THE FLOKIST AND POMOLOGIST. 



CONTEMPORARY NOTICES. 



Botanical Magazine. — This old familiar Magazine, which we must all remember from 

 our boyhood, has just completed its eighty-seventh volume, which is the seventeenth of its 

 third series. In the Number last issued the following plants are figured: — MTwdanthe 

 Manglesii sanguinea, which is a distinct and pretty annual, worthy of bearing Drummond's 

 name of JR. astro-sangainea ; its foliage, habit, and flowers are all different, though bearing a 

 certain resemblance to those of the older kind. One conspicuous difference is the blood-red 

 disk of the present plant, which has been received by Mr. W. Thompson along with another 

 equally desirable called It. inaculata, from Western Australia. Begonia KtmtMana, a 

 fruticose species from Venezuela, with lanceolate- oblong, saw-toothed leaves, green above, red 

 beneath, and producing two or three-flowered axillary peduncles bearing large white flowers. 

 Dendrobium triadenium, a white-flowered Malayan Orchid, introduced many years ago. 

 Verticordia nitens, a glorious greenhouse shrub from Swan River, belonging to a group of 

 rnyrtaceous plants, the Chamaslauciaceoe, which has hitherto been almost unknown in gardens. 

 This species, which is also called Ghrysorrhoe nitens, has been introduced and flowered by 

 the Messrs. Veitch & Son. The plant, which branches everywhere, forms itself into a 

 condensed corymbose mass, the whole circumference of which is covered, with brilliant golden 

 star?, of which the calyx forms the more conspicuous part. This organ is five-lobed, the lobes 

 cut into several linear segments, each of which is plumosely fringed. Vriesia xyphostachys, a 

 bromeliaceous stove plant, with long, narrow, smooth-edged leaves, dilated at the base, and 

 a spicate infloresence of compressed distichous bracts, from which issue the purplish-blue 

 flowers ; it is supposed to be Brazilian. BolbopJiyllum barbigerum, an old-fashioned stove 

 epiphyte, of which it is remarked — " Glorious as are the flowers of many of the larger kinds 

 of orchideous plants, yet many of the smaller kinds are more wonderful and more curious in 

 their structure and organisation, and this is assuredly one of that kind." In truth, there is 

 at the end of the lip or labellum, if any reader should prefer the technical word, a brush of 

 long purple threads, so delicate as to be set in motion by the slightest disturbance of the air 

 about the plant. — M. 



NOTES ON NURSERIES. 



Messrs. Veitch & Son, Chelsea. — The fine collection of plants in this establishment 

 always yields something interesting, even at the most flowerless season of the year, and that 

 without any special attempt being made to provide a supply of winter flowers. One of the 

 first things to catch the eye on entering from the King's Road, is Lapageria rosea, coveting 

 the roof of one of the wings of the vestibule conservatory. The plants are growing in a 

 border prepared for them beneath the stages, and after furnishing the pilasters, are trained 

 horizontally beneath the roof, which is gay with their charming pendant, bell-like, rose crimson 

 flowers. This is undoubtedly one of the finest of greenhouse evergreen climbers. Other 

 examples in pots trained on an umbrella-shaped trellis, which is the form best suited to display 

 the beauties of the plants when pot- grown, were flowering in other greenhouses. Lycasle 

 Skinneri, a plant of which an abundant bloom is furnished throughout autumn and winter, 

 Mr. Veitch grows in large quantities, and we believe the growth of these plants is made in a 

 greenhouse climate ; but what is most remarkable about them is, that no two of them are 

 alike in the colouring and marking of their flowers, though a general similarity runs through 

 them all. Some very beautiful varieties have been already selected out of this fine batch, as 

 the pages of the Florist, and earlier portion of the Floral Magazine will testify. This is 

 just the plant for drawing-room decoration, for it blooms well in small pots, has permanent 

 healthy foliage of bold exotic character, and large showy flowers, and, above all, flowers that 

 last long in ^perfection. We believe the individual flowers will continue fresh in such a 

 situation as that indicated for as long a period as two months, if not more. Another flower 

 of the winter solstice here largely grown is the white-blossomed Calanthe vestita, of which 

 the varieties with a deep crimson eye, with an orange yellow eye, and with the flowers pure 

 white without spot, are severally well marked, and each of them in their way charming. 

 The fault of the plant is its flowering when unfurnished with leaves ; but, as it may be grown 

 in small pots and set amongst other subjects having compensating foliage, this need not 

 prevent its very lovely blossoms being turned to good account in furnishing warm conserva- 

 tories and flower- stands in rooms. Calanthe Veitchii is a plant raised by Mr. Veitch from the 

 foregoing, crossed with Limatodis rosea. This has the flowers of a brilliant rosy pink ; it flowers, 

 moreover, at this season, and while equally desirable, is very distinct on account of its colour. 

 We- must just mention two other Orchids, Bpidmdrum mteUimm majus, which had a spike 



