SIS 
ANTARCTIC GENTIANS. 
attempted to bring tlie Fuchsia under cogni- 
zance of their rigid rules, but with such a 
variety of original forms, it is no wonder that 
they have been less successful in moulding this 
flower to a " standai'd," than most others to 
which their attention has been directed. 
Fuchsia maerantha, of which a representa- 
tion accompanies this notice, is the most recent 
introduction, having been received from South 
America, by Messrs. Veitch and Son, of Exeter, 
from their collector, Mr. W. Lobb, and 
bloomed for the first time in this country 
during the spring of the present year (1846). 
We had an opportunity of witnessing bloom- 
ing plants sent in April to the meeting of the 
Horticultural Society of London, and are 
therefore in a position to state, from personal 
inspection, that it is perfectly distinct from 
any of the kinds already in cultivation ; we 
cannot indeed consider it to be the most beau- 
tiful of the kinds we are acquainted with, but 
being a handsome plant, it will no doubt, on 
account of its distinctness, meet with a con- 
siderable share of public favour. 
The greatest peculiarity for which this plant 
is remarkable, is the absence of petals in the 
flowers, so that, in fact, the flowers consist 
fimply of long tubes, divided at the lower ex- 
tremity into four obtusely angular segments, 
beyond which the style, but not the stamens 
are protruded. At present, in a cultivated 
state, it assumes the form of a low, somewhat 
straggling shrub, with spreading branches ; 
but Sir W. Hooker states, that in Peru, where 
it was originally observed in lofty mountains 
at Andimarca, it was found climbing on the 
trees, so that we may expect the straggling 
habit which has been manifested to become 
more fully confirmed and developed, as our 
acquaintance with it increases. It has however 
not yet been seen to exceed about two feet in 
height, and in this state, the flowers quite con- 
ceal the stems, from the number in which they 
are produced ; indeed so freely does it produce 
its flowers, that small plants, scarcely more 
than six inches high, are found to flower freely. 
The whole plant is more or less clothed 
with coarse pubescence ; it has large leaves, of 
an acutely ovate figure, and purplish beneath, 
and pendulous apetalous (without petals) 
flowers, the calyx of which is very long — often 
six inches — cylindrical, a little widening up- 
wards, and divided into four ovate segments ; 
these flowers are each produced on a separate 
stalk, sometimes solitary, sometimes aggre- 
gated, also " among the terminal leaves, which 
are often so small as to give the appearance of 
terminal corymbs ; at other times, the flower- 
ing branches are crowned with a tuft of 
leaves." The colour of the flowers is a rosy- 
red, paler towards the base of the tube, and 
also on the segments, which are slightly tipped 
with green. If, observes Sir W. Hooker, this 
be not the most brilliantly coloured of Fuchsias, 
it certainly can boast the largest flowers, and 
it bears them more copiously than any other 
species. 
Mr. W. Lobb, the collector to Messrs. 
Veitch, detected this plant growing in woods 
near Chasula, in Colombia, at an elevation of 
5,000 feet above the sea ; and it is through 
this source that it has been introduced to this 
country in a living state. Dried specimens 
have been for some time in Sir W. Hooker's 
herbarium. 
In regard to cultivation, it will, doubtless, 
prove a hardy green-house species, the eleva- 
tion of its natural habitat (5,000 feet) being 
sufficient to warrant this conclusion : there is 
indeed every reason to believe that it would 
succeed out of doors during the summer 
months. Like the other species of similar 
habit, the present seems to be most fitted for 
a conservatory, where it might be either 
planted out in the border, or grown into a 
large specimen in a pot. From the manner in 
which the blossoms of the plant are produced, 
it will be obvious that it is well adapted for 
growing into the form of a standard, from 
which the long dependent flowers would hang 
with good effect. Whatever beauty there may 
be in plants of small size, there can be no 
doubt that those which are grown into larger 
bushes will proportionately increase in beauty ; 
such is the case with F. fulgens, and F. 
corymbiflora, the two kinds common in our 
gardens, to which in general characters this 
bears the greatest resemblance. It seems to 
bloom early in the summer. 
It is hardly necessary to mention that a 
coarse, rich loamy soil is most suited for 
Fuchsias ; and that if full exposure to light is 
secured to them, they will thrive best when 
treated on somethinglike the large-shift system. 
Fuchsias belong to the natural order Ona- 
graceas, the same order which includes the 
CEnothera, and other garden flowers. In the 
Linncean arrangement, they belong to Octan- 
dria monogynia. 
ANTARCTIC GENTIANS. 
In the Flora Antarctica, are representations 
of two species of Gentiana, which would prove 
acquisitions among our hardy plants. These are 
named Gentiana concinna (neat), and G.cerina 
(waxy.) The former is a very dwarf annual 
plant, forming a little tuft two or three inches 
high, with short branches thickly set with 
elongated spathulate leaves, and the ends of 
the shoots terminated by a leafy panicle of 
small white flowers; but which must give the 
tuft a very pretty appearance. It occurs in 
bleak and exposed places on the hills in Camp- 
bell's Island, and in Lord Auckland's group. 
