December 15. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
193 
M 
D 
tv 
DECEMBER 15—21, 1853. 
Weather near London in 
1852. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R. & S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
af. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
Barometer. 
Thermo. Wind. 
Rain in 
Inches. 
15 
Ta 
Daisv flowers. 
29,106—28.983 
52—37 
s.w. 
03 
2 a 8 
49 a. 3 
rises. 
© 
4 
32 
349 
16 
F 
Wallflower flowers. 
29.412—29.151 
52—45 
s.w. 
27 
3 
49 
4 a 24 
16 
4 
3 
350 
s 
29 . 259 — 29.116 
51—34 
s.w. 
01 
4 
49 
5 16 
17 
3 
33 
351 
4 Sunday in Advent. 
30.208—30.026 
49—31 
N.E. 
— 
4 
49 
6 19 
18 
3 
4 
852 
30.119—30.007 
52—43 
s. 
01 
5 
50 
7 26 
19 
2 
34 
253 
19 
To 
'sun’s declination 23° 2' 1 s. 
29 . 999 - 29.771 
56—37 
s.w. 
— 
a 
50 
8 38 
20 
2 
4 
354 
21 
W 
St. Thomas. 
30 . 053 — 29.925 
51—34 
s.w. 
— 
6 
51 
9 51 
21 
1 
34 
355 
ArnTno&oLOGY of the Week.—A t Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-six years, ths average highest and lowest tem¬ 
peratures of these days are 45.2° and 35.3° respectively. The greatest heat, 60°, occurred on the 15th in 1842 ; and the lowestcold, 13°, on the 
lGth in 1840. During the period 93 days were fine, and on 89 rain fell. 
NEW PLANTS. 
PlIlLESlA BUXIFOIXA ( Box-leaved Philcsia). 
Tliis probably hardy evergreen shrub belongs to the 
Natural Order of Philesiads and to Hexandria Monogyuia 
of Linnaeus. 
“ Discovered in the Straits of Magelhaens by Commerson, 
and detected by Banks and Solander in Good Success Bay : 
since found to extend along the west coast of Antarctic 
America to Chiloe and Valdivia by various navigators and 
naturalists, from most of whom we possess specimens. In 
Valdivia, Air. Bridges says it is called ‘Pepino,’ and is found 
at the summit of the Cordillera there, in marshy places 
under Alerse trees. It was long a great desideratum to our 
gardens, till at length Messrs. Veitch, of Exeter (and now, 
happily for all lovers of rare and beautiful plants, also of 
the King’s Road Nursery, Chelsea,—late Messrs. Knight 
and Perry), introduced it through their collector, Mr. 
William Lobb, and gratified the numerous visitors of the 
Chiswick Flower-show, on the 12th June, 1853, by the ex¬ 
hibition of flowering specimens. Some authors have ex 
pressed doubts if the genus Philcsia be truly distinct from 
its near ally, Lapageria; but however closely may be the 
resemblance in the petals, the truly calycine character of 
the short outer perianth, the erect stem, and very different 
foliage (much resembling Luzuriaga), and the monadel- 
phous stamens, will surely keep them distinct. The species 
proves quite hardy with Mr. Veitch, at Exeter: it remains 
' to be ascertained if it will prove so about London. 
“ Description. — An erect, much - branching, shrubby 
plant, three to four feet high in its native country. We have 
flowering specimens before us varying from four inches to a 
foot-and-a-half, much branched; branches alternate, prin¬ 
cipal ones as well as the stem naked below, cylindrical, and 
scaly with brown lanceolate scales at the joint; branchlets 
angular, green, here and there scaly. Leaves alternate, 
varying on different plants from an inch to an inch-and-a- 
half long, stalked, linear - oblong, leathery, evergreen, 
feather-nerved, smooth, sharp pointed, milky-green beneath, 
the margins bent back. Leaf-stalk articulated at the setting 
on of the leaf, and the leaf is often deciduous there, leaving 
the persistent short leaf-stalk. Flower-stalks exceedingly 
short, terminal on the branches, bracteated at the base of 
the flower. Flower solitary, drooping, large. Calyx nearly 
three-quarters-of-an-inch long, of three, oblong, rather 
blunt, imbricating, appressed sepals, concave, skin-like. 
Corolla two or two-and-a-quarter inches long, straight¬ 
sided-bell-shaped, petals oblong, reverse-egg-sliaped, slightly 
pointed, bright rose-red, somewhat waxy, equal, concave, 
when dry veiny, the base united ; each having within a hard 
oblong depressed gland or nectary. Stamens springing 
from the base of the petals. Filaments united into a tube 
below the middle, then free, erect, equal, a little shorter than 
the petals. Anthers erect, rather arrow-shaped. Ovary small, 
three-angled, oval, one-celled, with three short parietal 
placentae, which bear several ovules. Style a little longer 
than the stamens, rather thick. Stigma indented, the re¬ 
curved margin obsoletely three-lobed. Fruit an oval-sub- 
globose, pointed berry, rough on the surface from the many 
seeds within.”—( Botanical Magazine, t. 4738.) 
Goldfcssia isophylla ( Equal-leaved Goldfussia). 
This genus was named in honour of Dr. Goldfuss, Pro¬ 
fessor of Natural History at Bonn. It belongs to the 
Natural Order of Acanthads, and to Didynamia Angio- 
sperma of Linnaeus. This species is known in gardens as 
the Ruellia isophylla. The flowers are pale blue, with dark 
zig-zag veins on the tube at the back of the lobes. It differs 
nothing from G. anisophyllu to the eye of a common observer, 
except" in being more regularly leaved, and less straggling 
in its growth. It is a small, stove, evergreen shrub, a 
native of Silhet.—( Horticultural Society's Journal, viii. 321.) 
Ponoi.i’.ns chrysantha ( Golden-flowered Podolepis). 
A half-hardy annual, said to be a native of the south¬ 
west coast of New Holland. Its flowers are bright yellow. 
The genus belongs to the Natural Order of Composites, and 
to the Syngenesia Suporiiua of the Linnaian system.— 
(Ibid.) 
Brassayota lineata ( Lined-leaved Brassavola). 
This stove Orchid was sent to this country from South 
America, by Mr. Warsowitz, in 1852. It bloomed for the 
first time at the Nursery of Messrs. Jackson and Sons, 
Kingston, in the June of 1853. It flowers iu pairs, which 
spring from the root, and hang down. The petals and 
sepals are a very pale creamy-white ; the lip, which is very 
large, nearly pure white.— (Botanical Magazine, t. 4734.) 
Leptosiphon lutea (Yellow Leptosiphon). 
This genus is very appropriately named, Leptosiphon, 
being, literally, slender-tube, for which the flowers of the 
species are remarkable. This species is also known as 
I 
No. CCLXXII., Vol. XL 
