April 30, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
549 
they do not entirely abandon their scheme for a Chry¬ 
santhemum show and conference. The latter course, to 
my mind, would be much the best.— William Holmes, 
Honorary Secretary of the national Chrysanthemum 
Society, Frampton Park Nurseries, Hackney. 
-- 
NEW PLANTS CERTIFICATED 
By the Floral Committee of the R. H. S. 
Api'il 26th, 1887. 
Odoxtoglossum vexillarium leucoglossum. 
The labellum of Orchids generally is the last to part 
with acquired colours, and in numerous instances is very 
highly coloured. We have a striking example to the 
contrary, however, in the present instance, where the 
sepals and petals are pale rose, and the labellum white 
with the exception of a small pale yellow blotch, and 
three short purple lines at the base. The flowering 
specimen shown was in a fine healthy condition. 
Exhibited by F. G. Tautz, Esq., Studley House, 
Hammersmith. 
Odontoglossum Cambridgeanum. 
The sepals and petals of this form are a deep shining 
chocolate colour, with a few transverse yellow bars and 
a yellow tip ; the labellum is much broader and obovate, 
fimbriated at the margin with a striking much-fingered 
crest ; its upper half is pale yellow, becoming white, 
while the lower part is brown. The whole flower 
measures about 4 ins. in diameter and has a fine bold 
appearance. Foliage, pseudo-bulbs and flowers show it 
to belong to the 0. luteo-purpureum type. Exhibited 
by R. J. Measures, Esq , Cambridge Lodge, Camberwell. 
Amaryllis Ambient. 
The flowers of this fine form are of a vivid scarlet with 
almost pure white mid-ribs to the segments in the 
tube of the perianth. They measure about 7 ins. in 
diameter and show a regular outline, and with the 
exception of the stamens, style, and the lower one of 
the three inner segments, approach pretty closely the 
florist’s idea of a perfect flower. The scape bears 
the usual number of flowers—namely, four—common 
to hybrid Amaryllis of the A. Leopoldi section. 
Exhibited by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. 
Trillium sessile californicum. 
The typical form of this species has dark purple 
flowers, while in the form under notice the three inner 
segments generally looked upon as petals are white, 
with the exception of a small purple blotch at the base. 
The outer segments are green, and the whole flower rests 
on a back ground of three dark green leaves, variously 
blotched with purple like the common Arum macu- 
latum. It is a fleshy or tuberous-rooted plant for the 
shady part of the garden. Exhibited by the Hew Plant 
& Bulb Co., Colchester. 
Harcissus Johnstoni. 
"While belonging to the Ajax section of the Daffodils, 
this new form forcibly reminds one of N. Macleayi or 
N. muticus, but is self-coloured, or almost so, and of a 
fine yellow. It is at the same time a much larger 
flower, with a cylindrical corona somewhat plaited 
longitudinally and crenated at the margin, scarcely 
lobed ; this part, moreover, about equals the perianth 
segments in length, and does not expand at the mouth. 
This is its first season of flowering in this country. 
Exhibited by Messrs. Barr & Son, King Street, 
Covent Garden. 
Cyclamen Persicum, Princess of "Wales. 
Although this is not the first time that a crested 
petalled form has been seen (having been exhibited two 
years ago by the same grower), it certainly must be 
considered as a striking novelty. The corolla is pure 
white, with a strong lacerated crest running down the 
centre of each segment, and this year it has appeared 
in much stronger form than ever, and is reproduced in 
seedlings. There is an evident correlation between the 
petals and the true leaves, as many of the latter exhibit 
a decided crest likewise. Exhibited by Mr. It. Clarke, 
Twickenham. 
Primrose, Mrs. "Wilson. 
The intense violet-purple flowers of this variety 
certainly constitutes it very meritorious amongst hardy 
Primroses. It is undoubtedly a form of Primula 
vulgaris, but of that strain popularly known as 
P. altaica, of Lindley and of gardens, though not the 
true species of that name, which is altogether a different 
plant. It has a small yellow eye, with a crimson spot 
at the base of each segment, and is altogether one of 
the best hardy Primroses we possess. Exhibited by 
G. F. Wilson, Esq., Heatherbank, "Weybridge. 
Primula obtu.sifolia Gammieana. 
For the description of this, see p. 533. Exhibited 
by Mr. J. Douglas, Great Gearies, Ilford. 
-- 
CISSUS DISCOLOR. 
The name here given will, doubtless, long be re¬ 
tained in gardens, although the genus as well as the 
Ampelopsis is now merged in Yitis. Another plant, 
provisionally named C. porphyrophylla, and which 
has not yet flowered in this country, will, probably, 
prove to be a species of Piper. The species under 
notice, however, is more universally grown, and by far 
ClSSUS DISCOLOR. 
the finer plant for general decorative purposes. When 
fairly well furnished with young leaves, it presents a 
handsome appearance, whether grown in the manner 
indicated in our illustration, or trained to the pillars 
or rafters of a conservatory, or as a screen for covering 
bare walls or other undesirable objects, or as a basket 
plant. The oblong heart-shaped leaves in the younger 
stages of their growth are of a beautiful velvety-green, 
variously marked or marbled with silvery grey, red, 
purple and bronze. These colours become less brilliant 
in old leaves, although they never entirely fade, while 
the under surface seems to retain its reddish purple 
colour almost to the last. 
At present the plant is in excellent condition at 
Gunnersbury Park, Acton, where Mr. Roberts trains 
it over wires against a glass partition, separating the 
stove from the East Indian Orchid house. When 
planted out, as in this case, it may be calculated upon 
to cover a considerable space very profitably ; and acts 
not only as a screen, but has a brilliant and rich effect. 
In the absence of other accommodation, anyone may 
grow it in a pot and train it to a few neat stakes or to 
some sort of framework. Being naturally a climber, 
by means of tendrils, in the same manner as the Vine, 
it readily clings to any support, such as cord, wire or 
chain, and mounts upward or along the roof with 
surprising rapidity, when the temperature is sufficiently 
high and moisture abundant. 
Those who have never grown it as a basket plant 
would be surprised at its aptitude and beauty for such 
a purpose. Not only will the long slender shoots 
mount up the supporting wires of the basket, but, 
what is more remarkable, they grow with almost equal 
vigour downward ; so that in a few weeks the basket is 
furnished with a magnificent spray-like mass of long 
pendent shoots, well furnished with handsomely- 
coloured leaves, frequently showing the colouration on 
both surfaces. __ 
EARLY RHUBARB. 
Notwithstanding the lateness of the season, this 
useful garden product is both plentiful and good. It is 
neither considered a vegetable in the popular and 
accepted term of the word, nor is it a fruit, although 
in universal use for the purpose of making tarts, pies, 
and for preserving as a substitute for fruit. In which¬ 
ever of these ways it is cooked or preserved, the result 
is a very wholesome article of human food, and one 
that might be used far more extensively with great 
advantage. For the latter purpose, the use of kinds 
with highly coloured petioles results in a richly coloured 
preserve, although by the process employed in cooking, 
and the amount of sugar used, any kind, almost, can 
be made to acquire a more or less decided tint of colour. 
The early kinds have naturally more highly-coloured 
petioles than the later usually stronger - growing 
varieties, which belong to a different species. We 
recently had the pleasure of examining a large number 
of sorts in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural 
Society, Chiswick, and which had been collected 
together a few years ago for the purpose of trial and 
comparison. It would be unnecessary and profitless 
to describe all that are grown there, seeing that several 
of the varieties grown under different names may he 
synonymous, or so much alike that their possession by 
the general cultivator would be not only undesirable, 
but without an object. It is our intention to deal only 
with the earliest varieties at present, and of these some 
of the best, so that intending planters may be guided in 
their selection. There is no attempt to place the fol¬ 
lowing in order of merit, as the experience of different 
cultivators might vary according to the nature of the 
soil in their locality, the exposure, and their appreciation 
of different qualities and tints of colour of the petioles 
themselves, either externally or internally. All kinds, 
moreover, are amenable to forcing, but some respond 
more readily to the influence of heat than others, and 
would be prized accordingly for that purpose. 
Hawke’s Champagne is a very early kind with a small 
distinct-looking leaf, with the principal nerves pale 
green or white. This is the more remarkable, seeing 
that the slender rather erect petioles are of a deep 
crimson externally, and deeply tinted with red to the 
centre ; not only so, but it preserves this colour when 
cooked, so that its earliness and richness of colour 
recommend it strongly. Judging from the state of the 
plants, Dancers’ Early Red is somewhat more backward 
in growth, but still sufficiently advanced to be reckoned 
amongst the early varieties ; it is so abundantly 
distinct in appearance from all the other kinds as to be 
readily recognisable at a glance. The petioles are 
moderately stout and deep crimson ; but outwardly the 
pale green colour of the leaves, which are covered with 
short white hairs and have distinctly red veins, all 
afford characters by which this valuable sort may be 
distinguished ; the petioles are, furthermore, red to the 
centre, and preserve this colour when cooked, like the 
previously-mentioned variety. The whole plant is, 
likewise, more robust, and has been recommended as a 
good early for market-garden purposes. Beck’s Early 
Red is synonymous with the last, or at least indis¬ 
tinguishable from it in the present state of growth. 
Johnstone’s St. Martin has been recognised for many 
years as a valuable, highly-coloured, and very early 
variety, not much, if at all, inferior to Hawke’s Cham¬ 
pagne for cooking purposes. According to our ex¬ 
perience it is also a somewhat stronger-growing variety, 
although the matter of soil and position may be 
accountable for this in some respects. It retains a fine 
red colour, either when forced or blanched, with Sea- 
kale pots or boxes. A very early sort named Linnseus 
is probably Myatt’s Linmeus, and has moderately stout 
