NEW AND RARE PLANTS 
119 
The preparation for exhibition is simple enough: select plants that are half bloomed—that is, whose 
lower half of blooms are fully developed, cut the stem off low down, turn the stem round and see which 
are the best flowers, and mind that there be five blooms; when you have made up your mind as to which 
portion of stem will exhibit best, cut away the flowers above and below, and cut the stem the right 
length to have the lower flowers even with, although not resting on, the board or stand, or in the 
bottles, or vases, or whatever else they are shown in. A flat board, like a Dahlia stand, with the 
holes wide enough apart to do justice to the portion of spike shown, would do very well, but they would 
require large tubes and holes a foot apart. The best way to exhibit would be in flat boxes of moss 
with bottles or jars to hold water, so that the stem would go in the bottle or jar and rest on the 
bottom, and that the lower flowers should just be kept up from resting their edges on the moss, and 
with room enough to show to advantage without touching each other, the largest and tallest being at 
the back, those a little smaller being in the middle, and the smallest in front. The colours should be 
diversified and yet uniform, bright flowers at the corners, duller in the middle, but all as nearly uni¬ 
form, as to light and dark, as possible, for it is much owing to this that many a collection of flowers 
looks superior to others not so carefully nor so uniformly displayed. The absence of any set rules for 
showing the Hollyhock, has alone prevented many societies from adopting it as an article for show. 
The stems are too large for any tubes made for Dahlias, and no real good will be done until it is decided 
what stands shall be used in showing. They ought to be a foot apart. Twelve specimens are enough 
in all cases, to exhibit, even for dealers, unless they wish a display without competition, when they 
may do what they please. 
firm rati Harr plants. 
Trichopelia sit avis, Lindley. Sweet Trichopil ( Faxt. FI. Gard.f \., 1.11).—Hat. Ord., Orchidaceee, § Yandeae- 
Brassidese.—A very handsome stove epiphyte, with thin oblong pseudo-bulbs, each bearing one broad, oblong, 
wavy, leathery leaf, which grows from form to six inches high. The flower stems issue from the base of the 
pseudo-bulbs, and each bear two or three blossoms, which consist of linear nearly straight sepals and petals, white 
slightly stained with red', and a great convolute lip, cream coloured in the throat, and richly spotted with rose colour 
on the broad, wavy margin; the flowers are full five inches in diameter, and emit the most delicate odour of Haw¬ 
thorn, From Central America. Introduced in 1848. Flowers in summer. 
Ciiphea purpurea, Lemaire. Purple-flowered Cuphea (Flore des Serves, t, 412).—Hat. Ord., Lythracese, § 
Lythrese,—A very pretty hybrid perennial sub-shrubby plant, which seems to he suitable for bedding-out. It 
has the habit and foliage of C. miniata. The flowers are large, handsome, of a fine bright rose colour, slightly 
shaded with violet; they have four small petals, and two large ones. A Belgian garden hybrid, obtained by M. 
Delache of St. Omer, between C. miniata and C. viscosissima, the former being the seed-hearing parent. Eaised 
about 1848. Flowers during summer. 
Medinilla magniptca, Lindley. Magnificent Medinilla ( Faxt. FI. Gard ., F., t. 12).—Hat. Ord. Melastomacese, 
§ Melastomese.—Syn. Medinilla bracteata, of gardens, not of Flume .—A noble erect evergreen shrubby stove-plant, 
with compressed four-winged branches, setose at the nodes. The leaves are very large—nearly a foot long—and 
somewhat coarse-looking, unless the plant is of a large size ; they are opposite, obovate-oblong, cordate, somewhat 
stem-clasping, leathery and deep green. The flowers are in terminal pendulous panicles, fifteen to eighteen inches 
long, furnished with whorled branches, and many very large deciduous many-nerved rose-pink reflexed bracts, 
growing in whorls of four. The flowers are deep glossy rose colour, deeper in the bud, and are decandrous. 
From Java. Introduced in 1848. Flowers in April and May. Messrs. Yeitch, of Exeter. 
Hoya coriacea, Flume. Leathery-leaved Hoya ( Fot.Mag ., t. 4518).—Hat Ord., Asclepiadacese, § Stapelke.— 
A smooth stove shrub, with terete twining stems, bearing opposite elliptic, somewhat coriaceous costate penni- 
nerved leaves on short thick petioles. The umbels of flowers are borne on long, pendent peduncles, from the 
axils of the leaves; the blossoms are rather pretty, the corolla being large, glabrous, and glossy externally, downy 
within, with triangular acute lobes of a pale tawny colour, the staminal crown of white ovate leaflets, with a dark 
brown eye. From Java: mountain woods in the west. Introduced about 1848. Flowers in August. Messrs. 
Yeitch, of Exeter. 
Parsonsia heterophylla, A. Cunningham. Yarious-leaved Parsonsia ( Journ. Sort. Soc. v. 194).—Hat Ord., 
Apocynacese, § Parsonseae.—Syn : P. albiflora, Raoul .—A very curious slender, twining, hardy greenhouse shrub, 
with persistent leaves, leathery, dull green, often brown, “ linear lanceolate, ovate lanceolate, obovate, or even 
spathulate, often repand,- varying in length from two to four inches.” The flowers grow in close, one-sided, naked 
panicles, and are pale cream-colour, rather sweet scented; the corollas urceolate, with a revolute, five-lobed 
border. From Hew Zealand : northern island. Introduced in 1847. Flowers in May and June. Horticultural 
Society of London. 
Hoya atropurpurea, Sooher. Brown purple flowered Hoya ( Fot. Mag. t. 4520).—Hat. Ord., Arclepiada- 
cese, § Stapeliae.—A smooth stove shrub, with terete twining stems, bearing opposite, ovate, acute, thick, fleshy, 
five-nerved leaves, on very thick petioles. The flowers grow in a dense umbel, on short axillary peduncles, 
