GREENHOUSE ACACIAS IN THE SOUTH=WEST 
i6i 
A. melanoxylon has reached a height of 40 
feet in the south-west, flowering in March and 
April with pale yellow flowers in great abund- 
ance. Its foliage is entire and oblong. 
A. longifolia (or a species grown under this 
name) is fairly common in the south-west, 
being met with in many gardens. This bears 
globular, bright yellow flower-heads and its 
leaves, 8 inches in length and f of an inch in 
breadth, fully deserve the name longifolia. It 
appears probable, however, that the name 
of this species is really A. retinoides, since 
the A. longifolia grown on the Riviera bears 
rather rank-smelling, catkin-like flower-spikes 
springing from the leaf-axils, and is there 
known as the Caterpillar tree. Whether it be 
retinoides or longifolia., there is a variety of this 
Acacia known here as floribunda., this being 
doubtless due to the fact that some plants of 
this species are flowerless, while others bloom 
well in quite a small state. I have known 
large specimens that never flowered and were 
eventually destroyed in consequence. 
A. cultriformis is a distinct species of loose 
habit with glaucous foliage, bearing racemes 
of deep-yellow flowers. I know of two good 
plants in the south-west, one at Trewidden 
covering a space of 1 2 feet by 8 on a wall, 
and another at Trebah, which covers a trellis 
5 feet in height and 6 feet in length in the 
open ground. 
A. Drummondi is a well-known greenhouse 
plant and makes good growth in the open. It 
bears cylindrical spikes of pale yellow flowers 
and has pinnate leaves. 
A. Riceana is the most graceful in habit of 
all the Acacias and, though, as a native of 
Tasmania it is doubtless hardier than some 
other species, its slender, pendant shoots ren- 
der it unfitted for any position from which 
wind is not absolutely excluded. Its leaves 
are needle-like and the drooping, cream-white 
flower-panicles are borne in profusion from 
the extremities of the thin, arching shoots in 
May. It is unequalled for draping the roof of 
a conservatory. 
A. cordata is a rather uncommon species 
with sharply-pointed cordate leaves closely 
set on long, slender, Epacris-like shoots and 
bearing small, almost white flowers. This is [ 
growing well in the open at Tregye. ! 
A. /o/»/z^z;?M<2 is another familiar conservatory 
plant and one largely used in sub-tropical gar- 
dening on account of its elegant foliage, which 
is, if possible, even more graceful than that of 
A. dealbata. At Trebah there is a plant 1 2 
feet in height and as much through, and at 
Rosehill, Falmouth, it has attained the same 
height and bears its greenish-yellow flowers 
through the winter. 
A. platyptera is a singular species possessing 
no leaves, but having the stems and branches 
edged with bright green wings, from half an 
inch to an inch in width and attached continu- 
ously throughout their entire length. The 
bright yellow, spherical flower-heads are borne 
in the autumn and winter. There is a large 
plant against a wall at Trewidden, where is 
also grown A. paradoxa., which bears yellow 
flowers in solitary heads. At Tregothnan I 
saw the fairly well-known A. linifolia, which 
bears in the autumn pale, creamy, globular 
flower-heads, and has long, narrow, drooping 
leaves or phyllodes, as well as A. diffusa, A. 
calamifolia., and A. latifolia. 
S. W. FITZHERBERT. 
THE BEECH DISEASE. 
To the Editor of Flora and Sylva. 
Sir, — Your Beech-tree article made no allu- 
sion to the dread disease which, according to 
some writers in " Nature Notes " is to leave 
the next generation with only a " picture 
knowledge " of this grand tree. Until my 
special attention was drawn to it some two years 
ago, I had hardly noticed the patches of grey 
fungus-like appearance on many of the Beech 
Trees here, but now it is quite clear that the 
disease is spreading and certainly killing some 
of the trees. One of these trees I have just cut 
down (although it might have lasted in a 
shabby condition for a few more years), and 
thinking it will be of interest to you I will 
to-morrow send by parcels post a piece of the 
bark and a section from one of the highest 
boughs. 
The interesting article on the Arbutus re- 
minds me that when in Victoria, British 
Columbia, we were greatly struck by the fine 
trees of the Common Strawberry Tree, and a 
friend, an architect there, spoke of the great 
value of the timberforinterior work in houses, 
such as banisters, etc. A. Kingsmill. 
M 2 
