11 
inside the Plant House ar."> too shady for most of them. Useful additions 
to our collections have been Sagittaria montevidensis, Hydrocleis nymphoi- 
des , some new Nymph seas, and a member of the family Pontederiacese 
received from British Honduras, wrongly named as a Sagittaria. Sagittaria 
motevidensis flowers freely. The Sweet Flag (A corns calamus) and some 
local aquatic sedges have also been grown successfully. The Chinese 
Horn-nut (Trapa bicornis) grew well and produced one good fruit. The 
Flowering Rush ( Butomus umbellatus ) has grown only to about half its 
normal size and has not flowered; the same remark applies to the common 
Arrowhead (Sagittaria sagittifolia). The unknown Pontederia above 
mentioned is a very large and vigorous plant. The Chinese Water-Pine 
(Glyptostrobus pensilis) being a swamp plant, has been put into one of the 
tanks, and has made some new growth. 
Herbaceous plants. —The only notable addition to our herbaceous 
plants during the year is a variety of Cuphea miniata, received through 
Mr. B. A. Lowe of the Department of Agriculture. This is a very free- 
flowering plant of unusual and attractive colour, easily propagated from 
cuttings. It succeeds best as a pot plant, in well drained soil, in full sun. 
The violet which someone has introduced to Cameron Highlands was 
brought to Singapore by Mrs. C. G. Maw son who gave a plant to the 
Gardens. It proves easy to grow, and flowers quite freely; the variegated 
(unfortunately scentless) flowers are very attractive. A number of Chry¬ 
santhemum varieties introduced from Japan have not been very success¬ 
ful; many of them succombed during the wet weather from October to 
December. A quantity of Gladiolus corms were purchased from Europe 
for use at Government House and at the Gardens; these were very successful. 
Some perennial Phlox, introduced from Kew at the end of the year, began 
to make good growth, and it is hoped they will do well. Some new 
Gerberas, raised from seeds kindly supplied by Dr. Jackes (Queensland) 
have done well, and include beautiful new shades of colour. 
New Shrubs. — The most striking new shrub to appear during the year 
was Adenium coetaneum, an East African species, of which a plant was 
acquired by exchange with a local nursery. Adenium has the appearance 
of a miniature Frangipanni, with a very thick fleshy stem, and seems best 
grown as a pot plant. Its flowers are strikingly beautiful, and frequently 
produced. Some Japanese shrubs, in pots, have been grown for a year, 
but many of them have not been very successful. Among them the Meiwa 
Kumquat has flowered and fruited well, and makes a handsome foliage 
plant; if grafted on to a local stock it should be very useful. Some Azaleas 
have grown quite well in pots, and have flowered occasionally but not very 
freely. A deciduous Azalea, imported from Japan in a resting condition 
in February, flowered very beautifully in March, and then mad£ good leaf 
growth; it flowered again a little in November and December. Phaleria 
Blumei, which has been in the Gardens for many years in a border where 
it was covered with other bushes, was transplanted to a separate bed where 
it grew well and flowered several times. Its beautiful pure white flowers 
are quite reminiscent of a Daphne, and its red fruits are also attractive; 
it is w T orth planting more frequently. Tibouchina semidecandra has grown 
fairly well but flowered little. 
New Climbers. — The Chinese Bauhinia corymbosa, received by seed 
some years ago from Honolulu, flowered for the first time in August 1936. 
It had made very good vegetative growth and its foliage is very attractive, 
but the flowers were only few in number. Possibly it will never flower 
well in Singapore but it should be tried at the local Hill stations. Pandorea 
Ricasoliana, an African species the local introduction of which is unrecorded, 
