THE TEMPERATE HOUSE 
155 
of this house. In the mildest parts of the British Isles one species 
(Dicksonia antarctica) can be grown in the open air. The two 
groups of these plants at the north end of the Winter Garden, 
each plant with its exquisite crown of fronds surmounting a black, 
fibrous stem, should not be missed. Two fine Dicksonias grow near 
the east door, and others fine the longer central path, or are scattered 
over various parts of the house. 
The palms growing here represent more widely scattered regions 
than the tree-ferns. They come from China, Japan, Australia, New 
Palms Zealand, the Himalaya, North Africa, California, and Chile. 
The most remarkable palm in the house is a specimen of 
the Coquito palm ( Jubcea spectabilis). It was raised from seed 
purchased for Kew in 1843. It has now a huge bottle-shaped trunk 
7^ feet in girth . There are also fine specimens of the date palm and 
Chusan palm. From a habitat nearer home than that of any other 
palm we have Chamcerops humilis, found along the shores of the 
Mediterranean from the south of Spain eastwards. These palms, 
most of which have tall slender trunks crowned with a cluster of 
leaves, constitute a most important feature in the house. Their 
tropical aspect and varied form help largely to produce that diversity 
of vegetative types to which it owes so much of its interest. 
The best idea of the subtropical vegetation in this house is to be 
got from the gallery, which runs round the entire building. The 
most prominent types at this elevation are the palms, 
the^Galler 1 tree-ferns, and araucarias, to which allusion has already 
y ’ been made. But there are, besides, many other diverse 
types, conspicuous amongst which are the Cordy lines from New 
Zealand and the Yuccas from the New World. Both these are lili- 
aceous plants with tall slender stems, sometimes from 30 to 40 feet 
high, surmounted by a crowm of leaves, arching and graceful in the 
Cordy lines, rigid and spine-tipped in the Yuccas. In one spot a full 
view is obtained of the spreading feathery masses of bamboo ; in 
another the blue-grey mass of Acacia dealbata is seen. The interesting 
New Zealand conifers, Podocarpus Totara and kauri pine ( Agathis 
australis ), can best be examined from the gallery, as can also, in the 
north-east corner, a fine plant of Talauma Hodgsoni — a near ally 
of the magnolias — from the Himalaya. Near the north staircase 
is a climber ( Asparagus falcatus ) of extraordinary vigour, whose 
light grey, spiny stems and dark leafage are in effective contrast. 
