JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
June 29, 1882. ] 
527 
29th 
Tn 
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Inst., Aldersgate St. Richmond, 
30th 
F 
[Farningham, Mansion House. Hereford, & Harrow Shows. 
1st 
S 
Reigate and Crystal Palace Rose Shows. 
2nd 
Sun 
4th Sunday after Trinity. 
3rd 
M 
4th 
TU 
National Rose Society’s Show, South Kensington. 
6th 
W 
Royal Botanic Society’s Summer Show. Nuneaton, Teddington, 
[and Bexley Shows. 
SOME GOOD NEW PLANTS. 
^hjvI)^S^!QOVELTIES in plants, fruits, or vegetables be- 
come more numerous every year, and so long 
as the present demand continues 'will the 
firms in this and other countries endeavour to 
meet it by importation from abroad or raising 
and selecting at home. The numbers of new 
plants annually added to the lists of those in cul¬ 
tivation are particularly remarkable ; and though^ 
perhaps, such as possess sterling qualities that will ob¬ 
tain them a permanent position amongst garden favour¬ 
ites are comparatively few, yet some are continually coming 
into notice which are not likely to be neglected while England 
retains her present love for horticulture. 
Collectors have visited all parts of the world, have climbed 
the loftiest mountains, penetrated into the densest forests, and 
boldly faced the fiercest heat in search of floral treasures, which 
are dispatched to this country by thousands, nay, almost by 
shiploads, yet the demand still continues and probably in¬ 
creases. Fortunes have been expended in this branch of com¬ 
mercial horticulture, and doubtless in the majority of cases the 
interest upon the capital has been good, though plant-hunting 
is to some extent a lottery, and the difficulty now is to find a 
district that has not been already fully explored by previous 
collectors. Attention in recent years has been especially 
centred on the Orchids, and these have been imported in enor¬ 
mous quantities, as the numerous metropolitan sales testify. 
Fine-foliage plants, including Ferns, have also had a large 
share of attention ; but really useful new flowering plants, ex¬ 
clusive of the Orchids, do not appear so frequently as is desir¬ 
able. This is surprising, for of Crotons, Dracaenas, Dieffen- 
bachias, Palms, and Ferns there is abundance, and some of 
these have proved so sportive in the hands of cultivators that 
garden forms are being constantly obtained of more or less 
merit, and stove-flowering plants seem to be the most needed 
now. For the^greenhouse, conservatory, or other cool houses 
we have an almost unbounded range of variation in flowering 
plants, but it is'not so in the stove, and in very few establish¬ 
ments will a really brilliant display be found in this structure 
at any time of the year, except when Orchids are arranged 
amongst the other plants. It is true we have the bright orange- 
Bcarlet Ixoras, the rosy Dipladenias, the yellow Allamandas, 
Clerodendrons, Begonias, Gesneraceous plants, and numbers 
of plants with white or fragrant flowers ; yet still they fall 
short of the cooler-house plants in variety and brilliance gene¬ 
rally, and any addition to their ranks that is likely to prove of 
substantial utility is especially welcome. One of these, which 
will undoubtedly become a great favourite when its merits are 
duly recognised, is 
IMPATIENS SULTANI. 
This, unlike a large proportion of the novelties in the plant 
stoves of England, we do not owe to any of the nurserymen, 
though some of them will probably reap almost as much ad¬ 
vantage as if they had introduced it, for plants have been 
lately distributed from the Royal Gardens, Ivew, to several 
firms. Its appearance at Kew was due to a mere accident, 
and shows how many valuable plants may be lost by the want 
of a little thoughtful care. A case of plants had been received 
there from Zanzibar, and a portion of the soil in this was 
turned out under a stage in one of the propagating pits, where 
it was undisturbed for some time, when amongst the weeds, 
which generally appear plentifully in a short time, was noticed 
this Impatiens. It was carefully potted and grown on, and 
when it flowered its full beauty was revealed. It was at first 
believed to be either Impatiens Walleriana or a near ally of 
that species, but Sir Joseph Hooker has now determined it to 
be an undescribed form, and has named it in honour of the 
Sultan of Zanzibar. It is of very compact bushy habit, with 
narrow, ovate, slightly tapering leaves, the flowers being about 
1 or H inch in diameter, and very bright rosy scarlet in colour, 
a peculiarly distinct but most effective hue. They are pro¬ 
duced singly in the axils of the leaves, especially towards the 
summit of the stems, but so freely that a well-grown specimen 
appears to be quite a ball of flowers. A plant at Kew which 
had been blooming continually for several months was cut 
back, fresh growth being encouraged, and now it is flowering 
again almost as freely as before. One specimen has been also 
tried in a cool house, but does not thrive so well, the blooms 
being smaller and lighter in colour than they are in the stove 
or similar temperature. It can be increased either by cuttings 
or seeds. A specimen was shown at the last meeting of the 
Royal Horticultural Society, but strangely enough did not 
appear to attract the attention of the Floral Committee. 
SELAGINELLA PLATYPHYLLA. 
The plumose Selaginellas include some of the most graceful 
of the genus, and amongst them such species as S. hrematodes 
are especially valued for their large handsome fronds. To this 
type the new S. platyphylla might be assigned in a horticul¬ 
tural point of view, as it produces large feathery fronds, though 
of a texture and colour more suggestive of the S. Martensii 
group. When shown at the Royal Horticultural Society’s 
meeting early in the present month it attracted much attention, 
and a first-class certificate was at once awarded to its intro¬ 
ducers, Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. Undoubtedly it 
deserves to be considered as one of the most distinct in cul¬ 
tivation, the fronds having the appearance of being flattened 
out by heavy pressure, though there is no disagreeable rigidity 
in the habit, a large panful of the plant being a valuable addi¬ 
tion to any fernery. Probably cultivators will soon have an 
opportunity to procure this, as most of the Selaginellas are 
readily increased. 
APHELANDRA CHAMISSONIANA. 
Last year Mr. W. Bull of Chelsea flowered a beautiful species 
of Aphelandra, which was then named A. punctata, in refer¬ 
ence to the marking of the foliage, but since then Sir Joseph 
Hooker has identified it as the A. Chamissoniana, described by 
Nees some years ago. Like so many of the Acanthaceoe it is 
a native of South Brazil, whence seeds were obtained from 
No. 105.—VOL. IV., Third series. 
No. 1761.—Yol. LXYIL, Old Series. 
