AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
111 
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Current Notes from American Green and 
Hot Houses. 
RARE AND NEW GREEN HOUSE PLANTS. 
Pimeli a spectalilis. 
A beautiful Thymolaceous plant, a native of 
New-Holland. It is a low shrub of slender growth 
with small linear leaves, and large heads of light 
rose colored flowers, which are produced in great 
profusion fromthe ends of the shoots or branches. 
Jt, is one of our finest green-house and exhibition 
plants, but is, as yet by no means in common 
cultivation, being rather difficult to propagate by 
cuttings, and on this account, not as well known 
as it should be. It, however, seeds very freely 
when a few years old, and will no doubt soon be 
more generally introduced. It grows rapidly, 
H<id the ends of the shoots should be pinched two 
or three times during the season to give it a 
bushy form. It requires careful treatment dur¬ 
ing the hot weather, and will not bear exposure 
to the direct rays of the sun, but should be kept 
under glass and shaded. It will grow freely in a 
light sandy loam with a good portion of leaf 
mold added, and should not he repotted during the 
Summer ; early in the Spring, or in the Fall is the 
best and safest time for the operation. 
Chorozema elegans. 
This is a variety of Chorozema varium, but is 
more dwarf in habit, and with leaves nearly round. 
The flower spikes are not so large, and of a paler 
color. It is a good variety, and makes a neat 
plant. The “ chorozema’s” are a very showy and 
useful class of plants, producing their bright crim¬ 
son flowers through the entire Winter and till 
tate in the Summer, when they should be closely 
pruned, and as soon as the young shoots 
begin to grow they should be repotted in a light 
loam, with a free drainage. When large plants 
ire desired, for blooming in the Winter for a sup¬ 
ply of cut flowers, one year old plants should be 
selected, and by the end of August, shifted into 
an eight inch pot, and they will soon begin to 
grow vigorously. They should then have the 
voung shoots stopped once or twice, which will 
wreatly increase the number of the flower spikes, 
and as the Autumn is drawing to a close,'they 
should be placed in a part of the green-house 
where they will receive the full influence of the 
sun. 
Azawa murra.ya.nti .—This is a very distinct 
and valuable variety, large and good shaped 
flower; may well be in every collection. 
Az. Narcissiflora. —A new Chinese species, very 
d.stinct; of dwarf bushy habit; slow growth 
and profuse bloomer ; remains a great length of 
time in flower ; color, white ; double. When the 
flower has been expanded a few days the center 
becomes bright green ; fine for Winter flowering, 
and forces readily. 
Az. Bealii. —This has somewhat the habit of 
« Beauty de Europe,'” but not of so free growth ; 
rather delicate ; the flower is beautifully marked, 
blotched and striped very regularly with cerise 
on white ground ; very extra. 
Az. amcena.— Another new Chinese species; 
very distinct; bushy habit; bright, glossy, round 
foliage; small flowers, each appearing like two 
corollas, one within the other, or hose in hose ; 
color, bright rosy purple ; good Winter flowerer. 
Az. obtusa. —This is one of the finest scarlet; a 
Chinese species, distinct; glossy foliage, and good 
habit of growth; flowers very abundantly. 
Az. Vittata rosea.—A. very free and strong grow¬ 
ing upright species from China, and the freest 
fo>- Winter flowering; color, clear white ground, 
striped and spotted with rose. There are se¬ 
veral varieties of this species, but this is the 
best; the others are very liable to come false in 
their colors. 
Az. Ramentacca .—A new Chinese species of 
low bushy habit; light pale green, and very 
smooth foliage; pure white flowers, small, but 
produced in the greatest profusion ; very distinct. 
Az. Rhododcndroides, or hybrida .—This is a 
hybrid between the Azalia and Rhododen¬ 
dron. The strong wood and large glaucous 
foliage of the Rhododendron is very marked in the 
habit of the plant, as also in the flowers, which 
are in very large trusses, erect, and of great sub¬ 
stance ; color, pale rose. 
Az. Rosalie.—A variety of slender, upright 
habit, and very narrow leaves; color, transpa¬ 
rent salmon, richly spotted with a very dark, 
novel color; good. 
Az. Beauty of Europe .—This is one of the 
very best ; small foliage ; medium size bush ; 
compact habit ; color, pink, striped with 
carmine, blotched white; very distinct; late 
bloomer, and a fine exhibition variety. 
Az. Crispiflora .—A very distinct and novel va¬ 
riety ; large flower, with the petal heavily crimp¬ 
ed ; color, rich rosy lake ; very robust habit; 
dense foliage. 
Az. Duke of Devonshire.—A strong growing 
variety, with large, bold flowers of good sub¬ 
stance ; one of the best scarlet seifs. 
Az, Empress Eugenie ,—This is a dwarf grow¬ 
ing variety of the “ variegata” section, and quite 
new last year ; it is of exquisite form ; color, 
transparent rose, and well spotted. 
Az. Eulalie Van Geert .—Another new variety 
of last year; medium growth; color, very 
large blush pink; intensely rich spotted flower 
of great substance, extra fine. 
Az. Gem .—A richly spotted variety ; fine form 
and substance ; very extra ; medium habit. 
Az. Gledstanesii .—A medium sized bush; 
small foliage ; color, white, striped with red ; 
good form, and one of the best striped varieties. 
Az. Glory of Sunning Bill .—This is a fine 
double flowering variety, of free growth ; color, 
rose; very extra and scarce. 
Az. Imperatrice Josephine .—A dwarf growing 
new variety of last year, of excellent habit; extra 
formed flower ; color, bright cerise. 
Az. Iveryana .—A free growing variety ; color, 
pure white, well striped with red; a very elegant 
flower. 
Az. ovata .—A new Chinese species, with large 
round glaucous leaves and stiff habit. It is very 
distinct and partakes of the character of the 
“ Kalmia,” especially in the form of the flower, 
which is salver shaped, produced in flat clusters 
at the end of the shoots. It has not as yet bloom¬ 
ed very freely. The color of the flower is rosy 
lilac, with very small black spots. 
Az. violacea superba .—Fine rich purple violet 
color; one of the best purple colored flowers; 
strong grower. 
Az. Beauty of Reigate .—Very dwarf bushy 
habit, symmetrical grower ; color, white, striped 
with rose; fine formed, and distinct flower. 
Az. Perryana .—A medium grower, and an ex¬ 
cellent shaped flower ; color, orange scarlet ; fine 
and distinct variety. 
NEW HOT HOUSE OR STOVE PLANTS. 
Gardendia devoniana. 
This is one of the finest of the African Gar¬ 
denias, and it is related to “ G. Stanleyana,” but 
much superior to that species. It is a strong 
growing shrub of erect habit. Leaves large and 
thin; when young, pale green, but when full 
grown, a dark blue green. The splendid flowers 
are solitary; corolla with a slender cylindrical 
tube eight to ten inches long, pure white at first, 
but gradually changed to a pale yellow. It is 
from Sierra Leone, and needs plenty of heat and 
moisture while making its growth ; after which, it 
requires to be watered more sparingly, and also a 
cooler and drier atmosphere. 
Gardenia nitida. 
Another new species from Sierra Leone ; very 
distinct; large, bright shining leaves ; a rather 
dwarf habit. The flowers have a leafy calyx, are 
pure white, and very fragrant, more than twice 
the size of the common “ Cape Jasmine.” It is 
valuable on account of its flowering In the Au¬ 
tumn, as do all the African species. It produces 
its flowers very freely, and if grown in stove heat 
will keep in bloom until mid-Winter. 
Clerodendron splcndens. 
One of the very best and most showy of stove 
climbing plants, when treated properly. It is a 
native of Africa, where it grows among low shrubs, 
with its roots completely shaded from the sun. 
Under these circumstances it attains the hight 
of ten or twelve feet. When fully exposed to tha 
sun it becomes stinted in growth and not more 
than three feet high, flowering sparcely. It grows 
best in a rather stiff loam, not over-potted, but 
the pot completely shaded from the sun ; moisture 
in abundance is required, both over head and at 
the root in the growing season. When its growth 
is completed and the wood ripened it requires at 
least four months rest, with very little water at 
the root, after which it will produce throughout 
the Winter its long spikes of brilliant scarlet blos¬ 
soms. There are three varieties of this species— 
differing only in the color of their flowers. 
Dipladenia crassinoda. 
This is a pretty little climbing plant, belonging 
to “Asclepiads” and well adapted for training 
over ornamental wire-work. It is of slender 
growth, and produces from every joint large clus¬ 
ters of delicate rosy pink flowers. It requires a 
rich loamy soil and plenty of moisture during the 
growing season, and when done flowering it should 
be allowed a period of rest, by gradually withhold¬ 
ing moisture and placing it in a cool part of the 
stove or in the green-house, until the following 
Spring. The plants should then be fresh potted, 
cut back freely, and placed in the stove until the 
flowers begin to expand. If removed into the 
green-house, they will remain in bloom through¬ 
out the Summer. The flowers are as large as the 
Ipomaja, or Morning Glory. 
Eschynanthus miniatus. 
This species, a native of Java, is readily dis¬ 
tinguished by its very short, dish-shaped calyx, 
with scarcely any distinct marginal lobes, and its 
very broad and dense foliage. It produces ver¬ 
milion colored flowers with a yellow star in the 
throat. It has a trailing habit, and delights in a 
moist atmosphere, thriving in any light porous 
soil, suspended in a pot or on a block of wood. 
Centradenia rosea. 
A neat and showy little plant, with copper 
colored foliage and stems, and white flowers 
tinged with lilac which are produced in masses 
over the whole plant from January, until late lr 
the Spring. It is very easily cultivated, but re¬ 
quires to be placed in a light, airy part of the 
house to flower freely. Cuttings rooted in Feb¬ 
ruary make nice flowering plants for the follow¬ 
ing Winter. They should be grown in a light 
sandy soil, and by the end of June they should 
receive their last potting for the season, when 
they will soon become bushy plants. If allowed 
to become somewhat pot-bcund, they will flower 
more abundantly. 
