258 
NEW FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 
At Ratnapoora also, a town built on a I 
green hill-side, the rich emerald turf is literally 
spangled with gorgeous flowers and blossom- 
ing bushes, which, mingling with the bright 
colours of the houses, present a singular and 
attractive aspect. This part of the island, 
indeed, is famous for its verdure. The roads 
are bordered sometimes for miles together 
with jasmine, orange, citron, lime, and arecas, 
which, when in full blossom, and with the 
dew upon them, breathe forth the sweetest of 
odours, Avhich perfume the soft breezes of 
Ceylon, whilst an immense variety of flower- 
ing trees dot the fields and hill-slopes. The 
native houses in this district are surrounded 
by beautiful gardens, whilst the branches of 
the sacred bo-tree are hung with garlands, 
and surrounded by little altars, which are 
piled with the flowers brought by the piety 
of the natives to testify their devotion to the 
great god, Gautama Buddha. 
Indeed, as we have mentioned before, all 
temples and sacred places are sweetened with 
the fragrance of flowers, earth's richest in- 
cense, which the poorest peasant may enjoy 
with as much pleasure as the most favoured 
son of fortune. In the grounds which sur- 
round the ancient and massive sacred struc- 
ture of Bentotte, the tall palm-trees cast 
their shadow upon masses of flowers, which, 
watered by a clear and sunny rivulet, bloom 
in a luxury of perfection, and impart love- 
liness to the spot consecrated to the religion 
of the Indian races. 
The temple built on the rock upon which 
Siva is said in the Hindoo mythology to have 
left the impress of his sacred foot, is con- 
stantly decorated with the rarest and most 
beautiful flowers. Flowers indeed seem, in 
all ages and among all races, to have been 
looked upon as the fittest offerings of piety, 
the most delicate gift of affection, the sweetest 
tokens of love, the crown of innocence, the 
adornments of the marriage festival, and the 
emblematical decorations of the tomb. The 
truth of this is illustrated in Ceylon as in most 
other regions. We have but glanced briefly 
at the subject in connexion with that verdant 
island ; but may perhaps return to it again 
hereafter, in order to indicate more particu- 
larly a few points which the general nature of 
the present sketch forbade us to touch upon. 
NEW FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 
Cl'RTANTHERA CATALP^EFOEIA, NeeS VOU 
Esenbecli (catalpa- leaved Cyrtanthera). — 
Acanthacea?. — A novel and very handsome 
shrubby plant, growing from five to six feet 
in height, somewhat branched, but naturally of 
an erect habit of growth. The leaves, which 
are opposite, are large cordate-acuminate, and 
are attached by rather long stalks ; the upper- 
most pair, beneath the flowers, is much smaller, 
and of an ovate figure. The flowers grow in 
dense compact terminal panicles, or thyrsi ; 
they are large, deep yellow, tubular, cut 
nearly half way down into two gaping seg- 
ments, of which the upper is erect and entire, 
and the lower reflexed, spathulate, and three- 
toothed at the apex. Native of Honduras. 
Introduced in 1847 to the Royal Garden at 
Kew. Flowers during the summer months. 
Culture. — Requires a stove ; rich light loamy 
soil, and to be closely stopped while young, to 
produce bushiness ; propagated by cuttings, 
placed in a slight heat. 
Trop^eolum Deckerianum, Karsten (Dec- 
ker's Indian Cress). — Tropaaolaceas § Tro- 
paBoleos. — A curious and ornamental species, 
climbing extensively. The leaves are roundish- 
triangular, peltate, and obscurely five or seven- 
lobed. The flowers grow singly from the 
axils of the leaves, on longish slender thread- 
like peduncles, which are twisted and twining 
near the middle, and gradually become thick- 
ened towards the blossom, where they are of a 
reddish colour ; the sepals are lance-shaped, 
green, extended behind into a hairy spur, 
about an inch and a half long, bright scarlet 
at the lower part, and green at the apex ; the 
petals, which alternate with the sepals, are 
spatula-shaped, the two uppermost longest ; 
they are nerved and toothed, the teeth ending 
in short hairs, and their colour is dark blue, 
brightest at the margin. Native of Vene- 
zuela. Introduced to Berlin in 1845. Flowers 
at various seasons. Culture. — Requires a 
stove, 68° Fahr., with partial shade ; light 
rich loam ; propagated by cuttings, or seeds. 
Mucuna macrocarpa, Wallich (large 
fruited Mucuna). — Fabaceae § Papilionaceaa- 
Phaseolea?. — An exceedingly vigorous grow- 
ing climbing shrub, the twining stems of 
which extend forty or fifty feet in length ; 
the leaves are large, trifoliate, with cordate 
leaflets, and somewhat hairy. The flowers 
come in pendulous axillary racemes, a foot 
and a half or more in length ; the flowers 
large, curiously formed and coloured; the 
standard is light green, and assurgent, shorter 
than the wings and keel ; the wings are oblong- 
lanceolate, and rich deep purple ; and the keel 
longer than the wings, sword-shaped, and of 
a light purplish brown. It is the Dolichos 
