JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 14, 1880. ] 
358 
remarkable observations concerning the necessity of there being some 
insect with a sufficiently long proboscis to reach down to the bottom 
of the spur where the nectar is secreted, which was afterwards found 
to be perfectly correct, though the insect was unknown at the time the 
observation was made. The colouring in the leafstalks of the Chilian 
Beet and the foliage of Coleuses was also briefly noted, Mr. Henslow 
stating that he hoped to make some progress in investigating the 
subject by aid of the spectroscope. Concerning the Coleuses he 
remarked that recently -when in Switzerland he had noted that they 
were very commonly bedded-out, but although the varieties were 
numerous they were very dull in colours and devoid of beauty that 
characterise so many English-raised forms. The collections of 
Dahlias from Chiswick gave occasion to some remarks concerning the 
history and development of the genus. The first introduction of the 
Dahlia, or Georgina, as it is often called on the Continent, was by the 
Marchioness of Bute, who received it from Madrid in 1789. The 
plants perished, and a second introduction was made by Lady Holland 
in 1804. These also perished, and it was not till 1814 when it once 
more became established, this time from France, where it had been 
cultivated in the hope of its tubers proving edible. They were too 
acrid either “ for man or beast.” The principal species under culti¬ 
vation is D. variabilis or superflua. This has given rise to innu¬ 
merable forms large and small. D. coccinea is perhaps best known 
in the single state, and does not appear to have contributed much 
to floral display. D. glabrata, D. coccinea were both represented 
from Chiswick, as well as D. Cervantesi, which did not appear cursorily 
Fig. 63 .—Hibiscus striacus. 
to differ much from coccinea. The lecturer then explained the nature 
of “ doubling ” in Composite, and pointed out two forms on the table— 
one, the ordinary kind, where the folded corollas were flat, another in 
which they approximated the “ quill ” type by being nearly cylin¬ 
drical tubes. A third variety had each petal deeply cleft twice, 
revealing the origin of the corolla, in that it is composed, as in all 
“ ligulate” florets (excepting the tribe Cichoriacece ) of three petals, in 
consequence of the suppression of two in the change from a tubular 
to a ligulate corolla. 
At the conclusion of the lecture a vote of thanks was accorded to 
Mr. Henslow. Col. Trevor Clarke drew attention to a healthy plant 
of Oncidium ornithorhyncbum growing in moss in a small pot. He 
stated that he had employed moss placed in the pots very firmly for 
several other Orchids, and they succeeded equally as well as in peat. 
It was announced in conclusion that the next meeting of the Society 
will be held on November 10th. 
HIBISCUS SYRIACUS. 
In the search for something new and novel the merits of the 
old and good are sometimes overlooked. As may be seen by the 
engraving of some sprays which are represented precisely as they 
were gathered a month ago, this is one of the most beautiful 
autumn-flowering shrubs in cultivation. In some districts it is. 
largely grown, and imparts a most cheerful aspect to shrubberies 
