MESEMBRYANTHEMUMS. 
201 
Soil, with the pots set in shallow water ; pro- 
pagated by division. 
Sagittaria (Arrow-head). — There are se- 
veral species. S. Idncifulia (lance-leaved), 
grows a foot and a half high, and bears white 
flowers in June, and July ; a native of the 
West Indies. S. sinensis (Chinese), has trifid 
leaves, grows two feet high, and bears white 
flowers in September and November. S. ob- 
tusifolia (blunt-leaved), grows two feet high, 
and bears white flowers in July and August ; 
native of China. These require a greenhouse. 
The following are considered as stove plants : 
— S. acuiifolia (acute-leaved), grows a foot 
high, and bears white flowers in June and 
July ; native of South America. S. angusti- 
folia (narrow-leaved), grows a foot and a half 
high, and produces white flowers from June 
to August ; native of Essequibo. They belong 
to the natural order Alismaceae. They all 
grow in rich loamy soil, in large pots, set in 
shallow water ; increased by division. 
Thalia dealbata (mealy Thalia), though it 
will stand our winters, is yet properly at home 
in a greenhouse. It grows three feet high, 
with ovate leaves, and handsome blue flowers, 
in July and August ; native of South Caro- 
lina. It belongs to the natural order Ma- 
rantacca3. It requires a large pot of loamy 
soil, set in shallow water ; propagated by 
division. 
Trapa (Water Caltrops). — Three species. 
T. bicornis (two-horned), is a perennial plant 
of floating habit, with deltoid leaves, and pro- 
ducing white blossoms from June to August. 
It is cultivated by the Chinese in marshes, and 
its nuts or seeds are used as food ; in Japan 
they are used in broth. T. quadrispino'sd 
(four-spined), is a perennial, bearing white 
flowers from June to August ; native of Sylhet. 
T. bispinosa (two-spined), is an annual, with 
deltoid leaves, the stalks of which are bladdery, 
and bearing white flowers from June to August; 
native of the East Indies. They belong to the 
natural order Haloragaceas. They require 
large pots or tubs, rich loamy soil, and a mo- 
derate depth of water ; increased by seeds, 
which are eatable. The leaves, which grow 
under water, are cut into hair-shaped seg- 
ments. 
Victoria regia (Victoria "Water-lily), is a 
magnificent stove, perennial, with large floating 
leaves, from three to five or six feet in dia- 
meter, the edges turned up like a rim, three 
or four inches deep, red beneath ; the flowers 
white, changing to pink, deep rose in the 
centre, double, and a foot or more in diameter; 
native of Guiana and neighbouring countries. 
The plant was raised in 1846, at Kew, but 
the young plants have since died ; no doubt 
it will soon be again reared. It belongs to 
the natural order Nympha3acea3, The treat- 
ment of Nelumbiums and Nymphaaas will, no 
doubt, be proper for it : it will require much 
space. 
Villarsia. — There are several aquatic and 
bog species, all perennials. V. ovata (ovate- 
leaved), has oval leaves, and fringed orange 
coloured flowers, produced in a raceme-like 
manner from May to July ; native of bogs in 
the Cape of Good Hope. V. parnassrfolia 
(Parnassia-leaved), has orbiculate leaves, and 
a loose branching stem, two feet, bearing yel- 
low flowers from June to September : a variety 
of this, called reniformis (kidney-shaped), has 
kidney-shaped leaves, and a loose panicle of 
yellow flowers ; both are natives of bogs 
in New Holland. They belong to the order 
Gentianacea?. They require a greenhouse, 
and should be planted in pots of peat and 
cut sphagnum, and set in, but not covered 
with water; increased by division or by 
seeds. 
MESEMBRYANTHEMUMS; 
The profusion of blossoms produced by this 
extensive family of plants, and the neatness of 
their growth, ought to render them greater 
favourites than they seem to be at present, 
especially as summer ornaments to our flower 
garden. They are much hardier than is gene- 
rally supposed ; and although, from their suc- 
culent nature, they will not stand frost, yet 
they may with success be planted out in the 
open air much sooner in the spring than they 
usually are. Mesembryanthemums that are 
intended for planting out in the flower garden, 
should be repotted in March, in soil composed 
of fresh loam and peat in equal quantities, with 
a sufficient portion of sand to prevent it becom- 
ing compact or caked. When they are potted 
the soil should not be pressed very tight, and 
sufficient space should be left for half an inch 
of fine gravel (from which all the sand has been 
thoroughly washed) to be placed on the top ; 
this will keep the surface of the soil from be- 
coming hard, and also keep it moist ; for 
although these plants are impatient of wet, yet 
nothing is more detrimental to their vigorous 
growth than drought. After they are potted, 
they should be placed in a frame, and kept close 
and moderately warm till they have taken fresh 
root, when they should be gradually hardened 
that they may be ready to turn out by the end 
of April. In placing them in the open air, it 
is not essential that they be turned out of their 
pots. A warm sunny spot is proper for them; 
and it is best to cover the surface with stones. 
After they are turned out, they ought to have 
a slight framework of hoops placed over them, 
in order that they may be carefully protected 
from cold winds and heavy rain for some time, 
and especially at night. Thus treated, they 
will amply repay the trouble that has been 
