igl 
A somewhat different type of Acanthus , A. montanus, a native 
of Tropical Africa was received from Kew about a year arid a half 
ago, and readily took to the soil and climate of Singapore. It is a 
large herb with light green stems about five feet tall and runcinate 
leaves about 8 inches long and 2 inches across, armed with prickles 
at the tips of the lobes. In colour they are deep green mottled 
with lighter colour, with a pale greenish white midrib. 1 he flower 
spikes attain a length of about 18 inches with numerous flowers 
sessile with a flat spiny green bract and the sepals are four, two 
opposite ones large flat green and spiny, and two side ones quite 
small. 
The short corolla tube ends in a broad live lobed lip an inch and 
a half long and as wide,- white tinted with rose colour, 'over which 
lie the four large stamens. I he flowers open a few at a time on 
the spike so that the plant remains long in bloom. , 
As a foliage plant with its mottled thistle-like leaves it is worth 
cultivating, and the large pinkish white flowers make it still more 
attractive' Its general habit is s» distinct Irom anything that \u j 
have in cultivation that it h well worth a place in shady borders of 
the garden. 
It is easily propagated by layers, and i 
planted in good soil under partial shade. 
s of rapid 
grow 
* Rainfall for August, 1903. 
The Government Hall 
Ins. 
8.51 
The Prison 
M 
6.51 
The Fort ... 
It 
4.84 
Balek Pulau 
> 9 
7.88 
Pulau Jerejak 
*> 
7.21 
Lumut 
11.30 
Pangkor 
* f 
9-77 
Bruas 
yy 
9-34 
Butter worth P. W. 
j) 
4 * 5 & 
Bukit Mertajam 
V 
8.18 
Sungei Bakap 
>1 
8.47 
M. E. SC RIVEN. 
Prison Observatory , Penang. 
* The Rainfall for August as compared with previous years is 
unusually low. In fact the amodnt recorded for the past 8 months, 
hardlv casts up to 50 inches— 
The Meteorological readings for 1 emerloh (l aha ng) ueie iecei\ed 
too late for the previous Bulletin. Mr. Emekic gives them:— 
Temperature maximum 93 
Minimum 7 ° 
Range 
Total Rainfall 
Greatest rainfall in 24 hours 
2.48 
1.04 
