114 
MUSSAENDA ERYTHROPHYLLA. 
This superb shrub has been one of the attractions of 
the Botanic Gardens in Singapore for some time, and last 
year small plants were sent to Kew which on flowering 
attracted the notice of many cultivators. The shrub is 
naturally a climber and is allied to our common white and 
vellow species, M. glabra , commonly known here as Bahk 
Adap, M. erythrophylla is a slender woody climber with 
soft hairy leaves, and terminal corymbs of fairly large 
vellow tubular flowers. The flowers are borne on short 
branches in threes, and in one flower of each three, one 
sepal is developed into a large oval leaf often five inches 
long, and of a superb crimson or rather cherry-scarlet. 
Grown as a bush this splendid plant is m flower all the year 
round. It is easily reproduced from cuttings and can be 
grown either as a pot plant, a shrub or a climber. I lie 
history of the plant is rather curious. It was discovered 
by Thonning on the Gold Coast in 182 f, and the first we 
plants were introduced into England by Gustav Mann from 
the Cameroons in 1863, but does not appear to have been 
established. Mr. Micholitz reintroduced it to Mr. Sander s 
firm in 1886, having found it on the French Congo, where 
he says it climbed to the tops of the highest trees covering 
them* with a dazzling' wall of scarlet. The plants were 
transferred to Mr. Bull of Chelsea, who distributed it m 
1888. On Sept, 25th, 1889, two plants were received liom 
Mr Bull at the Botanic Gardens in Singapore, and were 
planted ont soon after. The soil in which they were planted 
was probably too dry, and the plants though constantly m 
flower did not make any great growth. A year or two ago 
it was taken in hand, and propagated by cuttings. It then 
began to thrive in cooler and slightly shadier spots, and 
big hushes were formed. The stock was then worked up 
till an abundance of plants was obtained and two plants 
were sent to Kew in 1907, where ^ey flowered «id we 
figured in the Botanical Magazine (t 8222) (Nov. 1908 . 
The plant seems to have entirely disappeared from cub 
tivation elsewhere, and does not seem to have been ever 
seen in flower in England before ’It is a plant that should 
lie in all gardens in the tropics. The magnificent red of the 
sepals is much more brilliant. here than represented in the 
Botanical Magazine, doubtless on account of our moie hn - 
bant light, and is less glaring than tnat of the 
having a pink tint through the scar et winch softens the 
colour without interfering with its brilliancy. The habit 
too of the plant is good, and its soft green leaves, and 
