10 
T HE UA RDiLN 1 N G W ORLD. September 5, 1691. 
native of Buenos Ayres in South America, and our 
experience of other plants from that region is that 
they will bear a pretty low temperature ; in fact they 
prove hardy in the more favoured parts of England 
and in the Channel Islands. The flowers of the 
plant under notice are pure white, except when 
grown in the hardy plant house where it gets plenty 
of light and free ventilation, The long curved tube 
under those circumstances becomes slightly tinted 
with pink, but not to such an'extent as to detract 
from the beauty of the plant. The lamina is equally 
five-lobed with rounded, slightly crenate segments. 
The leaves are oblong or ovate-oblong, crenate at 
the margin and somewhat hoary. The rootstock is 
tuberous as in other species of the genus, and the 
stems and flower scapes together reach a height of 
2 ft. to 3 ft. One meets with the plant under other 
names, such as Gloxinia tubiflora and Dolichodeira 
tubiflora. Within the last few years the cultivation 
of the plant has been greatly extended. 
LAVANDULA MULTIFIDA. 
There are about twenty species of Lavender, some 
of which differ considerably in general appearance 
from the common species which is largely grown in 
some districts for the distillation of Lavender-water, 
as well as everywhere for garden ornamentation. 
The species under notice is of a herbaceous charac¬ 
ter, somewhat spreading in habit and about 18 in. 
high. The leaves are light green and once or twice 
deeply pinnatifid, and in this respect more resem¬ 
bling Verbena Aublietii than the Common Lavender. 
The flowers are borne in short, terminal, square 
spikes, and are of a deep blue or violet. The plant 
may be grown in the herbaceous border in well 
drained soil, or upon the rockery. Being of the 
nature of a biennial it must be raised from seeds one 
year and flowered the next. It is a native of the 
Canary Islands, from whence it was originally intro¬ 
duced in 1597. A clump of it in bloom may be seen 
in the herbaceous ground at Kew. 
- ♦ r 
HARDY FLOWERS FOR A 
LARGE CONSERVATORY. 
It is difficult sometimes to find plants of a showy nature 
to enliven the conservatory during the summer months, 
especially if the building is a large one, and many 
gardeners are contented with climbers on the roof 
and some large palms to give the interior a furnished 
aspect, dotting in flowering plants in convenient 
positions and retaining the smaller flowering subjects 
along the front. By the use-of several hardy or half 
hardy biennials and perennials a very bright effect 
can be produced at a small expenditure of labour and 
cost, as may be seen at Sion House, where Mr, 
Wythes for some time past has been introducing 
different subjects of the above-mentioned kinds, 
showing practically a return to the flowers of former 
days, and which we should like to see more exten¬ 
sively employed. 
Easily obtained flowers are often regarded as 
commonplace, but the effect that may be produced 
with them is handsome all the same. At present the 
cool ends of the conservatory are bright with Cam¬ 
panula pyramidalis in various shades of blue and 
white. The plants vary greatly in height, as a dwarf 
strain has been evolved and selected from the type. 
So dwarf and stiff are the stems in some cases that 
no staking is required ; others tower up to a height 
of 6 ft. Some would consider the dwarf sorts a 
deterioration from the type, as the flowers are some¬ 
what crowded, but they form short pyramids of 
bloom suitable for the front shelves. 
Interspersed amongst the Campanulas are strong 
plants of Hydrangea paniculata and H. hortensis, 
with large panicles of white and pink flowers respec¬ 
tively. The Cape Hyacinth (Galtonia candicans) and 
the Night Scented Tobacco (Nicotiana affinis) are 
well-known subjects hardly requiring description. 
Francoa ramosa has also seen good service for many 
weeks past, and different varieties of Campanula 
carpatica have been flowering continuously for the 
past two months. A group of the above Bellflowers 
was recently awarded a Medal when exhibited at one 
of the Drill Hall meetings of the the Royal 
Horticultural Society. Ophiopogon jaburan 
variegatum and Eurya lati folia variegata 
impart a cheerful aspect by their foliage alone. 
Large plants of Livistona chinensis and Phoenix serve 
by their shining green foliage to set off the colours of 
the flowers, and make in the aggregate a display to 
which a similar quantity of scarlet and other Pelar¬ 
goniums would be tame in a large house. 
ORCHID NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
Cymbidium Lowianum Mandaianum, 
We described this variety under the name of 
C. Mandaianum in vol. vii., p. 641, and when doing so 
had not the slightest doubt as to its affinity. The 
description was taken from a specimen received 
direct from Messrs. Pitcher & Manda, of the 
Hextable Nursery, Swanley. We observe that Mr. 
R. A. Rolfe, of the Kew Herbarium, has recently- 
renamed and described it in the Columns of a 
contemporary as C. Lowianum var. concolor, a 
proceeding against which we must offer a protest 
on the ground that by right of priority 
our name, which was sanctioned by the owners, 
should have been retained even if sunk under 
the specific name, as is customary among botanists 
in subsequent revisions of genera, species, 
or families. The uniform greenish-yellow colour 
of the flowers renders the variety very distinct 
for horticultural purposes, and as it differs in no 
other particular it may be looked upon as purely a 
garden plant, so that the commemorative name given 
it was just as correct and applicable as any other. 
For the matter of that, the variety might have been 
named C. Lowianum, Manda's var., and the original 
possessor of the plant would have received that 
distinction to which he was entitled: 
Laelia elegans blenheimensis. 
The stems of this Laelia grow about 2 ft. high and 
terminate in one or two broadly oblong, rigid and 
deep green leaves about 8 in. to 10 in. long and i\ in. 
to 3lin. wide. The sepals are oblong and pale 
purple, while the oblong-lanceolate, blunt petals are 
undulated at the sides, rosy-purple and finely netted 
with darker veins. The three lobed lip has a pale, 
almost white, tube and the oblong side lobes are 
purple with deeper veins ; the middle lobe is obovate 
—wedge-shaped, bifid, undulated at the sides, of an 
intense rich purple, and somewhat paler towards the 
margin. The column is also stained with purple. 
A specimen was exhibited at the meeting of the 
Royal Horticultural Society on the 25th ult. by 
T. Statter, Esq. (gardener, Mr. R. Johnson), Stand 
Hall, Whitefield, near Manchester, when an Award 
of Merit was accorded it. 
Zygopetalum grandiflorum. 
The pseudobulbs of this plant are tetragonal, about 
3 in. long, and crowned with two or three lanceolate 
bright green leaves 15 in. to 18 in. long. The ped¬ 
uncle bears one large and showy flower. The sepals 
and petals are spreading ; the former are lanceolate, 
accuminate, and greenish-yellow, with brown veins 
running along their whole length ; and the petals are 
similar, but more decidedly falcate. The lateral 
sepals are also curiously infolded at the contiguous 
sides in the basal half. The lip is three-lobed, 
fringed at the edge, and white with crimson lines 
running along its whole length. The crest is very 
large and prominent with deep acute teeth, and is 
creamy yellow lined with purple. The terminal lobe 
of the lip is furnished with lines of short white 
fringes along the veins. The column is large, white 
and striated with purple on the inner face on a white 
ground, and terminates in- two large wings, one on 
either side of the anther cap. A Botanical Certifi¬ 
cate was awarded it when exhibited at the Drill 
Hall on the 25th ult. by Messrs. Charlesv-orth, 
Shuttleworth & Co., Bradford, Yorks, and Clapham. 
Cattleya Behrensiana. 
The parentage of this Cattleya was Lselia elegans 
crossed with Cattleya Loddigesii. The pseudobulbs 
are club-shaped, slightly compressed, 12 in. long, 
independent of the flower scapes, and attenuated 
below. In these respects it points strongly to Laelia 
elegans, as the 1 stems of Cattleya Loddigesii are 
cylindrical. The form and structure of the flowers 
are undoubtedly those of the last named, while the 
colour, especially that of the terminal lobe of the 
lip, is that of Laelia elegans. There are two or three 
oblong-elliptic leaves terminating the stems, and 
they are of a bright green and 4 m. to 5 in. long. 
The oblong sepals are blush-coloured, the lateral 
ones being falcate as in C. Loddigesii. The petals 
are oblanceolate or somewhat cuneate, crisp at the 
edge, and pink. The tube of the lip is strongly 
curved and blush pink ; while the terminal lobe is 
roundly wedged-shaped, emarginate, undulated and 
crisped at the edge, and of an intense purple. A 
plant of this bigeneric hybrid was exhibited at the 
Drill Hall on the 25th ult. by Messrs. F. Sander & 
Co., St. Albans, and was accorded an Award of 
Merit. 
WHAT TO DO IN THE GARDEN. 
Begonias Ton Winter Flowering. — These are 
now getting numerous, including B. ascotensis, B, 
knowslyana, B. insignis, B. digsvelliana, B. fuch- 
sioides, B. semperflorens, and its grand variety B, 
s. gigantea carminata, B. odorata, and others Of 
the tuberous class B. socotrana, Winter Gem, John 
Heal and Adonis must not be overlooked, for they are 
very choice in their way. The last to flow-er of this 
type is Winter Gem. The improved and hybrid 
forms of B. Frcebelli will also receive more attention 
in the near future. Any potting that may require to 
be done should be accomplished while the light and 
heat are still good. Those who plant out any of the 
above-mentioned kinds with the intention of lifting 
them should see to it at an early date. The plants 
will then have time to become re-established before 
winter. 
Rockeries in Stoves and Ferneries.— It will 
be necessary to occasionally overhaul the plants that 
are used for the decoration of mounds and rockeries 
as well as of the back walls of stoves and ferneries, 
in order to give each kind its due share of space and 
exposure to light. This will be all the more neces¬ 
sary if they were originally planted without a due 
regard to the space they would ultimately. occupy. 
Some will have overgrown their space, and others, 
it may be of the choicer kinds, will be suffering by 
being overgrown and shaded. The removal of a few 
of the shoots, or it may be only a few of the older 
and worst leaves, may give the necessary relief. 
Ferns, Begonias of the B. rex type, Fittonias and 
similar things do not require a great amount of 
direct sunlight, but they will last in much finer 
condition through the winter provided they have 
been well exposed to diffused light with a due share 
of ventilation. 
Propagating Ferns.— If it is desired to propa¬ 
gate any particular kinds of Ferns from spores the 
matter should be seen to at once so that the prothalli 
may develop and be divided into little tufts before 
the approach of winter with its bad light causing the 
same to damp off in large numbers. Young fronds 
or plants will then appear early in spring and have 
time to make useful plants during the course 
of summer. Several of the Aspleniums such as 
A. bulbiferum, A. b. minus, A. viviparum and others 
may readily be propagated by layering the old fronds 
on the surface of seed pans with or without a pane 
of glass for a covering, and detaching or leaving 
them in connection with the mother plant. A bed 
of cocoa-nut fibre in the propagating pit would 
answer the purpose of layering the fronds admirably. 
When well rooted the young plants may be potted 
off separately. 
Gloxinias and Streptocanpus. —Anynumberof 
young plants of these may now be obtained by making 
cuttings of the leaves and inserting them whole or 
cut into suitable lengths in pots or pans of light 
sandy soil, and placing the same in the moist 
atmosphere of a stove or propagating pit. In this 
way choice and new kinds may be increased true 
to name, which seed sowing would not always 
insure. The tubers formed should be kept in the 
soil all winter to prevent their becoming shrivelled. 
Nerines and Belladonna Lilies. —Bulbs of 
this class should be potted up at once when received 
as they commence to flower a little later on. Water 
the soil immediately after potting and stand the 
plants out of doors in a sunny sheltered spot, 
covering them with some cocoa-nut fibre. If so 
desired the Belladonna Lilies may be planted along¬ 
side of a stove or other heated structure where the 
heat from the wall will contribute to their safety 
during winter. The border in which they are 
planted should be a narrow one, so that all the bulbs 
may come within the heat radius. 
Roses. —Examine the Roses which were budded 
at the proper season to see which have taken. The 
ties will have to be removed to allow the proper 
swelling of the stem, and the shoots beyond the bud 
removed to encourage the growth of the latter. 
Should mildew make its appearance, a very likely 
occurrence during the present damp weather, dust 
it with sulphur to check it from spreading, otherwise 
the stems cannot be expected to finish their growth 
and lay by sufficient reserve matter to flower well 
next year. Give supplies of manure water to all 
choice kinds. 
