330 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 21, 1888. 
GARDENING MISCELLANY. 
The Smallest Plant in the World, 
The smallest flowering plant in existence is AA olffia 
microscopia, a native of India. It belongs to the 
natural order of Lemnacete, or the Duckweed family. 
It is almost microscopic in size, destitute of proper stem, 
leaves and roots, but having these organs merged in 
one. There is, however, a prolongation of the lower 
surface into a kind of rhizoid, the purpose of which 
seems to be to enable the plant to float upright in the 
water. The fronds multiply asexually by sending out 
other fronds from a basilar slit, or concavity, and with 
such rapidity does this take place that a few days often 
suffices to produce from a few individuals enough 
similar ones to cover many square rods of pond surface 
with the minute green granules. But small as these 
plants are, and simple in their structure, they yet pro¬ 
duce flowers. Two flowers are produced on a plant, 
each of them very simple, one consisting of a single 
pistil, both of which burst through the upper surface of 
the frond. There are two species of this genus growing 
in the Eastern L T nited States, one of them, AA r olffia 
Columbiana, about 1-25 of an inch in diameter and the 
other, AY. Brasiliensis, somewhat smaller in size, The 
American species has been colle'eted near Philadelphia. 
—American Gardeners Monthly. [Our native species, 
AY. arriza, which enjoys a wide distribution, measures 
1-20 in. long by 1-40 in. wide, and appears like grains 
of sand floating on the surface of the water where it 
occurs. It propagates itself by budding from the side 
of the frond, and the progeny soon becomes perfectly 
separate from the parent. This seems to be the only 
method of propagation in this country, as the flowers— 
of which it produces two, a solitary stamen and a 
solitary pistil, pushed out from the upper surface of the 
frond —have been described from African specimens. 
The upper surface is green and firm, while the lower is 
pale, loosely cellular, and without roots. It occurs 
floating on the surface of ponds in Middlesex, Essex, 
Hants, and Surrey, but may really be more common, 
although owing to its diminutive size, it is difficult to 
detect except to the keen eye of experts. Altogether 
twelve species are known to science distributed through 
Europe, Eastern India, tropical Africa, tropical and 
temperate America.— Ed.] 
Flowers on Leaves. 
The so-called leaves of Ruscus, Semele, Xyllophylla, 
and other species of Phyllanthus, are now well known 
not be leaves at all. The case is different with Ery- 
throchiton hypophyllanthus, in which the flowers seem 
to spring from the underside of the leaves. This is 
explainable by the persistency of the peduncles to 
remain inseparate from the petiole and midrib of the 
leaf, so that the flowers appear about the middle of the 
under-side of the leaf. This may be advantageous in 
protecting the large, white, tubularly bell-shaped 
flowers from heavy rains. In the case of a Begonia 
named B. Amelite, which we noticed in the Begonia 
house at Kew, the greater number of the flower-stalks 
are axillary or terminal and quite normal, but others 
appear on the upper side of the leaf a little above the 
junction of the petiole with the blade. The most 
reasonable and probable explanation of this phenome¬ 
non is that the flower-stalk has become completely 
merged in the petiole, as there is no evidence of the 
union, nor is the petiole of unusual thickness. At the 
base of, and in the axil of the same leaf is a larger 
inflorescence of quite a normal character ; but there is 
no reason why the adventitious inflorescence on the 
leaf should not be considered as a bud or branch from 
the normal one. The Begonia itself is of hybrid origin, 
and was derived from B. Lynchii and one of the tuber¬ 
ous-rooted species. 
Two good Primulas. 
Two of the best varieties of Primula sinensis I have seen 
for some time attracted my notice at the recent Chry¬ 
santhemum Show in London, and are well worthy of a 
passing word of comment. Miss Cannell is an excellent 
variety, bearing massive trusses of an unusual size, 
2J ins. in diameter ; colour white, slightly tinged 
with pink, eye greenish yellow, form and substance 
good. Miss Eva Fish is a variety belonging to the fast 
increasing double section, and is a grand acquisition to 
that class. Flowers purple, suffused with white, of 
good size, 2 ins. in diameter, and well fringed. A 
First Class Certificate was awarded to each, and they 
were exhibited by Messrs. Cannell & Sons, of Swanley. 
—H. 
CratSBgus Azarolus. 
AYitiiottt doubt this is one of the most showy and 
attractive species of the family to which it belongs, and 
to those of your readers who at the present time are 
engaged in planting, no matter whether on a large or 
small scale, I would unhesitatingly say, do not fail to 
include this very handsome Thorn in the list of what 
are intended to form permanent objects of interest. It 
is admirably adapted for planting out as single 
specimens either for parks or on lawns. Its bright 
orange-scarlet haws, which are borne in huge clusters 
and arc of great size, render it for many weeks in the 
autumn months a very conspicuous and attractive 
object indeed, and a few well-established standard 
specimens, with their umbel-shaped heads, dotted about 
here and there, 'would add much to the scenery of any 
domain where it does not already exist.— H. J. 
Jasminuxn gracillimum. 
Amongst winter-flowering plants, the subject of this 
note must take high rank. As far as I know, the older 
the plants the better they flower ; the growth is not in 
my case so luxuriant as when younger, but certainly 
more floriferous. I have this week cut a fine spray 
of its pure white flowers, the counterpart in every 
respect of good spikes of Euphorbia jacquiniaeflora, 
excepting the colour. The panicles of flowers touch 
each other, and thus make an exceptionally pretty 
object. I have not had such a spray before, or seen one, 
as it more frequently flowers in single panicles, instead 
of making wreaths. I was going to say that I grow it 
in equal parts of peat and loam with sand added, and 
after the flowering is over, I prune it back into some¬ 
thing like shape, shortening the strongest growths to 
about one-third, and the weaker ones, if not wanted, 
I cut clean off. After the growth has just com¬ 
menced I pot them if necessary, and when sufficiently 
established they are placed in a light sunny position, 
but I am not quite certain whether they will stand the 
strongest rays, as I have no plant house but what has 
some plants that require shading. I utilise the end 
of a stove on which the sun shines until eleven a.m., 
not strongly, as when the rays are directly upon them, 
and this position suits them admirably. AA T hen my 
present largest plant first arrived, I thought to myself 
that it was another of the Jasminum Sambac type, 
that grows so freely and flowers so sparsely. It will 
readily be seen that I did not accord it a very hearty 
welcome, but I have learnt better since. Cuttings root 
easily, and if well looked after make nice little plants 
in one season, and will give a few small panicles of 
bloom from the tips of the shoots, but not to be com¬ 
pared to those of older and stronger plants. My largest 
is five years old, and has never had such large or so 
many clusters of flowers as this year ; they are still 
coming on, and will continue to do so for some time 
to come.— G. 
The Jasmine-like Solanum. 
Under no conditions does Solanum jasminoides appear 
to better advantage than when planted out in a cool 
house, or even out of doors altogether. AYhen so treated 
it attains a most rampant development, and then un¬ 
doubtedly merits the comparison to a Jasmine. The 
long slender stems ramble away at an enormous rate, 
and when thoroughly exposed to sunshine, produce 
bunches or cymes of flowers along almost the whole 
length of the growing shoots. Of course when planted 
out of doors it could not be expected to bloom in 
winter, as it is less hardy then Jasminum nudiflorum 
now flowering everywhere in the south ; but if it merely 
outlives the winter in such a situation, we have much for 
which to be thankful. Admirers have been charmed 
with it on open walls on the sunny south coast; but we 
have seen it last for years on a south wall where it was 
merely protected with a few branches, some scores of 
miles north of the Tweed; and in summer the flowering 
was most profuse. It is, however, a perpetual flowerer if 
wintered where the temperature is sufficiently high, and 
may be seen in this condition in the nurseries of Mr. B. 
S. AYilliams at Upper Holloway. 
The Double-flowered Sparmannia. 
The single-flowered form of this old-fashioned green¬ 
house plant is known in almost every collection of any 
extent. The commonest practice is to grow it in pots, 
although we occasionally see it planted out, and a large 
well-grown plant treated in this way is certainly a 
handsome object. It can also, with the greatest of 
ease, be grown to portly dimensions in pots, and never 
fails to flower when it receives a due amount of exposure 
to develop the foliage to the best extent and ripen the 
wood. The large brush-like cluster of orange and 
crimson stamens that fill up the centre of the flower 
finds many admirers ; but those who have seen the 
double form cannot but admit that it is decidedly 
superior to the ordinaiy one for cut-flower purposes. 
The doubling consists of the petaloid development of 
the stamens, and as might naturally be expected, they 
have assumed the colour of the petals. They are 
narrow, it is true ; but they completely fill up the 
flower, which appears of a pure white, with the 
exception of a few crimson stamens that sometimes 
expose themselves in the centre. The double flowers, 
further, are not liable to the same objection that 
attaches to the single ones, which close up early, 
especially in dull foggy weather, and they are more 
durable for eut-flowc-r -purposes. A goodly number of 
large specimens of both forms are flowering finely in 
Mr. B. S. AATlliams’ nurseries at Upper Holloway, and 
have been so for some time past. 
The Tessellated Tillandsia. 
There are a number of the Bromeliads that, above all 
others, might be grown in private establishments for 
their own intrinsic merits, and this is one of them. 
AYe fail to appreciate the taste that is always satisfied 
with graceful, slender, or finely cut-leaved plants for 
ordinary decorative purposes, or even for table embel¬ 
lishment. Aralias, Dracaenas, Ferns, Palms, and the 
like are all very good and useful in their way ; but the 
beauty of vegetation itself is best exhibited by the 
striking contrasts which we see everywhere amongst 
its members. The vasiform arrangement of the leaves 
of this Tillandsia constitutes a beautiful picture in 
itself, even if they were simply green ; but besides 
their artistic and regular arrangement, they are hand¬ 
somely tessellated with yellow on a green ground, 
which, being perfectly natural, and not presenting the 
sickly appearance that accompanies variegation in 
many subjects cultivated for their assumed colours, is 
both handsome and advocates a more extended culti¬ 
vation of the plant. It does not seem that this fine 
species has yet flowered in this country, although a 
magnificent specimen in Air. B. S. AYilliams’ ATctoria & 
Paradise Nurseries, at Upper Holloway, has leaves 
about 2 ft. in length. 
Horticultural Technical Education. 
The excellent article on the above subject, which 
appeared in your issue of December 31st, is worthy of 
careful and earnest attention on the part of anyone 
interested in horticulture, aud especially the rising 
generation of gardeners, whom it materially affects. 
The subject has been mentioned, as well as discussed, 
times before, but no practical turn to bring about the 
end desired has resulted from the discussions. Now 
you have once more started this important question, 
and it is to be hoped, in the interests of gardening 
generally, that the opinions of men able and qualified 
to judge, may express themselves on this matter. The 
importance and desirability of higher technical know¬ 
ledge in respect to gardening is undeniable, while the 
advantages to be derived therefrom are strikingly 
manifest. Then it cannot be denied that the op¬ 
portunities possessed by young gardeners for acquiring 
this knowledge are comparatively few, and it is only in 
or near the larger towns that facilities for obtaining 
technical instruction are offered. Thus, those who are 
situated in isolated districts who thirst after knowledge 
must perforce make themselves content with their lot, 
although debarred from the opportunity which might 
bring about the fulfilment of their aspirations. It 
must be said there are some, perhaps many, who are 
indifferent to the acquiring of knowledge other than 
that of the practical part of their profession ; and some 
again who ridicule the idea of technical teaching as 
necessary, or even advantageous in their sphere in any 
way. But it has before been remarked that its 
benefits are unquestionable; therefore, such thoughtless 
arguments fall to the ground. AYho will say that 
Latin, French, and botany are not valuable to a 
gardener, or that drawing and geometry cannot be 
made useful iu many ways ? Institutions or schools 
would bring about this end, and as they are wanting, 
it is a deficiency, and a great one in horticulture. It 
sometimes is the case that young gardeners hardly 
know how they can acquire the practical part, especially 
at the commencement of their career. It is true 
premiums are paid in gardens throughout the couutry, 
which in other trades and professions are a guarantee 
that instruction will be given ; but it does not seem 
to be the rule with gardeners who demand a premium 
to do this. Often the young man has to rely solely on 
