THE FLORAL MAGAZINE. 



NEW SERIES.] SEPTEMBER, 1875. 



ELOWER SHOWS. 



At the meeting of the Royal Horticultural Society, 

 held on August 4th last, Messrs. Veitch and Sons were 

 awarded a First-class Certificate for Adiantum prineeps," 

 a remarkably handsome, strong-growing maiden -hair 

 Fern. It is described and figured in the Gardeners' 

 Chronicle for August 14th last, where Mr. Moore, in 

 describing it as a new species, says it is one of the 

 finest of the many beautiful species of maiden-hair 

 which adorn our plant stoves. It was introduced by 

 the Messrs. Yeitch and Sons from New Grenada, and 

 was first exhibited in the splendid group of novelties 

 which was staged by them on the occasion of the horti- 

 cultural demonstration in the Royal Horticultural 

 Society's Garden on July 21st. The plant was brought 

 before the Floral Committee at the following meeting 

 (August 4th), and then was crowned with its well- 

 merited First-class Certificate. 



Not only does this Fern possess a degree of boldness 

 of character, on account of the size of the fronds and 

 the pinnules, but the plants are also remarkably grace- 

 ful, from their fulness of development and the arching 

 or pendent position they assume. Messrs. Veitch's 

 specimen plant must be at least from five to six feet 

 across. For so large a plant both the black glossy 

 stripes and the rachides are comparatively slender, 

 while the stalks of the pinnules are remarkably so ; 

 and this, no doubt, is mainly conducive to the. pendent 

 habit, which is one of the features of the plant. The 

 fronds are broadest at the base ; in our example they 

 have a stripe of about a foot, and a lamina of two feet 

 in length, the lower pinnae being about a foot in 

 length, with the lower pinnule on the posterior side 

 bipinuate, so that the frond itself becomes quadripin- 

 nate. The pinnules are large, the upper corner 

 obliquely overlying the rachis ; the basal margin is 

 entire and slightly concave, the inner side, or that 

 towards the rachis, being also entire ; while the some- 

 what rounded anterior margin and truncate apex are 

 cat into broadish shallow lobes, and are generally 

 fertile throughout, but where sterile are minutely 

 serrulate. The terminal pinnule is larger than the 

 rest, sharply cuneate at the base, and spreading out 

 iuto a fan-shaped figure, that at the top of the frond 

 bsing fully 1| inch across. The sori are about § inch 

 long, sometimes considerably more, reniformly curved, 

 with an entire indusium. 



[No. 45. 



The affinity of this remarkable novelty is with A. 

 tenerum, in which it is probable other distinct forms 

 lie buried ; indeed, Hooker's variety of that species, 

 collected by Seemann in Veraguas, appears to be the 

 same plant as that now under notice. Whether this 

 be so or not, A. prineeps is abundantly distinct from 

 A. tenerum, and in consequence of the fronds assuming 

 a charmingly pendent character it is altogether a 

 much finer ornamental plant. The drooping habit, 

 and the large quadrate lateral and fkbellate terminal 

 pinnules, together with the elongate sori, forming con- 

 cave depressions and projecting horns at the ends of 

 the lobes, and the slender pedicels of uniform length, 

 furnish well-marked distinctions. It will make one of 

 the finest of all exhibition Ferns. 



Messrs. Yeitch and Sons were also awarded a First- 

 class Certificate at the same flower show for Dracaena 

 Taylori, a hybrid between D. magnifica and I). 

 Mooreana, with apparently a very free-growing habit ; 

 its leaves are very large and broad, somewhat bluntly 

 rounded at their points, and of a dull bronzy colour, 

 the leafstalks being rich crimson. A similar award 

 was made to the same firm for Asplenium ferrulaceum, 

 a very finely cut form, much resembling fennel, and 

 coming from Columbia ; for Platycerium Yvillinckii, 

 referred to by us in a former Number ; for Dracaena 

 elegautissima, one of the narrow, almost straight-leaved 

 forms, of pleasing colour, but distinct from the D. 

 elegautissima previously shown by Mr. Bull ; and for 

 Rhododendron Prince Leopold, a lovely new hybrid, 

 with rich yellowish-buff flowers, suffused with orange- 

 carmine— a novelty we hope shortly to figure. Mr. 

 Bull was awarded a First-class Certificate for Cibotium 

 Menziesii, a distinct species, with thick glossy fronds 

 and bluntly rounded pinnae, glaucus beneath ; and for 

 Dracaena Rex, a bold, handsome variety, with leaves 

 of a bronzy-reddish crimson hue and reddish-crimson 

 leafstalks. Mr. B. S. Williams, of Upper Holloway, 

 was also awarded a First-class Certificate for Alsophila 

 australis, var. Williamsii, and for Woodwardia radi- 

 cans, var. cristata — a very distinct crested form, of rare 

 interest. A similar award was made to Messrs. 

 Froebel and Co., Newmunster, Zurich; for Begonia 

 Froebeli, a tuberous rooted species, from Ecuador, with 

 intense crimson-scarlet flowers, of good form, but not 

 so showy as several of the newer varieties previously 

 shown here ; it was described in the Gardener* 

 Chronicle by Prof. DeCandolle, at p. 552, vol. i., 



