63 
HINTS ON THE ILLICIUM FLORIDANUM. 
This species is esteemed as a green-house plant, on account of the fragrance 
contained in its leaves and flowers ; the leaves when rubbed between the fingers 
emit a scent, much like anise, hence arises the trivial name Anise seed tree. Nor 
does this property only exist in the leaves and flowers, but the bark when bruised 
is found equally to possess it. It is a native of West Florida, found in considerable 
abundance on the banks of the river Mississippi, and in marshy places near the 
town of Pensacola. It flowers freely in the green-house about April or May, and 
continues in this state for a considerable time ; the blossoms are of a dark purple 
colour, possessing- no remarkable show ; the only attractive feature in them, is the 
agreeable perfume they emit, which in a small house, in the evening- when closed, 
is so powerful as to impregnate the whole with its delightful odour. It cannot be 
said that this plant is generally cultivated well, on the contrary, it is frequently 
indifferently managed in this respect ; some who possess it, fall into an error by 
keeping the soil at the roots too dry, others without any reference to discriminative 
treatment, apply to it exactly what they consider indiscriminately suited to all 
green-house plants. We have plants at Chatsworth which produce an abundance 
of bloom every spring, and the treatment that appears to suit them best may be 
briefly stated as follows. 
The soil made use of at all times is sandy peat, with a very trifling mixture of 
friable loam, well incorporated. In shifting we take care to drain well with pots- 
herds, in fact, during the whole process of potting, we add now and then a few 
pieces of grit stones, which at all times act as a reservoir to the young roots, this 
is performed in the same manner as in potting Ericas, the sole use of the practice 
being to prevent the roots from getting too dry or too wet. When the potting is 
completed, they receive the same treatment as other green-house plants, except that 
we always observe to give them more water than the generality of these plants 
require. If shifted in March, which is the most proper time, the flowers will not 
only be more abundant but much stronger and finer in every other respect. It is 
rather difficult to propagate ; still cuttings of the well-ripened wood, planted in a 
pot of sand put under a hand-glass, and placed in a moderately heated close situation 
in the propagating house, will root freely, observing to give a little water carefully 
now and then with the syringe, or water pot that has a fine rose. So treated, the 
success will be satisfactory. But the easiest way to increase them is, by laying the 
branches in any common soil, after the manner usually followed in this operation. 
The other two species, III. anisatum and HI. parvijiorum, are interesting, and 
will thrive well in the green-house amongst other plants, where they may be 
treated as recommended for III. Floridanum. They may be also increased readily 
by layers. 
