136 
OF THE GENUS GLOXINIA. 
eties; one with beautifully blue, rather pendulous blossoms, tinged 
with purple, very glossy, or with the peculiar blush of silk velvet: 
another with white flowers—the leaves are large, oval, border notched 
(crenate), stalked, sealed close to the root; or is without any stem. 
Gloxinia caulescens —from Pernambuco in 1825. This species 
differs from the last in having a stem, which rarely however attains 
the height of a foot; but the leaves are produced from it, and these 
are of a darker green, more rigid and firm than those of speciosa: 
the flowers are larger, of a more intense blue, relieved with purple. 
They are most elegant. 
Gloxinia hirsuta, hairy G. a lovely little plant, with downy 
stalks and leaves; the tint of which is olive green. The flowers are 
more numerous, at least in the specimens which I have cultivated, 
they are of an extremely pale purplish tint, approaching to white, 
elegantly striped with a red-purple. This species is also a native of 
South America, introduced in 1824. 
It is said to be multiplied by division of the roots ; and in fact, I 
have, heretofore, failed to raise it by the usual processes, though I 
hope during the present season to succeed by another mode of pro¬ 
ceeding. Two years since a plant was sent me, the radical process, 
or bulb of which, was scarcely as large as a pea; I placed it in pure 
sandy peat earth (bog, or heath-mould), and it produced four little 
leaves. In 1834, with fresh earth and one remove to a pot three 
inches across at the top, and three and a half deep, it flowered and 
adorned the window or mantle-piece of a sitting-room throughout 
August. 
The three species or varieties of Speciosa and Caulescens, are 
readily increased by cuttings of the stems at any time after they 
emerge; or by leaves taken off with the little bud attached to the 
base of the leaf-stalk. These may be placed in silver sand or even 
heath-mould; and if kept temperately moist, and in a close frame, 
with a heat of 70 or 75 degs. will produce roots. But the most in¬ 
teresting process, is perfected by taking leaves with the bud, placing 
them singly in a phial of water on a delf over or upon a flue, or 
plunged in a leaf-bed where a gentle heat of 75 or 80 may be main¬ 
tained. After a few days, the part that joined the stem becomes 
convex, enlarges, assumes a rather hemispherical form, and sends 
forth a few silky fibres: these elongate; more are produced, and in 
three weeks (more or less as circumstances occur) the plant may be 
lifted from the water, and transferred to light peat earth, at first well 
filled with white sand, in a very small pot. The minute leaves 
which formed the germ upon the base of the leaf, enlarge, others are 
