1883.] 
REGISTER OF NOVELTIES. 
107 
of the forming corn, and of course upon 
the character of the resulting seedlings. 
To he the more sure of this, I grew for the 
purpose pure yellow, and white imported seed, 
which I believe is kept strictly true, and when¬ 
ever, and only when I have fertilised the ears 
from it with pollen from varieties of another 
colour, I have found the ears show the male 
parentage in colour in the current year. This 
influence of the pollen, so direct upon the 
colour and not upon the size of the seed it 
helps to form, seems a curious thing. The 
little umbilical mark is visible on each seed 
where the pistil has been in direct contact 
with the husk or “ bran ” of the grain, and it 
seems as though this skin were very sensitive 
to impressions of colour. Leaf variegation, 
very constant in the striped Japanese variety, 
but a feature often but faintly transmissible by 
seed, I have found not transferable on the 
male side to the green foliage of other varieties. 
There is a very curious species of Maize 
named Zeci capsularis, in ■which each grain on 
the ear is wrapped up in a stiff filbert-like 
husk of its own. I do not know of what 
agricultural value it may be, for it seems 
proof against any kind of threshing machine. 
In crossing this with more civilised varieties, 
I obtained it with scarlet instead of yellow 
grains within the capsules, while some of the 
seed produced ears half hidden in the curious 
husks. I have grown numberless pretty ears 
of all shades and tints and mixtures. The 
small grained, variegated seeds of what is 
known as “Pop Corn” have helped greatly 
in colours, which I have transmitted to the 
large corn sorts with many curious effects. 
Among them have been soft rose and pink 
tints, dark and delicate blues, purples, blacks, 
and crimsons, curious browns and fawns, mossy 
agate, and mottled grains of different colours, 
roans and olive shades ; and from, I suppose, 
a mixture of yellow and blue shades, some that 
are really greens. These are most beautiful 
and decided at harvest time ; but some of the 
rose and green tints dry a duller colour, which, 
however, revives a good deal if the grain be 
wetted and swollen. 
I may just say that for fulness and regularity 
of the grain, my specimen heads will bear 
comparison with the imported heads, which 
are also generally picked ones. 
One amusing memory comes to my recol¬ 
lection here. Some years ago a correspondent 
wrote to say he also had been growing Maize 
a long time in England, and considered there 
was a great deal more male blossom produced 
than was needful to fertilise the ears, and 
would I join him in systematically mutilating 
the male heads, so as to impress the fact upon 
the plant, and induce it to be less prodigal of 
pollen. I could not think there is ever any 
wasted energy in Nature, for there are un¬ 
toward times in which everything that seems to 
excess is but a safe sufficiency. I did not be¬ 
lieve it would answer. 
The sheep in the fields that for generations 
have had their joyful tails cut short in early 
lambhood, nevertheless do produce long-tailed 
lambs again ; and I felt quite sure that the 
Maize plant—and that wisely—would heed 
our interference at least as little.—F. D. 
Horner, KirJtby Malzeard, Papon. 
REGISTER OF NOVELTIES. 
NEW PLANTS. 
Acer INSIGNE, Boiss. et Buhse (Bot. Mag., t. 
6697 ).—“ One of the handsomest species of the genus 
in cultivation, 5 ’ and according to Van Volxem one of 
the hardiest; being a late grower it does not get 
nipped by spring frosts. It is a tree with dark 
brown branches, dark red bud scales, and palmately 
divided leaves 5—6 inches across of a beautiful pale 
green, the small green flowers forming a terminal 
panicle ; native of Persia; Kew and Dr. Masters. 
Bomarea patacocensis, Seri. (Bot. Mag., t. 
6692).—A noble Amaryllidaceous climber, growing 
to a considerable height, with purplish-brown pu¬ 
bescent stems, and sublanceolate leaves. The 
subumbellate inflorescence bears numerous splendid 
scarlet flowers which as figured have much resem¬ 
blance to those of Cantua dependens, and are 2—2£ 
inches long. It has been noticed under the name of 
B. conferta. It grows in wooded localities in the 
temperate regions of the Andes of Ecuador, at an 
elevation of 8,000 feet. Introduced by Shuttleworth, 
Carder, & Co., and flowered in October, 1882; Kew. 
Cattleya nobilior, Reich, f. (L’lllust. Eort., 
t. 485).—A remarkably fine Cattleya allied closely to 
C. Walkeriana, but separated by Echb. on account 
of its larger size and its dissimilar lip, the lateral 
lobes of which are larger enclosing the column, 
and the middle lobe of which is reniform emarginate. 
It has short oblong stems, oblong leaves, and 2—3 
flowered peduncles, bearing very large spreading 
flowers of a bright magenta rose colour, the lip 
white on the disk and throat, with the front lobe 
edged and tipped with rose. The flowers are very 
large for so dwarf a plant. Introduced from Brazil 
by the Compagnie Continentale d’Horticulture; 1st- 
class Certificate E.H.S., May 22, M. Linden; 
B.B.S., June 13, J. T. Peacock. 
Clerodendron macrosiphon, Hook. fil. (Bot. 
Mag., t. 6695).—A remarkably distinct stove shrub, 
from Zanzibar, of erect habit, with elliptic-oblan- 
ceolate deeply toothed acuminate leaves 2—3 inches 
long, and small terminal cymes of white flowers 
