JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
494 
[ June 15, 1882. 
no progress—neither bloomed nor thrived, so I told one of my 
men to toss it into the wood ; he did so, without the pot, under 
some large trees where the sun never shone. It remained there 
all winter, and I happened to pass the same place in May, and 
to my surprise it was in full bloom, the most lovely plant I had 
seen for a long time, blooming amongst weeds and leaves. I 
carefully took it back into the house, but it refused to grow, and 
looked as if it was most uncomfortable. I then potted it in bog 
soil, not peat, and placed it into a pit in one corner where it has 
not been exposed to the sun’s rays for ten years. The pit has a 
north aspect and no artificial heat, and there it stands and blooms 
every May, lasting six weeks in beauty. I think it is a bog plant, 
for the pot is always covered with green slime, and will take 
any quantity of water ; it produces large stems each season, like 
the Lapageria. It is one of the finest plants for exhibition if well 
grown.” 
Philesia buxifolia is a native of South America, where it was 
first found by Commerson in the Straits of Magellan, and since 
then several travellers have observed it both there and along the 
coast to Valdivia. Indeed Mr. Lobb, who first sent it to England 
when collecting for Messrs. Veitch & Sons of Exeter, stated that 
he found it growing from the sea level up to the snow line on 
the mountains, and that at the higher elevations it seemed to 
thrive best. It is found growing in large masses upon the trunks 
of trees, amongst rocks, and in boggy positions, where it assumes 
such a beautiful appearance that Sir Joseph Hooker has charac¬ 
terised it as one of the most handsome shrubs of the antarctic 
American flora. A specimen was first shown in this country 
from the Exeter nurseries at one of the Chiswick exhibitions, 
June 12th, 1853. 
This Philesia, which is the only species in the genus, is closely 
allied to Lapageria rosea, and it may be remembered that Messrs. 
J. Veitch & Sons of Chelsea some years ago obtained a remark¬ 
able bigeneric hybrid between these two plants, which has been 
aptly named Philageria Veitchii, the first name being a combina¬ 
tion of those of its parents. The flowers of the Philesia closely 
resemble the Lapageria, being of wax-like substance, bright rose 
in colour, and drooping. The leaves are narrow and dark green, 
somewhat suggestive of Box, from which the specific name is 
derived. 
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Junk 13th. 
This meeting was chiefly distinguished by the number of new 
plants shown, several of which were of unusual excellence, Orchids, 
Gloxinias, and Tuberous Begonias being especially fine. The groups 
and some miscellaneous decorations were arranged in the two arcades, 
the conservatory having been prepared for the Evening Pete. 
Fruit Committee. —Henry Webb, Esq., in the chair. Mr. Parr, 
gardener to Mrs. Bussell Sturgis, Givons Grove, Leatherhead, sent a 
dish of Sir Joseph Paxton Strawberry remarkably well grown, and 
was awarded a cultural commendation. He also exhibited a dish of 
Brown Turkey Figs, which received a similar award. Messrs. Carter 
and Co., Holborn, exhibited a plant of their new Perpetual Parsley, 
which was passed, also of the Fern-leaved variety. Messrs. Sutton 
and Sons of Beading exhibited their excellent Broccoli called Suttons’ 
Late Queen, but it was rather passed its best, as the heads were what 
are called “frothy.” Mr. John Hamlin, Green Lanes, Wood Green, 
exhibited some good Mushrooms grown out of doors, which received 
a letter of thanks. Mr. Carmichael sent a seedling Melon called 
Nowton Court, a round yellow slightly netted fruit, but the fruit 
being deformed the flavour was inferior, and the Committee recom¬ 
mended that it should be shown again. 
Floral Committee.— G. F. Wilson, Esq., in the chair. Messrs. J- 
Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, exhibited a group of new plants, comprising 
several of considerable interest and beauty. Six very showy 
Gloxinias were staged, one named Garibaldi being remarkable for 
the rich colour of its flowers, quite a scarlet tint round the limb with 
a white-dotted throat. It is extremely free, the plant shown having 
over a dozen flowers. Prospero has finely formed blooms of a rich 
rose tint; Bobin Hood, very deep scarlet edged with a lighter shade ; 
Miranda, rich purple-shaded, white-dotted throat, large and effective • 
and Cordelia, white thickly dotted with purple, were all noteworthy 
varieties. Adiantum fissum with finely cut pinnse, and A. Legrandi 
with dense fronds of small pinnules, were two distinct Ferns. Ne¬ 
penthes Mastersiana is a new hybrid Pitcher-plant with neat very dark 
red narrow pitchers about 6 inches long. Sarracenia porphyroneura 
has greenish pitchers strongly veined with dark red, the lid being 
broad and erect. Impatiens Sultani, a very pretty form which has 
been grown at Kew this year and referred to in these pages as a near 
ally of I. Walleriana. It has small rosy scarlet flowers very freely 
produced from the axils of the leaves near the summit of the stems. 
Aerides formosum, a supposed hybrid between A. Larpentae and 
A. odoratum, is quite distinct from either parent, having rosy streaked 
flowers. 
Mr. H. Spyers, Orchid-grower to Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., M.P., 
Burford Lodge, Dorking, had a small collection of handsome Orchids, 
among which Cattleya gigas burfordiensis was particularly notable. 
One spike ; five grand flowers, each 9 inches or more in diameter, the 
lip being 5 inches long, 3£ inches broad, crisped at the margin, and 
very rich crimson ; the throat being yellow veined with crimson. 
Masdevallia Harryana striata had large but rather rough flowers 
striped irregularly with maroon on a rosy-crimson ground. Zygo- 
petalum expansum is a pretty form somewhat in the way of Z. Gau- 
tieri, the leaves long, narrow, and drooping ; the flowers with a broad, 
elliptical, partially lobed, deep purple lip, and green sepals and petals 
barred with brown. Vanda limbata had two spikes of its curious 
rich brown flowers, the lip being pale pink. Mr. Salter, gardener to 
J. Southgate, Esq., Selborne, Leigham Court Boad, Streatham, was 
awarded a cultural cojumendation for an exceedingly well-grown 
specimen of Cattleya Warneri, bearing three spikes having four, five, 
and six flowers. The variety was also a good one. 
Mr. T. S. Ware, Tottenham, contributed a choice collection of 
hardy plants, in which Liliums predominated. L. elegans robustum, 
with fine yellow flowers dotted with dark red, was very distinct and 
effective; the orange-scarlet L. pomponium, the pale yellow-dotted 
L. colchicum, the deep orange L. croceum sanguineum, and the small 
but pretty yellow L. parvum, L. columbinum, L. pulchellum, and a 
distinct variety of L. pardalinum were also represented. Several 
notable seedling varieties of Orchis foliosa were shown, some with 
very dark purple flowers and others pale or streaked. Cypripedium 
spectabile with its white and rose flowers was well shown. The 
trailing yellow-flowered Tropasolum polyphyllum and the hardy 
small red-flowered Bomarea oculata, with the fine white Pink Mrs. 
Sinkins and the rich rosy crimson pink Lord Lyons, were all very 
attractive and interesting. A plant of Tillandsia Furstenburgii was 
exhibited by Herr Kirchoff of the Boyal Gardens, Donaueschingen, 
Baden. It has long, narrow, spiny-margined leaves, somewhat like 
the Pine Apple, a dense spike of flowers 9 inches high arising from 
the centre, the chief beauty of which depends upon the large serrated 
lanceolate bracts, each 2 to 3 inches in length. Mr. W. H. Gower, 
Tooting, sent plants of the new Curled Golden Feather, Matricaria 
eximea nana crispa aurea, with neatly crisped foliage of a rich yellow 
tint. Mr. W. Stacey, Dunmow, exhibited blooms of a fine Regal 
Pelargonium named Lady Brooke, the flowers being of a fine purplish 
rose colour, the upper petals very dark maroon. The flowers and 
trusses were large. 
Messrs. J. La ; ng & Co., Forest Hill, exhibited several handsome 
new Tuberous Begonias, together with a number of large and richly 
coloured flowers. Two good doubles were Madame Commesse, very 
full and deep flesh colour ; and Glory of Stanstead, also very full 
rosy scarlet. Stella has enormous pink blooms of good form, and 
the Hon. and Bev. J. T. Boscawen has flowers of similar size of a 
rich scarlet hue. Mr. George of Putney Heath sent blooms of a 
handsome Ivy Pelargonium named Masterpiece, which had been 
derived from St. George, being, however, much superior to that 
variety. It exhibits a combination of the Zonal and Ivy-leaved 
characters ; the flowers large, of excellent form, and of a peculiarly 
distinct rosy scarlet hue. It is one of the finest of its class. A cul¬ 
tural commendation was awarded to W. Cobb, Esq., Sydenham, for 
a specimen of Epidendrum vitellinum Cobbianum, having two branch¬ 
ing spikes of large flowers about thirty each. The colour was also 
rich and deep. Messrs. Heath & Son, Cheltenham, sent two flowers 
of Dendrobium formosum giganteum Lemoniana, which were large 
and white, the lip being dashed with orange. Flowers of a pale yellow 
almost white Viola named Champion, slightly veined with violet 
yellow, were also contributed by the same firm. 
A vote of thanks was accorded to Messrs. H. Cannell & Sons, Swan- 
lev, for a grand collection of double Petunia blooms, white, rose, 
crimson, purple, lilac, and parti-coloured flowers being represented, 
some being very deeply fringed ; flowers of Fuchsias, Pansies, Tube¬ 
rous Begonias, Banunculus, and Pelargoniums were also shown in 
first-rate condition. Similar awards were also accorded to MM. A. 
Vervaet & Cie., Ghent, Belgium, for plants of Odontoglossum nebu- 
losum, bearing large flowers, and Bollea caelestis with several of its 
rich purple blooms : and to Mr. G. Duffield, Winchmore Hill, for a 
beautiful collection of seedling Carnations, comprising some charming 
varieties. 
In the western arcade some extensive and beautiful groups from 
Chiswick were contributed, including fine Mignonette, Begal Pelar¬ 
goniums, Heliotropes, excellent Gloxinias, Tuberous Begonias, 
Oleanders of several colours, and Lantanas and Fuchsias, with abun¬ 
dance of Ferns and edgings of Isolepis gracilis, Selaginella Kraus- 
siana aurea, and Panicum variegatum. Messrs. Barr & Sugden, 
Covent Garden, had a very bright and tasteful group of Pyrethrums. 
Pseonies, Irises, Poppies, Ixias, Lilies, and miscellaneous hardy plants, 
with Ferns, Palms, and Isolepis. The Irises and Pseonies were 
particularly fine and varied, the bright blue tints of the former and 
