108 
NEW FLOWERS AND PLANTS. 
and size having some resemblance to our 
common foxglove, Digitalis purpurea. The 
stem is slender, sub-tetragonal, covered with 
silky viscid hairs. The leaves are opposite, 
soft, lanceolate, the margins revolute, and 
deeply toothed ; they are covered with small 
crystalline dots, which sparkle in the sun like 
diamonds, each dot being furnished with a 
short hair. The flowers are large, handsome, 
and numerous ; they are axillary ; the colour 
is rose, dotted with purple in the interior, the 
lip of a fine light yellow. Native of intertro- 
pical Western Africa. Introduced in 1845 
to the Belgian gardens. Flowers in the sum- 
mer. Culture. — Requires a stove, with a moist 
atmosphere ; in fact, such as is proper for bal- 
sams, with which in culture it may be associated ; 
rich light loamy soil ; pi'opagated by seeds. 
LisiANTHUS PULCHER, Hookev (beautiful 
Lisianthus). — Gentianaceae § Gentianese. — A 
miost beautiful shrubby-growing plant, attain- 
ing, in its wild state, the height of from five 
to seven feet, with obtusely four-angled erect 
stems, bearing opposite ovate-lanceolate acu- 
minate leaves attached by short footstalks ; in 
the leaves there are two pairs of principal 
ribs besides the mid-rib. The flow^ers grow in 
terminal trichotomous panicles, open, the blos- 
soms gracefully drot)ping ; the latter are fun- 
nel shaped, dividing rather obliquely into a 
limb of fine ovate obtuse lobes ; they have a 
good deal the form of the blossoms of some 
species of Pentstemon ; they are of a rich 
deep scarlet, the mouth streaked with dark 
yellow. Native of New Grenada, in the 
Monte del Moro. Introduced in 1846. Flowers 
in the autumn months. Culture. — Requires 
a moderate stove heat ; loose turfy-peat soil ; 
propagated by seeds or by cuttings. 
Stachttarpheta dichotoma, Fa/«Z(forked 
Stachytarpheta). — Verbenaceae. — An annual 
or biennial plant, growing from two to three 
feet high, with a straight slender tetragonous 
stem, throwing out branches in pairs. The 
leaves are ovate elliptical, longish attenuated, 
and sharply dentated on the margins ; the 
upper surface smooth, and pierced, as it were, 
with small white points or specks, which how- 
ever are only to be seen by the aid of the mi- 
croscope. The flowers grow in an erect spike, 
the rachis being a foot or more in length, and 
quite smooth ; the calyces and bracts are also 
smooth, the latter membranous and lance- 
shaped ; the corollas large, handsome, of a fine 
deep violet blue. The plant is very showy, 
the blossoms being freely produced. Native 
of South America. Introduced,to the Belgian 
gardens in 1 846. Flowers in summer. It is 
the Verbena dichotoma (Ruiz and Pavon). 
Culture. — Requires a greenhouse, or grows 
outdoors in summer ; rich light loamy soil ; 
propagated by cuttings or seeds. 
Amorphophallus leonensis, Lemaire 
(Sierra Leone Amorphophallus). — Aracese § 
Dracanculese. — A singular plant, belonging to 
a group of plants but little understood. It 
has a roundish depressed rhizome, with nu- 
merous fibrous roots. The barren stem, or at 
least the frond, grows about three feet high ; 
it is entii'ely smooth, robust, and divided at 
the summit in a trichotomous manner, and 
with numerous pinnatifid ramifications of 
smooth spine-like leaflets, which are decurrent 
linear-lanceolate acuminate, recurved, and 
hanging in an elegant manner, and giving it 
the appearance of a palm tree of the torrid 
zone. There are three varieties known, one 
with stems entirely pale green, another with 
the stem brownish, and spotted with green or 
white, and a third with the stem entirely dark 
brown, powdery, and spotted with white. 
The inflorescence is included in a short hooded 
painted spathe, on a roundish contracted club- 
shaped spadix. Native of Sierra Leone. 
Introduced in 1845 to the Belgian gardens. 
FloAvers ? . Culture. — Requires a stove ; 
light loam and leaf-mould. In a state of rest 
water must be sparingly applied, and it may 
be laid in any dry part of the stove, where it 
may remain till the time to repot it in March. 
Amaryllis leonensis, Lemaire (Sierra 
Leone Amaryllis). — Amaryllidaceae § Ama- 
ryllideas. — A very pretty Amaryllis of the 
Habranthus section. The bulbs are ovate 
elongate, and bear two or three linear leaves, 
somewhat keeled on the lower side. The 
pulverulent scape bears two flowers, which are 
of a vivid vermilion flesh colour, with a con- 
spicuous star in the centre ; the tube elon- 
gate funnel-shaped, the limb large and spread- 
ing. The blossoms are large and fine. Native 
of Sierra Leone Introduced in 1845 to the 
Belgian Gardens. Flowers ? Culture. — 
Requires a stove ; rich loamy soil j propagated 
by offsets. 
Macleania punctata. Hooker (dotted- 
leaved Macleania). — Vacciniacese. — A very 
beautiful low evergreen shrub. The branches 
are slightly angular. The leaves alternate, 
inclining towards a secund arrangement, 
sessile, cordate, or, in the case of the upper- 
most ones, nearly oval, of leathery texturp 
glossy, and distinctly dotted. The flowers, 
seated on little stalks, grow in a crowded man- 
ner from the axils of the upper leaves, as well 
as at the apex of the branches ; the stalks are 
club-shaped, red ; the calyx fleshy, turbinate, 
with five wing-like angles, deep red ; the 
corolla fully an inch long, between cylin- 
drical and urceolate, rose-red, except at the 
mouth, where it is yellowish white. Native 
of the Andes of El Equador. Introduced in 
1847. Flowers in the autumn months. Cul- 
ture. — Requires a warm greenhouse; loam and 
