316 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Hoya imperialis (Large-leaved variety). Mr. 
Glendinning has this noble Bornean climber in a 
very line state at the Chiswick Nursery, just now ; 
and those who are still sceptical as to the luxuriant 
condition it will attain to under successful culture, 
should embrace this opportunity of inspecting it, 
in order that the trite old maxim of “ Seeing, 
being believing,” may lose none of its recognised 
importance in the present instance ; for, most 
undoubtedly this plant has realised the most eulo- 
gistic, though by some deemed exaggerated ac- 
counts that have ever been given to the public 
respecting the immense size of its flower-clusters, 
the freedom with which they are produced, or in 
fine as regards the size and substance of the flowers 
individually. 
The specimen we are directing attention to, is a 
trelliaged one, nearly 4 feet high, and 2 feet dia- 
meter, flourishing and blooming with the utmost 
vigour, so much so, that we were enabled to enu- 
merate upwards of a dozen flower-trusses in diffe- 
rent stages of development, and these on both old 
and growing wood, four of which were fully ex- 
panded, and several others nearly so : one of these 
trusses of inflorescence measured 9 or 10 inches 
through, supported by a proportionately stout 
peduncle 8 or 9 inches long, and composing a 
magnificent umbel of flowers thirteen or fourteen 
in number, radiating on pedicels full 3 inches in 
length, the flowers themselves, when expanded, 
being equal in diameter to the length of their 
secondary footstalks. 
It appears to delight in an extensive, well- 
drained, rooting medium, a slight bottom warmth, 
and brisk stove temperature, preserved in a humid 
state in warm weather ; and whether we admire 
this truly imperial Hoya for the noble aspect of its 
thick, twining stems and luxuriant glossy foliage, 
or for the superb clusters of chocolate-coloured, 
shining, waxy flowers, which it produces so copiously, 
their prominent central columns of fructification, ex- 
hibiting the polish, and in their outward appearance 
the consistency of manufactured articles, yielded 
by the Ivory Palm, all must acknowledge it to be 
one of the finest climbing plants yet introduced to 
British collections. 
Victoria regia. Several plants of this wonderful 
aquatic have been distributed from Kew during 
the current season, one or two of which we have 
recently met with in the principal metropolitan 
nurseries, &c.; but if we may infer from the pro- 
gress this plant is making at the Royal Botanic 
Garden, and at Chatsworth, where the largest leaf 
is upwards of 4 feet in diameter, we should say 
that Messrs. Lowe of Clapton, and doubtless others 
who may have been erecting small tanks for its 
reception, will, ere long, require to set about their 
enlargement. In a zinc tank at the Clapton Nur- 
sery, the young plants are thriving well ; and on 
visiting Kew a few days ago , we perceived that 
the large aquarium devoted to several luxuriant 
specimens, is also becoming too circumscribed for 
the much further development of the immense 
foliage of this “ Queen of all the Lilies,” the most 
expansive leaf in the “ Victoria-house ” there, 
measuring rather more than 2 feet across. 
Lcelia Perrinii. A superb specimen in a pot 
containing fibrous peat and plenty of drainage, of 
this lovely Brazilian epiphyte, we observed in the 
orchidaceous collection at Kew, displaying a dozen 
spikes of its distinctly coloured, rich crimson- 
lipped flowers. In the same collection also came 
under our notice, those sweetly-scented but un- 
assuming little orchids,— 
Promencea lentiginosa and P. Stapelioides, both 
natives of Brazil, and belonging to the tribe 
Vandece, the former composed quite an epiphytal 
mass of greyish-green leaves, and greenish-purple 
flowers, the labellums of which were dotted in 
profusion with crimson maroon. The latter species 
exhibited a like profusion of inflorescence, resem- 
bling Stapelia flowers, but differing from Promencea 
lentiginosa, in being greenish-yellow in colour, and 
in the sepals and petals being spotted as well as the 
lip, though the latter appendage was itself dis- 
tinguished by a greater density of similar-coloured 
dots. 
In cultivation, the first-mentioned epiphyte 
appeared to prefer growing in a basket of Sphag- 
num moss, the latter to grow upon a block of cork- 
tree wood. 
Phlox Drummondi alba. The many garden hy- 
brids of this ornamentally-useful tribe for the flower- 
garden-vase, or greenhouse stage, are plentifully 
enough distributed in almost every shade of colour 
produced by modifications of red and purple- 
crimson, but the V)hite hybrid, though such a 
pleasant contrast would arise from its employment 
in conjunction with the more brilliant coloured 
varieties, is rarely seen in a good state of cultiva- 
tion, which is perhaps attributed to its more 
delicate habit when treated as a biennial, and mul- 
tiplied, as most of the darker sorts are, by cuttings 
instead of seeds. Treated as an annual, it becomes 
more robust, but grown from cuttings, it is gene- 
rally found too frail a plant for the open air. 
Though not in a very vigorous state, we noticed 
it a short time since blooming at Messrs. Lee’s, at 
the Hammersmith Nursery. 
Luculia gratissima. At Messrs. Eraser’s Nur- 
sery, in the Lea-bridge Road, we saw plants not 
more than ten inches in height, each having a 
vigorous cyme of pink-coloured inflorescence formed 
upon their summit. 
Achimenes Jayii. In the Brooklands Nursery, 
Blackheath Park, Mr. Ayres directed our attention 
to the above pretty hybrid, partaking of the general 
appearance of A. rosea, and the colour of one of 
the prettiest and best to cultivate of this lovely 
tribe, namely A . venusta. 
It may be observed in most of the nurseries, but 
we apprehend the plant is predisposed to mildew, 
and if so, should be discarded from collections 
rather than risk the contamination with mildew of 
its congeners. 
Oxalis Bowiei. Perhaps one of the most attrac- 
tive and beautiful objects in the garden of the 
Horticultural Society just now, is a protected bed of 
this handsome greenhouse perennial. It produces 
a charming display and contrast, by the unrestricted 
profusion in which its elegant crimson flowers are 
borne in large trusses, conspicuously elevated by 
stout peduncles, above a leafy carpet of rich and 
glossy verdure. There is a complete mass of it 
