Plate 103 . 
CROTON MAJESTICUM. 
Few of our variegated-leaved stove plants are more effective or more easily grown than 
the Crotons, and some of our finest plants at Exhibitions are to he found amongst them. 
Being mostly natives of the South Sea Islands, they rejoice in a strong moist heat and 
freedom from shade, and therefore it is better, in order to get them thoroughly well-coloured, 
to place them near the glass. But it is not only in the Exhibition room or in the stove that 
they are valuable ; for standing well, as they do, the confinement of a dwelling-house, they 
are most useful for decoration, either for the dinner table, when grown as small plants, or 
for vases for the sitting-room, and in summer time they will be found equally useful for the hall. 
They are, as we have said, easily managed, requiring a rich loam, with a little peat and 
sand added ; and as they require abundance of water, the pots should be thoroughly well 
drained, and where these conditions are observed no difficulty will be experienced in their 
culture. 
Many new species have been added to our gardens of late years, some of them being 
most valuable additions ; but we do not think, judging from the specimens that we have 
seen, that any of them can be compared to the very grand species which we now figure, 
which has been imported from the South Sea Islands. It is a plant of gorgeous colouring, 
having narrow leaves of deep olive-green, with deep scarlet midrib and edging to the leaves, 
and with numerous yellow and scarlet spots ; the older leaves are bright yellow. The sketch 
was made in the establishment of Mr. W. Bull, of the King’s Road, Chelsea, by whom the 
plant will be distributed for the first time in August next. 
Plate 104 . 
DISA BARELLII. 
Very fresh in our memory is the sight of the grand terrestrial Orchid Disa (jrandiflora 
when it was first exhibited by our friend, Mr. Charles Leach, at South Kensington, and 
deep also our regret that after having, through his kindness, had a fine established 
plant of it, which bloomed well for some years in succession, it unaccountably perished, 
and we have not for years had it ; in fact, although Mr. Leach found out the secret 
of growing it, yet it will, as in our own case, die off without any apparent cause. We 
saw it at Chatsworth during the last summer, and Mr. Speed informed us that there was 
only one place in the house which seemed to suit it, and that was near the door, where it 
had plenty of air ; and although it has been imported in considerable numbers it is still scarce 
from the same cause. 
It was well-known that many other species of this tribe of terrestrial Orchids were 
to be found in the same locality from whence Disa (jrandiflora and superba came, and we 
are indebted to Mr. W. Bull, of Chelsea, for an addition to the already known species, 
which he has been the means of introducing from the Fransborck mountains at the Cape of 
Good Hope, and which has been named in honour of the collector who discovered it. 
The specimen from whence the figure was taken by our artist was flowered by Mr. Vair, 
gardener at Dangstein, the seat of R. H. Nevill, Esq., a place renowned for the manner in 
which horticulture is encouraged, Lady Dorothy Nevill not only delighting in it, as many 
do, but showing by her writing that she enters into it practically as well as theoretically. 
Disa Darellii is of the same character as Disa (jrandiflora, but somewhat different in 
colour, the flowers being orange-scarlet, and the petals marked with crimson veins, remind- 
ing one of the markings on Abutilon striatum ; it is veiy handsome, and well worth growing, 
being a fine companion to those already mentioned. 
