26 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. r January 13 , issi. 
flowers, bracts, and leaves. The corollas are of moderate size, 
the litnb being a rich purple hue, the inner surface of the tube 
bright yellow, and the outer white. It flowers during the summer 
months, and when in good condition is extremely handsome. 
M. Harcteyneana .—This is also known as a Thunbergia, which 
it resembles, and it is, moreover, widely geographically separated 
from the other two species, being a native of the western portion 
of Hindostan. It has been longer known in this country than the 
other, for it had been some years in cultivation when a coloured 
figure of it was published in “Paxton’s Botanical Magazine” in 
1839. Dr. Wallich had, it appears, sent plants from Calcutta to Eng¬ 
land, and they bad been grown by Messrs. Rollisson, at Kew and 
several other gardens ; but the first to flower is said to have been 
the one figured by Paxton, which was in the then celebrated collec¬ 
tion of Mrs. Lawrence. The plant is climbing, with opposite oval 
leaves and axillary flowers, the corolla being a deep bluish purple 
with a yellow tube about 2 inches in length. It is equally as 
attractive as the two already noticed, and as easily grown.—L. C. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
January 11th. 
The first meeting of the year was exceedingly well attended by 
the members of the two Committees ; and though the exhibits were 
not proportionately numerous, there were sufficient to render the 
Council-room very bright, Orchids, Primulas, Camellias, and Cycla¬ 
mens constituting the chief portion of the display. 
Fruit Committee. —Harry J. Yeitch, Esq., F.L.S., in the chair. 
Messrs. Saltmarsh & Son of Chelmsford again sent their new Apple 
The Queen, and after another examination the Committee decided 
that it is quite distinct, and confirmed the first-class certificate which 
was awarded. Mr. "VVoodbridge, The Gardens, Syon, exhibited a new 
Banana, one of a collection of eight varieties imported from Brazil. 
It grows about 12 feet high. The fruit is short and thick, and ex¬ 
cellent in flavour, and the Committee highly approved it as to 
flavour and quality. Mr. Woodbridge also exhibited a good speci¬ 
men of Telegraph Cucumber, to which a vote of thanks was awarded. 
Mr. J. Clark, Sycamore Gardens, near Farnham, sent a dish of 
Orangefieid Dwarf Tomato, to which a vote of thanks was awarded. 
Messrs. James Yeitch & Son exhibited two pots of forced Seakale, 
one the Lily White, and the other the old kind. The Lily White 
has already been certificated, and the Committee confirmed their 
approval of it. A collection of twelve sorts of Parsnips, which were 
grown at Chiswick under the following distinct names—Maltese, 
Guernsey Half-long, Student (three times), Elcombe’s Improved 
Hollow-crowned, Hollow-crowned Improved, Hew Maltese, and 
Elcombe’s ; all of which were identical with the exception of Student, 
which was more fleshy than the others. One sort called Hound Early 
was quite distinct, being round with a short taproot like a Turnip- 
rooted Beet. 
Floral Committee —Fr. Tenny in the chair. Messrs. J. Yeitch 
and Sons, Chelsea, contributed a group of Orchids, comprising nine¬ 
teen species and varieties of Odontoglossum, among which the fol¬ 
lowing were admirably shown :—0. Alexandra was represented by a 
variety with very large pure white flowers, the lip stained with yellow 
and spotted with brown ; 0. triumphans very fine, richly coloured ; 
O. Andersonianum, 0. pulchellum with its spikes of small white 
flowers ; 0. gloriosum, O. Pescatorei, 0. nevadense, 0. prsenitens, 
0. blandum, 0. maculatum, O. anceps, O. tripudians, 0. Roezlii and 
var. alba, 0. Rossii majus, O. hystrix, O. Chestertonii, 0. Coradinei, 
and 0. crocidipterum. In addition small plants of Sophronites 
grandiflora were flowering well and brightly. The dwarf Leptotes 
liicolor had numerous small flowers with a purple-stained lip, and 
Oncidium auriferum had a panicle of yellow flowers something like 
O. cheiiophorum. The charming hybrid Dendrobium endocharis had 
about ten growths, each bearing a dozen white flowers, the plant not 
exceeding 9 to 10 inches in height. A vote of thanks was accorded 
for a plant of Billbergia nutans, with pendulous spikes of the pecu¬ 
liarly formed flowers marking the genus. A group of Cyclamens 
was exhibited, all the plants being extremelv vigorous and well 
flowered, the whites pure and crimsons rich. The firm also staged a 
collection of small Conifers, Retinosporas, Thujas, &c., showing the 
character of several handsome varieties. The Retinosporas were 
especially notable for their excellent colour. For all these collections 
a silver Banksian medal was deservedly awarded. 
Mr. B. S. Williams, Upper Holloway, sent a collection of plants, 
chiefly Orchids, in very good condition. Saccolabium giganteum was 
particularly tine, two specimens bearing half a dozen spikes each. In 
one the rosy colour of the lip was particularly well marked, the sepals 
and petals being pure white. Calanthe Veitchii had three handsome 
spikes of flowers. Dendrobium heterocarpum had several fine flowers 
with pale yellow sepals and petals, the lip marked with rich brown. 
Masdevallia tovarensis, the pretty white-flowered species, was in 
excellent condition, and the diminutive Masdevallia Wagneriana was 
also shown. A silver Banksian medal was awarded. From the 
Society’s gardens, Chiswick, a large collection of double Primulas 
was exhibited, comprising many particularly beautiful forms. Blush¬ 
ing Beauty (Henderson), white faintly suffused with pink, and King 
of Purples (Henderson), rosy purple, were noteworthy for the good 
size and form of the flowers. Gilbert’s Mrs. Barron is also a hand¬ 
some variety with large white double flowers profusely borne. Mr. 
George, gardener to Miss Nicholson, Putney Heath, was accorded a 
vote of thanks for a collection of Abutilon flowers of excellent form 
and rich colours. Mr. H. Boiler, Kensal New Town, was similarly 
honoured for a collection of diminutive succulent plants. Messrs. 
W. Paul & Son, Waltham Cross, Herts, exhibited nine boxes of 
Camellia blooms in remarkably fine condition. The varieties chiefly 
represented were the old and beautiful alba plena, imbricata, Halleyi, 
Marchioness of Exeter, Jeffersoni, conspicua, Eclipse, and Montironi. 
Other varieties were shown, but in smaller numbers; of these the 
most notable were Princess Charlotte, Linda Rosazza good in form, 
Aulica, and Reine des Fleurs. A box of Tea Roses was also shown, 
comprising neat buds of Safrano, Madame Falcot, Niphetos, and 
Isabella Sprunt. A silver Banksian medal was awarded. 
Mr. H. Cannell, Swanley, Kent, staged cut blooms of some Zonal 
Pelargoniums of extraordinary merit. They included the follow¬ 
ingOlive Carr, pink, very large, and of good form; J. B. Miller, 
brilliant scarlet, enormous size, petals very broad and excellent form ; 
Aida, white tinged with pink, very distinct and delicate ; Colonel 
Seely, very deep rich scarlet, fine form; Romeo, rich scarlet, large; 
Dr. Denny, a most distinct variety, warm purplish tinge ; Mrs. Strutt, 
pale pink, large flowers; and Mrs. Moore, scarlet centre and white 
petals, all handsome. Primulas were also well shown, Lilacina, 
Swanley Red and Swanley Purple, being in admirable condition. 
First-class certificates were awarded for the following plants :— 
Carnation Andalusia. —Mr. Hill, gardener to Sir N. de Rothschild, 
Tring Park, Herts, obtained a certificate for this variety as a decora¬ 
tive plant. It is one of the tree section with pale yellow flowers 
very full, of good size and form, the petals elegantly fringed. It 
appears to be of free growth and profuse in flowering. 
Vanda lamellata Boxallii. —Mr. C. J. Salter, gardener to J. South- 
gate, Esq., Selborne, Streatham, was awarded a first-class certificate 
for this variety, which has small flowers, the three upper divisions of 
the perianth being white, the lower streaked with rich brown, and 
the small lip bright rosy purple. 
Pelargonium Eureka (Cannell). — A pure white Zonal variety. 
Flowers of good form, originally exhibited under the name of I’ve 
Got It; very good in habit, robust, and free in flowering. A hand¬ 
some variety, and one of the best whites in cultivation. 
Scientific Committee. —Mr. Boulger exhibited and described a 
series of models of carnivorous plants made by R. Brendel of Berlin, 
and under the direction of Professor Cohen, admirably adapted for 
class purposes. Some discussion followed on the nature of the pep- 
sine and peptones discovered in plants, in which Professor Church 
and Dr. Gilbert took part; the former observing that peptones are 
found in Lupin seeds and not as the result of a ferment, Dr. Gilbert 
observing that such was the result of defective ripening. Dr. Masters 
exhibited a specimen of Twitch, Triticum repens, which had pene¬ 
trated through a Potato. 
Chinese Passion Fruit. —An orange Solanaceous fruit sold in the 
markets under the above name, is fruit of a species of Cyphomandra 
(Solanum betaceum). Mr. Noble of Bagshot, forwarded a plant of 
Abies lasiocarpa grafted on a Silver Fir, which being in a diseased 
state had produced a large corm-like knob at the point of union. 
Lecture. —The Rev. G. Henslow commenced his lecture by de¬ 
scribing the methods by which Cyclamen buries its pods, as detailed 
by Mr. Darwin in his new work on the movements of plants, and 
observed that it afforded a hint to horticulturists to supply the 
growing fruit pods with nutritious matter which could be absorbed 
by them. He also described the burying of the fruit of Trifolium 
subterraneum, which exhibited “ aggregation ” of the protoplasm in the 
cells of the hairs of the calyx, implying a power of absorbing nutri¬ 
tious matter, and confirming the remark he made in last lecture on 
a similar absorptive power discovered by Dr. Masters in the nec¬ 
taries of the Hellebore, that probably all plants can absorb nitro¬ 
genous matter if presented to their surfaces in a suitable manner, 
and possibly this would prove to be one if not a chief use of plants 
being so often hairy when growing in dry localities. The lecturer 
also described the circumnutating process of hypocotyls when the 
germinating seedlings are issuing from the ground. 
Collections of single and double Primula sinensis furnished the 
substance of remarks on intercrossing of flowers illustrating hetero- 
stylism, while some cut flowers of Abutilon were remarkable for their 
strong proterandry, a phenomenon also shown by Pelargoniums. 
These peculiarities, however, were not absolute but relative, inas¬ 
much as P. sinensis is very liable to become homostyled in having 
the pistil of the same length as the stamens, while Pelargonia 
may so shorten the time between the maturation of the stamens 
and pistil as to render the flowers self-fertilising. Mr. Darwin 
mentions the curious fact, that while of most other Primulas the 
short-styled form is most self-fertile, in P. sinensis it is the long- 
styled form, and this is perhaps attributable to the fact that 
the corolla on falling off drags the anthers over the stigma and so 
secures fertilisation. A group of Cactacese and succulent Euphor- 
biaceae illustrated representative plants, the quaint forms of the 
former of Mexico being exactly paralleled by those of Euphorbia in 
Africa, though the structure of the flowers showed they had nothing 
else in common than their general physiognomy. 
