^34 
PLORA AND SYLVA 
HOLBOELLIA AND 
STAUNTONIA. 
The Holboellia is rarely seen save in gardens 
along the south and west coasts of Britain and 
especially in Devon and Cornwall, being too 
tender to thrive in the open air anywhere far 
inland and passed over for other things that 
are more showy when it is a question of fur- 
nishing a glass-house. And yet the plant is 
far from unattractive when correctly used and 
well cared for. From the mountain forests of 
northern India, at elevations of 4,000 to 9,000 
feet, it is a climbing plant of strong growth 
when well established, with fine foliage of a 
pale green and flowers that are strongly fra- 
grant though inconspicuous. In the size and 
shape of the leaves there is much variation, 
some forms bearing only three broadly-oval 
leaflets to each leaf, and others any number 
up to seven or nine narrow ones. The colour 
of the flowers also varies from greenish to 
nearly white or a dull reddish-purple, these 
differences seeming to depend somewhat upon 
elevation with its changes of climate, and the 
age and vigour of the plant. Well rooted plants 
throw strong shoots of 12 to 15 feet in a 
season, which with age develop into woody 
stems several inches in diameter. In its own 
country they bear fruit in the form of large 
egg-shaped or oblong pods of 3 to 5 inches, 
reddish-purple in colour and filled with a soft 
pulp when ripe, which, though somewhat 
insipid to European taste, is freely eaten by 
the natives of Nepaul. 
The Holboellia flowered for the first time 
in this country about fifty years ago, at Sketty 
Hall near Swansea, where it was grown on a 
south wall. As a rule an east or west wall is 
better than one facing south, for hot sun will 
turn the foliage yellow. The flowers come as 
clusters from the leaf-axils and very freely dur- 
ing March and April, scenting the air all 
around ; the true petals are very small, the 
six sepals taking their place in the flower which 
is green or purple according to sex. For the sexes 
are apart in the Holboellia and though flowers 
of both kinds are often produced, it sometimes 
happens that only one sex may be represented 
for several seasons in succession. In a few 
favoured spots — as against the walls of Battle 
Abbey — the plant fruits pretty freely, but in 
most places this occurs only with old plants 
and at long intervals. The fruits ripen late in 
the year and are not infrequently overlooked 
until laid bare by the f allingleaves in November 
and December. They are fine in colour and 
would perhaps be produced more freely if a 
little trouble was taken to fertiHse the female 
flowers by artificial means. 
In colder districts away from the sea the 
Holboellia needs protection in winter, and is 
most suited to large houses where its rambling 
shoots will quickly cover a wide space. If in 
too warm a temperature it grows fast without 
flowering, indeed in a cool house or glass- 
covered corridor it is far more likely to do 
well, and even a few degrees of frost now and 
then will do no harm. The graceful shoots 
with their glossy divided leaves are pretty for 
cutting to mix with flowers, and being ever- 
green their verdure is welcome during winter. 
Cuttings of the half-ripe shoots will root in 
gentle heat but not readily, and where seed 
is available this is a surer means of increase. 
A dry sandy soil is unsuited to the Holboellia 
and light soils should be enriched by humus 
and well-rotted manure and kept constantly 
moist in the growing season. A starved plant 
betrays its weakness by the sickly yellow of 
its foliage, but no plant responds more quickly 
to feeding and the deep green colour returns 
as though by magic. Several years will often 
elapse after planting before the roots lay hold 
of the soil, but once well established no plant 
is easier to grow. Two or three named forms 
exist, distinguished mainly by the shape of 
their leaves ; thus latifoUa has three to five 
broad leaflets, migustifolia seven to nine narrow 
leaflets, and acuminata abruptly pointed leaves 
and deeper purple flowers. 
Closely allied to Holboellia isStauntonia (in- 
deed Holboellia is often known as Stauntonia 
latifoUa) which is also an evergreen twining 
shrub thriving on sheltered walls in the warmer 
parts of the country, with protection from 
severe cold. The leaves are prettily cut into 
leaflets of deep green, and the flowers, borne 
during summer are greenish-white and almost 
identical in shape and structure but not so 
fragrant as in Holboellia and gathered in 
smaller clusters. The fruit, as seen on a plant 
