INGA PULCHERRIMA. 
573 
INGA PULCHERRIMA. 
The plant known in our gardens as the Inga 
pulcherrima is allied to the Mimosas, and 
Acacias, many species of which are well known 
to be highly ornamental either in their foliage 
or blossoms. The Ingas — at least many of 
them, and our present subject among the num- 
ber — are if possible still more ornamental than 
Mimosas or Acacias, in consequence of their 
more highly coloured flowers. Our present 
subject belongs to a group separated from the 
genus Inga, and named Calliandra, which 
literally signifies " beautiful stamens," and is 
exceedingly appropriate to these plants, whose 
very beautiful blossoms appear to consist en- 
tirely of tufts of coloured threads, the con- 
spicuous portion being, in fact, the stamens in 
a high state of development. 
The cut introduced at the head of these 
remarks will give a very good idea of the 
general appearance of the plant, which is a 
shrub, in habit not very much branched. The 
light and elegant twice-pinnate leaves will at 
once be understood ; but our artist has not 
been so successful in representing the blos- 
soms : these, in fact, consist as already inti- 
mated of several little tufts of fine rich scarlet 
threads or stamens, collected into drooping 
tassel-like heads, whose size, outline, and 
position are shown sufficiently in the cut. In 
its general characteristics, this plant bears 
considerable resemblance to the Inga (or 
Calliandra) kermesina. 
The Inga pulcherrima is recorded as a native 
of Mexico, and is said to have been introduced 
to this country in 1822. The flowers are 
produced in winter and the early part of 
spring. 
In its cultivation it requires a lightish soil, 
composed of equal parts of turfy peat and 
loam, with an admixture of sand to render it 
open ; the soil should be rough and free, the 
pots moderate-sized, and well drained. After 
flowering, it should be cut in a little if neces- 
sary, repotted, and set to grow in a moist 
stove heat, but not in too confined a part of 
the stove ; in this position it may be kept till 
it has formed good shoots, or say till about 
May or June. During the summer season, 
and through the early part of the autumn, they 
should be placed in a greenhouse temperature, 
where their growth will become arrested and 
the plants gradually ripened, and they will be 
brought to a state of inactivity and repose, 
which will prepare them for the development 
of their blossoms, and impart to them the 
energy requisite to produce vigorous growth 
afterwards. 
The irritability which is observed in vari- 
ous species of Mimosae, and which is familiar 
to almost every one in the case of the com- 
mon annual sensitive plant {Mimosa pudica, 
and M~. sensiliva), is in a slight degree pre- 
sent in the Inga pulcherrima when it is grow- 
ing in a warm atmosphere ; under these 
circumstances, if the young leaves are roughly 
pressed, or exposed to a strong current of 
air, or a depression of temperature, the leaf- 
lets contract and fold together, soon after- 
wards expanding and attaining their usual 
position. In the greenhouse, even in the 
brightest and warmest days of winter, the 
leaflets do not become at all expanded. 
The Ingas belong as already intimated to 
that group of the natural order Leguminaceaa, 
which includes the Acacias, Mimosas, and 
allied plants ; this group is technically called 
Mimosas. 
PINE APPLES IN THE OPEN AIR. 
Mr. Barnes, of Bicton, has tried the ex- 
periment of placing some pine plants out in 
the kitchen garden at that place. This was 
done in May, the ground being prepared by 
