32 
SELECT FLOWERS. 
crimson beads with spherical divisions or 
marks, until they opened, when they divided 
into four equal quarters, showing the interior 
purple corolla like a fold of purple velvet. 
All that could be wished of this little favour- 
ite was that the crimson sepals would expand 
more, and expose more of the corolla, which is 
too much concealed to be seen in all its beauty. 
From this variety was obtained several larger 
ones, possessing all the beauties of the origi- 
nal, and variously named by the raisers, Glo- 
bosa Major, Globosa Elegans, &c. — the chief 
characteristic qualities also of these were 
similar to those of the smaller kind, and at- 
taining a larger size, growing faster, and look- 
ing altogether bolder when flowered, they 
became the favourites, and perhaps deservedly. 
The next favourite, perhaps, as to real merit, 
"was the variety called Ricartoni: the flowers 
not so round before they open, but expanding 
horizontally, so that the whole of the rich 
corolla is exposed, and this being of fine dark 
purple and velvety texture, is very striking. 
There are no two varieties more beautiful in 
growth than Globosa Major and Ricartoni, 
though there are many which form equally 
agreeable varieties in a collection. The best, 
perhaps, combining the true properties of the 
flower, as laid down by authority, is Formosa 
Elegans. This is more elongated in form be- 
fore it opens, but the red sepals completely 
reflex, and when placed on a stage even with 
the eye, not only expose the whole of the dark 
corolla, but show the inside instead of the 
outside of the sepals, which is an advantage, 
as all sepals of the Fuchsia are brighter inside 
than outside. If, therefore, they would re- 
flex right back till their points met the stem 
tipwards, like those of the Turk's Cap Lily, 
they would be still more desirable. Formosa 
Elegans, as compared with Globosa Major, 
beats it in reflexing the petals and showing 
the corolla, but loses a trifle by comparing the 
form of the unopened flower. As compared 
with Ricartoni, it beats that in both points, 
and also in approaching nearer to the Globosa 
form before the flowers open. All these 
varieties are handsome because this important 
quality, the contrast between the colour of the 
sepals and that of the corolla, is complete. 
There were many other varieties cultivated, 
but most of them were comparatively inferior, 
and some insignificant. The introduction of 
Fuchsia Fulgens created no small sensation : 
the flowers were long like a mail guard's old- 
fashioned tin horn, and hung down at the ends 
of the branches like a fashionable tassel, but 
so close together as to prevent their display to 
advantage, and the foliage was large and coarse. 
However well the plant was grown- there was 
a meanness about it, but the extraordinary 
form of the flower made great interest for it, 
while seeding very freely set every body rais- 
ingnew ones — ninety-nine out of every hun- 
dred being infinitely worse than the original: 
ramping growth, great coarseness, and rough- 
ness of the flower, dulness of colour, and total 
absence of contrast between the corolla and 
the sepals, distinguished most of them. Ful- 
gens possessed great faults as a show flower : 
the green never fully left the tips of the sepals, 
and the corolla was the same colour, so that 
there was no contrast at all. The long horn- 
like tube was curious and a bright scarlet: 
the more they departed from the original the 
worse they were, for the tube shortened so 
that the peculiarity which gave the only value 
it had to the Fulgens was lost, while all the 
coarseness remained, and in many new sorts 
which were huddled out at a considerable 
price. One of the great faults of the original, 
the green which would not bloom out of the 
tips, was yet more conspicuous. Few of them 
at all approached the Globosa shape ; fewer, 
if possible, exhibited a contrast of colour in 
the corolla; scarcely one improved in the 
coarseness of the texture, and hardly one 
equalled the scarlet of the original. But there 
was to be a break among them, and it was 
curious: the sepals of some of the new ones 
Avere at length produced of a pale colour, in- 
dicating, but not approaching a white. Chan- 
dleria was the first we saw, though not the 
first that was shown of the pale indications, 
and it preserved the Globosa form, but it 
blooms too much in bunches towards the end 
of the branches, and does not present suffi- 
cient contrast, the sepals being a pale whitish 
green inclined to flesh colour a little, and the 
corolla, though too much concealed, being a 
kind of rose-colour. Enchantress, Tricolor, 
and Rosea Alba, exhibited pale sepals and rosy 
corolla, pretty-looking varieties, and much of 
the same form as some of the old common 
ones so well known; but Venus Victrix was 
the best of this tribe: it had sepals approach- 
ing white, corolla rich blue purple on opening, 
but going off to a violet or rosy violet when 
the bloom has stood long. The faults are the 
green remaining at the tips of the sepals, and 
the sepals being narrow and long, and not ex- 
panding enough. The habit of the plant is 
not good, and management is required to 
make it form a fine object, for the growth is 
lanky, and unless the branches be stopped 
young, this variety runs into a long gawky 
straggling form, bare at the lower part, flow- 
ering only partially, and that on the upper 
portions of the branches. It is, however, a 
remarkably pretty variety, and will no doubt 
lead us to many others. The recommendation 
of novelties by many of the trade, who con- 
sider that so long as a plant exhibits some 
difference it is sufficient, caused a large in- 
