NEW FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 
4i 
awarded, it would be only giving currencj'- and 
influence to the awards to notice them at all. 
Perhaps the shows in a whole year never 
gave so much cause for dissatisfaction as those 
for 1848 ; this will give rise to new societies 
and the abandonment of old ones, and this 
will never be cured without a demonstration 
of sound judgment on the part of societies 
by the employment of acknowledged judges. 
The shows of plants are lotteries, and, until 
plants are grown naturally, will continue so; 
those who can mechanically grow a geranium, 
or a rose, or any other plant with the most 
shoots, and place Avooden or other supporters 
with the greatest dexterity, supei'sede all 
good plant growing, give bunglers the pre- 
ference, and place bad ill-habited plants 
over those that will grow well without any 
mechanical aid. Upon the whole, there is a 
good deal to undo, as well as much to do, to 
bring up floriculture to the place it held in 
1846, and even that was almost a reaction. 
The only subject upon which we can really 
congratulate our floral friends, is the fact that 
the continental florists have not only adopted 
our standard for florists' flowers, but they have 
greatly added to our very best varieties of 
many different species, and that unless we 
make great haste to bring up our arrears, 
they Avill surpass us in most of those subjects 
which, (as the late Mr. Loudon said,) have been 
elevated to the rank of florists' flowers. In 
closing our remarks on the last year's doings, 
we have to acknowledge the omission of many 
occurrences which we could only notice 
hastily, and we have done this rather than 
incur the chai'ge of ill-nature ; something has 
been done, much remains to be done, and not 
a little requires to be undone. We shall 
watch carefully not only everything but every- 
body through 1849, and notice all important 
matters month by month. 
NEW FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 
AscLEPiAs DouGLASii, Hookev (Douglas's 
Asclepias). — Asclepiadacess § Asclepiadeas- 
veraa. — An erect growing herbaceous peren- 
nial, growing a foot or a foot and a half high, 
generally unbranched. The stems are stout, 
round, and woolly, furnished with opposite 
or ternately whorled leaves, a span long, and 
of an oblong or ovate-lanceolate formj they 
are downy above and woolly beneath. The 
flowers grow in umbels, which spring from 
between the petioles of the opposite leaves ; 
they ai'e numerous, of a reddish purple colour, 
tinged with green. 1^ is not a very at- 
ti'active plant; although the asclepiases, w^hich 
are not very commonly cultivated, have a 
singular structure, worth attentive examina- 
tion. Native of North America, on the west 
side of the Rocky Mountains. Introduced in 
1846 by Mr. Burke to the Royal Garden at 
Kew. Flowersin July .'■ Culture. — Hardy; good 
loamy soil; propagated by division of the plant. 
DiPLADENIA UROPHYLLA, Tlooltev (tapcr- 
point-leaved Dipladenia). — Apocynacese § 
Wrighteae. — A handsome bushy shrub, much 
branched, and smooth in every part. The 
branches are round, and swollen at the joints ; 
they are furnished with opposite leaves, be- 
tween ovat'e and oblong, obtuse at the base, 
and lengthened out at the apex into a long 
narrow point. From the axils of these, grow 
the flowers on slender drooping racemes, 
bearing apparently each four or five flowers ; 
the corolla is large and handsome, with a 
tawny-yellow tube, narrow and cylindrical at 
the base, and narrowly-campanulate above ; 
the limb consisting of five large rotundate, 
oblique, deeply separated, salmon coloured 
divisions ; the face of the flower is about two 
inches across, of which one is occupied by the 
yellowish throat. Native of the Organ Moun- 
tains of Brazil. Introduced in 1847. Flowers 
in summer and autumn. Culture. — Requires 
a stove ; turfy peat, and loam ; propagated 
by cuttings planted in sand, and placed in a 
gentle bottom heat. 
Vriesia glaucophylla, Hooker (glaucous- 
leaved Vriesia). — Bromeliaceas. — Rather a 
pretty plant, though not strikingly coloured. 
A stemless perennial plant, Avith an aloe-like 
appearance, the leaves narrow, recurved, a 
foot and a half long, tapering to the point, 
and at the base closely ari'anged around a 
somewhat swollen base ; they are firm in 
texture, and of a bluish tinge, produced by a 
sub-farinose covering. The flower scape, from 
the centre of the plant, reaches a foot or more 
in height, and is divided at the top into four 
or five branches or spikes of a span long, 
covei'ed Avith distichous keeled rigid bracts, 
of an ovate-lanceolate form, and very acute ; 
some of the lower bracts are red, the rest 
green, tinged with yellow and red. That 
portion of the blossoms protruded beyond 
these bracts, consists of three convolute purple 
petals, almost Avhite at the apex ; these pro- 
ject about an inch beyond the bract, and reach 
perfection in succession, not more than one 
blossom on a spike being perfect at one time. 
Beyond the petals are protruded the six 
stamens, bearing dark purple anthers. Native 
of Santa Martha, New Grenada. Introduced 
in 1847. Flowers in August. Culture. — 
Requii'es a stove ; light tui-fy peat soil ; pro- 
pagated by dividing the plant. 
