Plate 289. 
TACSONIA VAN VOLXEMI. 
When we can say of a new greenhouse creeper that it bids 
fair to rival, if not surpass, the lovely Lapageria rosea , we are 
perhaps giving it the very highest praise it is in our power to 
offer, and this may safely, we think, be said of the very beau¬ 
tiful flower which we now figure, and for which we are in¬ 
debted to Mr. Prince, of the Exeter Nursery, and we cannot do 
better than give his description of their treatment of it. 
“ Our plant, which is now twenty feet long, with numerous 
branches, is growing in a mixture of rough peat, loam, and 
coarse sand, with abundance of drainage, and plenty of pieces 
of broken brickbats, crocks, sandstone and old lime rubble 
mixed in with the soil. Occasional syringing and copious sup¬ 
plies of water to the roots during the summer and autumn pro¬ 
mote luxuriant growth. It may be requisite now and then to 
cut back vigorous shoots which have flowered, in order to bring 
up fresh flowering stems. From the pendent position of the 
flowers, it is obvious that this beautiful climber can be seen 
to better advantage trained to a rafter on the roof of the con¬ 
servatory than if put against a wall. I have alluded to its 
comparative hardiness, in support of which, and in addition to 
the general lowness of the temperature of our show-house, I 
may say, in conclusion, that we had a plant of it growing luxu¬ 
riantly on an eastern wall out of doors all last summer and 
autumn.” 
The flowers of this beautiful creeper are nearly five inches 
across. The colour of the sepals and petals, of which there are 
five each, is a brilliant carmine-crimson. The tube is white, 
surrounded by a blackish-purple ring; the stamens and pistils 
protrude from this for two and a half to three inches. These 
