1873 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
459 
A New Variegated •Ice-Plant. 
Had we headed this article with Mesembry- 
anthemum cordifolium mriegatum , it is likely 
that the majority of our read¬ 
ers, appalled by the length of 
the title, would have passed it 
by unnoticed. As the plant is 
destined to be popular, we give 
it a popular name at once. 
Every one almost knows the 
common Ice-plant, the clear 
vesicles upon the surface of the 
leaves of which give it the ap¬ 
pearance—especially pleasing in 
a hot day — of having been 
frozen. This is Mesembryanthe- 
mum crystallinum , and the new 
one under consideration is a 
relative of it. When one of our 
horticultural friends returned 
from Europe last year we asked 
him what was the finest thing 
in the plant line that he saw 
abroad. He replied: “ The 
variegated Mesembryanlhemum 
cordifolium as used at Battersea 
Park.” Since then our florists 
have been endeavoring to in¬ 
troduce it, but the plant is so 
“ mifiy,” as the florists say, that 
it is exceedingly impatient of 
travel, and the failures have 
been numerous and expensive. 
We know one wealthy amateur 
who had a plant sent over 
every fortnight all through the 
past season, and did not suc¬ 
ceed in raising a single speci¬ 
men. If we mistake not, the 
first who succeeded in getting 
this troublesome plant across 
the water and to grow into a fine 
specimen was Mr. H. E. Chitty, 
Superintendent of the Bellevue Nursery, Pater¬ 
son, N. J. Under his careful culture this ob¬ 
stinate subject was induced to live and grow 
into a shapely plant, of which we give an en¬ 
graving from a 
photograph some¬ 
what reduced in 
size. In reference 
to this plant, which 
now we once have 
it can be kept 
without difficulty, 
Mr. Chitty writes : 
“ The variegated 
form of Mesembry- 
antliemum cordifo¬ 
lium I have good 
reason to think 
will be one of the 
most valuable bed¬ 
ding plants ever 
introduced into 
this country. Its 
very dwarf trailing 
habit will adapt it 
to every purpose 
for which such 
plants are used, 
especially for. cov¬ 
ering rock - work 
in situations ex¬ 
posed to great 
heat. Its succulent nature will render it 
proof against the hottest sun, and like the com¬ 
mon Ice-plant, which it so much resembles in 
Othonna—A Fine Basket and Bedding 
Plant. 
There are some plants so very old that they 
are new, at least to the present 
generation of cultivators. The 
plant under consideration — 
Othonna crassifolia —was intro¬ 
duced into English gardens as 
long ago as 1710, but it seems 
to have completely dropped 
from notice, and it was only 
when new methods of cultiva¬ 
tion were introduced that a use 
was found for it. It is a capital 
plant for both hanging baskets 
and for bedding purposes; but 
baskets and bedding were both 
unknown to the former genera¬ 
tion of horticulturists. We first 
saw this plant in cultivation at 
the Botanic Garden at Cam¬ 
bridge, where Dr. Gray called 
our attention to its usefulness as 
a basket plant. We have since 
grown it, and have seen it in 
the remarkable collection of 
rarities at Mr. George Such’s, 
where it is employed for basket 
work. The engraving shows a 
single branch of the plant, which 
will give a sufficiently good 
idea of its habit. The stem is 
very slender, and when allowed 
to hang over the edge of a 
basket elongates indefinitely, 
bearing small, cylindrical, fleshy 
leaves of the size and shape 
shown in the engraving. The 
plant has the general appear¬ 
ance of some-of the Mesembry- 
anthemums, and but few would, 
without seeing its flowers, refer 
it to its proper family — the 
Composite. Its small yellow flowers are, when 
the plant is well established, produced in great 
abundance, and have the neat air that charac¬ 
terizes the whole plant. Were it only for its 
value as a basket 
plant we should be 
warranted in call¬ 
ing the attention 
of our readers to 
it, but it promises 
to be' of equal 
merit as a subject 
for bedding pur¬ 
poses. Mr. Henry 
Winthrop Sargent, 
of Fishkill-on-the- 
Hudson, whose 
place, Wodenethe, 
is known, at least 
by name, to all de¬ 
votees of horticul¬ 
ture, has this year 
made use of this 
Othonna as a bed¬ 
ding, or rather as 
a carpeting plant. 
Its low, prostrate 
habit, the rapidity 
with which it 
clothes the ground, 
and the abundance 
of its small, lively, 
yellow blossoms especially adapt it to the 
use Mr. Sargent made of it—the carpeting of 
the soil of beds of tall-growing Echeverias and 
everything but color, it will thrive where | 
scarcely anything else will grow. As a mar- i 
ginal row for the exquisite beds of succulent I 
plants now becoming so popular it can not fail I 
KDW VAJRIEGATED ICE-PLANT. 
to be of the greatest value; its creamy white 
foliage will supply just the needed finish. We 
are led to expect something from this plant on 
account of our trouble in importing it, it hav¬ 
OTHONNA—A NEW BASKET AND BEDDING PLANT. 
ing been sent to us eight times from England 
before we received a living specimen; but 
finally we werp successful in getting a stock.” 
