AUGUST. 
161 
TACSONIA VAN-VOLXEMII. 
WITH AH ILLUSTRATION. 
Our figure of this remarkably beautiful Passion-Flower has been prepared 
from specimens obligingly furnished some time since by Mr. R. T. Pince, of 
Exeter, who thus describes his method of treatment: — 
“ Tacsonia Van Volxemii is undoubtedly one of the finest conservatory 
climbers ever introduced, second only to the justly and universally admired 
Lapageria rosea. The healthiness, vigour, and rapidity of its growth combine 
to make it highly desirable for producing immediate effect in conservatory 
decoration. The flowers, which are of a rich rosy crimson colour (fully 5 inches 
in diameter), are freely produced from the axil of each leaf, and are gracefully 
suspended on long slender footstalks a foot in length, so peculiarly slender and 
thread-like that the flowers hang, as it were, clear and detached from the 
foliage, and have the appearance of brilliantly-coloured parachutes suspended 
in the air. Our plant was put into our show-house (the temperature of which 
is only that of an average conservatory, air being freely admitted, and the ther¬ 
mometer frequently falling as low as 38° to 40° in winter), in the middle of 
April, 1865, and by the end of January it had covered the ornamental rafter 
which spans the house, had been clothed with flowers all through the summer, 
and was still adorned with them. The foliage is also remarkably good, and 
free from that coarseness which detracts much from other Tacsonias. 
“ Our plant 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 supplies of water to the roots during summer and autumn promote 
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 or the roof of the con¬ 
servatory, than if put against a wall. I have alluded to its comparative hardi¬ 
ness, in support of which, and in addition to the general lowness of the tem¬ 
perature of our show-house, I may say, in conclusion, that we had a plant of it 
growing luxuriantly on an eastern wall out of doors, during the summer and 
autumn of 1865.” 
This charming creeper is a native of New Grenada, where it is cultivated 
in gardens under the name of Courouba. It found its way into Europe a few 
years since through M. Van Volxem, a Belgian traveller, after whom it has 
been named by M. Funck ; but it has remained comparatively little known in 
this country till the beginning of the present year, when Mr. Pince invited public 
attention to its very showy character. M. Van Volxem states, that in the 
places where this plant is found, the thermometer often descends below the 
freezing point, a circumstance which quite accords with the experience of cul¬ 
tivators as to its comparative hardiness, the shelter of a greenhouse or cold 
conservatory being found sufficient for it. 
The flowers are quite remarkable for the long, slender, thread-like stalks by 
which they are susnended. 
J A M. 
CULTURE OF THE GENUS KALOSANTHES. 
This showy and beautiful tribe of plants well merits the attention which 
has of late years been bestowed on its cultivation. As a late summer decora¬ 
tive plant the Kalosanth is very useful, flowering from July to September. It 
yol. y. I 
