NEW AND RARE PLANTS. 
115 
them in our stoves during the winter months, not a few lose their foliage, while 
others actually perish, and have in some instances become lost to our collections. 
To cultivate these in perfection, or even to keep them alive, it is quite evident that 
they must neither be treated according to the directions above given, nor be kept 
in a house in which climbing plants are trained to the rafters or roof, which would 
have virtually the same effect, depriving them of necessary light. It is therefore 
important that they should be kept in a house by themselves, and not only so, but 
that the rafters and sash bars of the house should be as small and slender as pos- 
sible, in order that the light may not be obstructed, and that the plants may 
receive the full benefit of the sun's influences. They should also be placed on 
stages, and thus brought as near as possible to the glass, especially during the 
winter season. By thus dividing the collection into two parts or sections, a due 
degree of light or shade may be dispensed to each, as they may respectively 
require ; and we feel assured, that much of the success or failure in the cultivation 
of stove plants, depends upon attention to this important particular. Our limits 
will not allow us to enter further into the subject at present, by considering 
the application of the principle to succulent and greenhouse plants ; we shall 
therefore embrace an early opportunit)> of laying before our readers a few plain 
and practical remarks on the influence of light on succulent and greenhouse plants, 
and also in future articles take into consideration the influences of atmospheric heat 
and moisture upon plants ; and endeavour to show, that if those points were more 
sedulously attended to by cultivators, we might then expect our collections to rival 
the vegetable grandeur and floral beauties of even tropical regions, by assimilating 
our system of management to those rules, which the infallible economy of nature 
teaches us to be most congenial to the habits and constitutions of the vegetable 
tribes. 
NEW AND RARE PLANTS, 
FIGURED IN THE LEADING PERIODICALS FOR MAY. 
CLASS I.— PLANTS WITH TWO COTYLEDONS (DICOTYLEDONE^). 
THE INDIAN FIG TRIBE {Cactece). 
Cereus pentalophus ; mr. subarticulatus. Five- winged Cereus, somewhat 
jointed variety. The s]^ecies pentalophus, with its varieties, was discovered by Dr. 
Coulter in Mexico. The handsome variety now under notice produced its blossoms, 
it is believed for the first time in this country, in Mr. Mackie's valuable and exten- 
sive collection of succulents in the Norwich Nursery — the flower is exceedingly 
handsome, of a fine rose colour, paler and almost white in the centre, where are the 
