red, when fully expanded 

 forming with the arched foliage an effective and elegant combination. A native of the West 

 Indies. 



Acaulescent, densely tufted. Basal leaves from twelve to twenty to a flower stem, linear-lorate, two or three feet 

 long, three-quarters of an inch broad, or an inch at the middle, bright green on the face, persistently white-lepidote on 

 the under surface, recurving from about the middle. Peduncle two or three feet long below the inflorescence. Racemes 

 several, very lax, arranged in a deltoid panicle ; pedicels ascending, a quarter or half an inch long. Oalyx bright red, 

 above an inch long, adhering to the ovary at the cuneate base ; sepals lanceolate. Petals twice as long as the sepals, 

 the same colour. Stamens as long as the petals ; anthers linear, basifixed, half an inch long. Style reaching up to 

 the summit of the anthers ; stigmas convolute. — Botanical Magazine, 6606. 



Dendeobium Leechianum. Orchids are now being raised by hybridising in this country 

 in such numbers as almost to keep pace with the new species that are discovered by collectors. 

 Yet the raisers, so far, seem to be working with comparatively limited genera. For instance, 

 Cattleyas crossed with each other, or with the nearly allied Lselias ; the different species of 

 Cypripedium have also rewarded the hybridisers with a number of handsome varieties. The 

 plant under notice has been raised by Mr. Swan, gardener to W. Leech, Esq., Fallowfield, 

 near Manchester, who possesses one of the noted collections of Orchids for which the neigh- 

 bourhood of Manchester is so justly celebrated. It is a handsome variety, which will no 

 doubt succeed with treatment in the matters of heat and moisture that answer for others 

 that come under the intermediate temperature section, that is, not so very hot even in the 

 growing season, and considerably cooler whilst at rest than such species as need the greatest 

 amount of heat. A cross between D. aureum and D. mobile, and is in the way of 

 D. splendidisshmim. Professer Reichenbach thus describes it in the Gardener's Chronicle, 

 N.S., vol. xvii., p. 256 :— 



Petals narrower and more acute than in D. splendidissimum, very wavy. Lip lobed, reminding one of D. aureum. 

 Colour'white as in the best varieties of D. nobile ; tips of the sepals, petals, and lip, rich rose-purple. Sepals and petals 

 nearly all rose-colour outside. The anterior disk of the lip is occupied by a very large dark purple blotch. Towards 

 the base runs a broad callous line with fine purple stripes ; on each side there are radiating purple lines outside. 



Mascaeenhasia Cuenowiana. A handsome and useful addition to our warm stove plants, 

 introduced from Madagascar by Messrs. Low, of the Clapton Nursery, through their collector, 

 Mr. Curnow. It is said to be a free flowerer, and to keep blooming for a considerable length 

 of time — properties which cannot fail to make it a favourite. Its habit is shrubby; the 

 flowers, red or scarlet, are about two inches in diameter. No doubt it will succeed with 

 similar treatment in the matter of heat and moisture to that which other plants from the same 

 hot region require. 



A slender shrub, with very dark green leaves and branches. Leaves opposite, three to four inches long. Shortly 

 petioled, oblong or oblong-lanceolate. Cymes terminal, few-flowered ; peduncle rather longer than the petiole, pedicels 

 shorter. Calyx very small. Corolla perfectly glabrous, scarlet ; tube two-thirds of an inch long ; lobes nearly an inch 

 long, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, base subcordate, margins slightly undulate, disk surrounding the mouth stellate, 

 hairy. Stamens subulate, with short pubescent anthers. Hypogynous disk obsolete. Ovary glabrous ; style slender, 

 stigma constricted in the middle, obtuse. — Botanical Magazine, 6612. 



