April 21, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
315 
lozzto, from near Constantinople, with a very small white perianth; C. 
minimus, DC., from Ajaccio, Corsica, with dark purple outer petals and 
lighter coloured ones within ; C. imperati, from Bavillo, South Italy, the 
o >ly species with a rose-coloured perianth ; also a white variety of the same, 
first introduced by Dr. Lowe, who sent it to the late Rev. H. II. Crewe. 
Corbularia oltesa. —Mr. Maw observed that the obesa ” form—not a 
distinct form—was characteristic of many, as of C. nivalis, both of larger 
and smaller kinds, N. nanus, found wild near Bewiley, Salop. 
Chionodoxa sp. —Mr. Maw also showed specimens from Crete, having a 
much smaller flower than C. Lucilice. Dr. Masters obs rved that the latter 
will degenerate in a wet soil so as to assume a diminished stature, which 
was, therefore, probably solely due to its habitat. A Fritillaria from 
Erzeroum, Armenia (chocolate-flowered), and which was figured in the 
“Botanical Magazine ” with a yellow form from mountains near Smyrna; 
also a vernal form of Colchicum from the Dardanelles. 
Kief. —Mr. Ridley reported upon his examination of the plant producing 
th : s intoxicant, which proved to be a dwarf form of Cannabis sativa, or 
Hemp, due to its growth in a poor soil. It has smaller and darker coloured 
fruit than that of ordinary Hemp. 
Radulum. —Mr. O'Brien exhibited specimens of a form of this fungus 
growing on imported Orchid blocks, and also a young form of some species 
•f the Locustideae on Dendrobium Palconeri. 
Primula sp. f —Mr. G. P. Wilson exhibited a 6mall species of Primrose 
which had come up amongst Himalayan seed, and several blossoms of 
seedlings of Scott Wilson, showing the retention of the blue tint, though 
exhibiting great variety of colours. 
Primrose, White Variety. —Mr. W. D’Arcy Godolpkin Osborne sent a 
plant of a white Primrose found wild near Biarritz. Though a common 
cultivated form it is probably rare in a wild state. It was growing in 
red clay. 
Primula, Tlybrid. —Colonel Clarke exhibited blossoms of a hybrid of 
P. ciliata crossed by pollen of a dark Alpine Auricula. The colour closely 
resembled the latter, but the corolla was very large, being quite half as 
large again as the Auricula, while the centre was of a deeper yellow. 
Rhuibarb, Hybrid. —Colonel Clarke also showed a leaf of a hybrid between 
Rheum palmaium and the common garden Rhubarb, R. undulatum. 
Cattleyas, Malformed. —Mr. Ridley reported upon these as follows :— 
(1.) The lip was twisted 90°; there was one petal only, three stamens, and 
one rostellum, with all the pollen aborted. (2.) One petal was somewhat 
labelliform, and apparently two rost Ila were present. 
Roses hypertrophied. —Professor M. Ward reported on these. The pro¬ 
tuberances were very remarkable. He detected a pla-modium within the 
cells, showing a definite relationship to the outgrowths. In partial culti¬ 
vations there was a definite plasmodium outside the cells; it was accom¬ 
panied by a Myxomycete, seen in yellow accretions of spores. It somewhat 
resembled the growth in Turnips, but was of an unknown form. Ho pro¬ 
posed to investigate it further. 
Hyacinths, Malformed. —Mrs. Lee sent bulbs of Hyacinths from which 
the short undeveloped spike of buds had prematurely fallen by a con¬ 
striction of the peduncle, about an inch below the base of the flower 
buds. They were referred to Professor M. Ward for further examination 
and report. 
Azalea Sport. —Rev. G. Henslow exhibited a mauve-coloured blossom 
which had appeared on a shrub with nearly scarlet-coloured flowers. The 
foliage on the sport was much larger and more hairy than on the usual 
branch. Moreover, in the sport there was a tendency to doubling, but not 
in the normal flower. 
Portugal Narcissi : Notes on, by Mr. A. Tait. —A communication was 
read, giving details of Mr. Tait’s and Mr. Barr’s observations in North and 
South Portugal. Corbularias.—Of these was found a large form, perhaps 
conspicua or serotina in marshy ground, and in sandy woods of Pinus mari- 
tima, edging the marshes ; there was a much dwarfer form, varying in 
colour from a rich orange to pale yellow, distinctly striped with greenish 
white ; all probably of one species, but with variations, due to environment, 
as some of the larger kinds, planted in 1886 in a dry situation, have become 
reduced this year. 
On higher grounds in North Portugal the Corbularias are small, with 
Rush-like, twi-ted, and drooping leaves ; but at 3000 feet in the Gerez 
Mountains was C. nivalis, with erect leaves and small flowers, varying from 
a rich yellow to pale sulphur. 
In February a flue form, probably C. obesa, Salisb., was found in 
Estremadura at Moutegil. Mr. Tait remarks upon the varying length of 
the styles in this species, and thinks that it is an unstable character for 
classificatory purposes. He notices—what has been already observed by 
others—a similar unstability in the stamen of N. triandrus, an approxima¬ 
tion towards heterostylism. It is rare, he adds, to find the style deep down 
in the Ajax s 'ction. 
A small-flowered form of Ajax, transplanted in 1885, has now borne 
flowers equal in size to the larger form, the small size being attributed by 
Mr. Tait to poverty of soil. He notices great variation in the form of the 
flower representing “ Maximus,” “ Major,” and the “ Tenby,” suggesting to 
Mr. Barr that these forms originally came from Portugal. Near Braga 
forms with the perianth paler than the crown, as in the English and Scotch 
wild form, were met with. Ajax bicolor occurred in abundance, and was 
the nearest approach to pi, 1187, “ Botanic al Magazine.” Mr. Barr has 
found N. Johnstoni in several localities in North Spain. N. triandrus is 
specially remarkable for the extraordinary variations in form of flower, 
foliage, size of bulb, <tc., together with the curious trimorphism of the 
sexual organs. N. triandrus var. concolor was found in a few mountainous 
situations by Professor Henriques, and Mr. Tait identifies it with Parkin¬ 
son’s N. juncifolius flore luteo reflexo (Par ad., p. 92), remarkable for its 
golden yellow colour. N. Jonquilla, a remarkably large form, has flowered 
with Mr. Tait. 
Mr. Tait concludes his interesting communication with some remarks on 
hybrids, all of which are of a creamy-white colour when due to the natural 
crossing of Pseudo-Na-cissus and N. triandrus. Other hybrids from Gerez 
are uniform in size, colour, <fca,aad partake of the features of both the parents 
—viz., C. nivalis and N. triandrus. He asks, Why aie these hybrids so rare, 
and do they die out ? 
CAMELLIAS AFTER FLOWERING. 
The plants are going out of flower now almost daily. Indeed the 
whole stock of Camellias will soon require to be treated as plants 
that have done flowering, and as this treatment bears more directly 
on their subsequent success than the attention they require at any 
other time a few hints may be acceptable to many amateur readers. 
When Camellias are not in flower they may be syringed frequently 
with advantage, and this generally keeps the foliage clean and 
healthy ; but glutinous matter sometimes adheres to them, and syring¬ 
ing will not remove it, yet it is absolutely necessary for the health of 
the plants that it be removed, and it should be cleaned immediately 
flowering ceases. Sponging is the surest way, using a mixture of 
Gishurst compound, 3 ozs. to the gallon of water. Before beginning 
to sponge syringe the bushes several times with water to soften the 
dirt, .and during the operation of sponging the whole of the foliage 
may be kept constantly wet, as it is so much easier to remove the dirt 
when it is 6oft and wet than when hard and dry. 
Equally important is having the roots in proper order. No- 
Camellia should be planted out in a bed or border without the greatest 
care being devoted to the drainage, as it is only in the first instance 
that this can be properly treated, and there is no easy way of rectify¬ 
ing the drainage of plants which are growing in a bed. Effective 
drainage in their case is everything at first, but it is different with 
plants in pots, as they can easily be turned out without breaking the 
ball of roots, the drainage renewed or replaced, and the plant returned 
without feeling a check. Wherever the soil has become stagnant 
or in bad condition do not fail to examine and rectify the drainage. 
Planted-out specimens are very liable to suffer from being too much 
disturbed at the roots, and in trying to improve the drainage it can 
best be placed round the sides than directly under the plant, and if 
the vacancy made to permit this is filled with good soil an improve¬ 
ment will soon take place. Firm soil is also very necessary to the 
success of the plants, indeed they will not remain long in good health 
if the soil is loose. Seeing that the drainage is right and the soil 
firm should have annual attention as the plants cease flowering. The 
soil may be allowed to become slightly dry before beginning to work 
with it, but after the operations I have suggested are finished it mast 
not on any account be allowed to become dry, and from the day the 
plants begin growing until th9 flower buds are well developed the 
soil at the roots may be kept constantly sweet and moist. In some 
cases the growth begins before the bloom3j are all over, but the main 
growth rarely commences until then. 
Apart from cleaning the foliage in the first place the}' should be 
frequently well syringed with clean water afterwards, and once daily 
is not too often to syringe them in good weather. I do not approve 
of keeping them very close, as the growths are rather liable to become 
long and weakly, and this also applies to plants grown under a dense 
shade. We have not shaded a Camellia for many years, and we 
have always plenty of blooms from November until April. Besides, 
the present being a good time to clean the foliage and to place the 
plants in proper condition for another year, repotting and planting 
may also be done. Sometimes when plants are in bad health in pots 
their growers think they would thrive better if planted out, but my 
experience leads me to say that it is easier to improve a Camellia in 
a pot than when planted, and 1 should not be inclined to plant a 
specimen in a half dead condition. The plan would be to get it into- 
good health in a pot and then plant. The object of planting out is 
to secure large specimens which will require less attention in watering 
than those in pots, and all the finest Camellias in the country are 
planted out. Success is certain when good plants are used and the 
operation carefully performed, but all depends on that. The bed 
must not be less than 2 feet 6 inches in depth, and at least 6 inches 
of this should be taken up with carefully arranged drainage. A layer 
of fibrous turf may cover this. The plants need not be placed too 
deeply, and the whole bed filled firmly with a mixture consisting of 
equal parts of peat and loam, to which has been added a liberal dash 
of coarse sand. This mixture will suit Camellias under all conditions 
of culture. 
The plants requiring potting most may be divided into two classes, 
one being those which have outgrown the limits of their pots and re¬ 
quire more root room, and the other those which have not taken advan¬ 
tage of their root room, have become sickly and failed to fill their pots 
with roots. The remedy for the first is to give them larger pots, and 
the best thing to do with the second is to turn them out, removing 
all loose or useless soil from their roots and repot in smaller sized 
pots. There is no better way than this of improving the condition 
of sickly Camellias. All plants that are repotted must be shaded foT 
a time, keeping the atmosphere in which they are placed very 
humid. About this time last year we had a plant at the corner of a 
bed that had become so large as to block the way, and it had been 
cut in so often that it was rather stumpy and not very ornamental, 
but being a useful variety we were not willing to throw it away. 
The only thing to do with it was to move it from the corner. This 
