480 
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
And when Boito, in 1881, gave his “ Mefistofele ” for the first 
time in Padna, he was presented with a wreath made of leaves 
belonging to this Chamgerops, now always known here under 
the name of “Palma di Goethe.” 
Besides this plant, Goethe was attracted by the sight of 
another one formerly known as Bignonia radicans, but in fact, 
considering Goethe described it as “a blaze of fire, which with 
its large brick-coloured flowers densely covered the entire 
wall,” was in reality a Tecoma grandiflora, a plant which 
he had never before seen growing and flowering in the open 
air. (Fig. 118.) 
But the plant which in this garden is the most conspicuous 
one in the eyes of the general public, is assuredly the magnifi¬ 
cent Araucaria excelsa. It was bought in Milan at the age of 
ten years ; it is now seventy years old and measures more than 
20 metres in height, and 1 m. 10 cm. in circumference. The 
building which protects it has already been added to in height 
for the third time, and would have had to be elevated again, 
if, some years ago, its top had not been cut, as it will now 
again be in a few years, the expense needed for heightening 
the house not having been voted, because the present founda¬ 
tions of the building would not have borne any further addition 
to its height. This Araucaria is in perfect condition, as might 
be expected when such a plant is entirely under glass during the 
rougher months of the year : it is symmetrically covered with its 
feather-like branches, and nobody who has not seen so perfect a 
specimen can really understand the wonderful beauty of such 
a tree. The cutting of its top a few years ago had no influence 
on its general structure, only, one can see that as its branches 
become scarcer below, its tendency would be to grow vigorously 
in height. In order to admire its upper part perfectly, a stone 
staircase leads up for the first nine metres of its height, and a 
balcony has been built all round the house, which is octagonal 
and measures 23 m. 50 cm. 
Then the old Platanus orientalis, though a permanent 
invalid, is still every spring full of leaves and later on of flowers 
and fruit. The base of its trunk measures 6 m. 50 cm., whereas 
one metre higher it narrows to 70 cm. It was planted about 
1680, and is 18 m. high. Its trunk is perfectly hollow, and is 
large enough to contain several persons inside it; its bark is one 
