300 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
January 11, 1890. 
head with the mouth gaping is none the less remarkable 
after the expansion of the segments. The outer seg¬ 
ments are much the largest, and of a brilliant orange 
colour. The three inner segments are of a deep blue, 
the two lateral ones cohere by their contiguous edges, 
forming an arrow-shaped process at the tip, like the 
tongue of some animal, while the odd upper segment is 
very short and hardly conspicuous. In large pots the 
leaves and flower scapes are generally about 3 ft. high, 
as seen in the stoves of this country ; but under excep¬ 
tionally favourable conditions, they attain a height of 
5 ft. A compost of two parts loam, one of peat, and a 
quantity of sand, is all they require. 
Cocos plumosa. 
Tiie habit of the different species of Cocos varies 
immensely, and judging by the appearance of the leaves 
one would hardly suspect that there was so close a 
kinship between C. Weddeliana and that under notice. 
The latter is notable for the remarkable length its 
leaves attain, even in the hot-houses of this country, 
where they range from 6 ft. to 15 ft The pinn® or 
divisions of the leaves are most singularly arranged in 
clusters, and appear as if there were really several series 
of them, owing to their mode of diverging in different 
directions, so as to occupy all available space. They 
also give the leaf a plumy appearance, owing to their 
length and slender character. The tree may be grown 
for a number of years in pots, while the leaves rush up 
to the roof of the house in which they are grown, so as 
to appear out of all proportion to the size of the pot in 
which they are placed. The stem after a number of 
years begins to develop, but does so much sooner if 
planted out. This, however, can only be done in very 
large stoves or conservatories, and even then it soon 
over-grows the space. 
Nepenthes Burkei. 
Tiie brilliant colouring of some species is absent from 
this recent introduction, but it is neither devoid of 
interest nor beauty. It is nearly cylindrical, strongly 
constricted in the middle, and of a light green, 
variously blotched with crimson on the upper half; 
and what is very singular, the wings are entirely absent, 
at least, in the present development of the plant, in 
the nursery of Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, who 
introduced it. If the plant be allowed to attain any 
height, it may bear pitchers that are somewhat different 
in form and character, for this is well known to happen 
in many kinds after a time. The position where the 
wings ought to be is indicated by two faint lines at least 
near the top. The annulus or rim is nairow, with 
transverse crimson ridges and yellow in the furrows, 
and is more or less undulated, especially towards the 
top. The whole pitcher measures about 6 ins. or 8 ins. 
long, but may yet improve in this respect. The leaves 
are linear, and very much narrower than in most other 
species. 
Anthurium Scherzerianum Roths- 
childiamim. 
This singular variety was raised by crossing some of 
the scarlet forms with A. S. Williamsii, otherwise 
known as A. S. album. The hybridity of the offspring 
is apparent in the curious mixture of colours—white 
and scarlet. The two do not blend exactly, but mix 
in alternate though small and densely arranged patches, 
giving the appearance of crushed Strawberry. A batch 
of seedlings from such a cross is not, however, constant, 
but exhibits many variations, the colours being more 
or less separated in many cases. The effect of bad 
light and a smoky atmosphere is very apparent 
during the winter months—especially in the vicinity of 
large towms—upon the white variety, which then assumes 
more or less of a sulphur-yellow hue, as is exhibited by 
many other plants under the same conditions. The 
hues come out, however, in a well-defined state during 
the brighter weather of the summer months. 
Dracaena indivisa Doucetti. 
The plants grown in gardens under the name of 
Dracaena indivisa vary immensely in the width of the 
leaves. That under notice is a narrow-leaved one. The 
leaves on small plants assume mostly an erect habit, 
but as the stem lengthens, the leaves spread or droop 
in all directions, as is generally the case with this 
species. The distinctive features of the variety consist 
of a more or less well-defined white margin to the 
leaves, and in proportion as the variegation is distinct 
so the value of the variety increases. Like the others, 
it will no doubt thrive in a cool greenhouse, but it 
frequently happens that a white variegation comes out 
better in a high than in a low temperature. 
ORCHID NOT ES AND GLEANINGS. 
Cypripedium Niobe. 
One of the neatest and prettiest of recent hybrids is 
that here named. It was raised from C. Spicerianum, 
crossed with pollen from C. Fairieanum, and bears some 
resemblance to its cousin, 0. vexillarium, so to speak, 
which was raised from C. barbatum, fertilised with the 
pollen of C. Fairieanum. The flower of C. Hiobe only 
rises about 4 ins. or 5 ins. above the surface of the pot, 
and is of good size relatively to the bulk of the plant, 
and singularly beautiful. The upper sepal is white, 
suffused with purple and greenish yellow at the base. 
The lip is yellow and heavily suffused with brown. 
The petals show the influence of both parents, for while 
they are strongly deflexed like those of C. Fairieanum, 
they take the width and the strongly undulated upper 
margin of C. Spicerianum. They are yellow along the 
centre, with brown veins and margins ; and altogether 
the plant is a very valuable acquisition amongst Orchids. 
It has recently been certificated, and notwithstanding 
the fog is still in fine condition in the nursery of Messrs. 
J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. 
Oncidium Cavendishianum. 
The value of this species is greatly enhanced by its 
flowering at a time when flowers are scarcely plentiful 
enough to meet the demands during the dull season. 
Irrespectively of the flowers, the foliage is very 
singular, reminding one of that of 0. luridum, 0. 
carthaginense, and a few more, where the leaves are 
oblong, rigid, and of great substance, forming the 
store house for reserve material, the pseudo-bulbs being 
absent. The flower scape attains a length of 18 ins. or 
2 ft. on well-grown plants, and branches bearing a 
large number of flowers of good size and substance. 
The sepals and petals are yellow blotched with brown, 
while the lip is yellow and deeply three-lobed. It is 
not so difficult to grow as several of the kinds with 
similar leaves, but coming as it does from Guatemala it 
requires plenty of heat and moisture during the 
growing season. The name 0. pachyphyllum (meaning 
thick-leaved) sometimes applied to it is very appropriate, 
but unfortunately it is not the oldest one. 
Epidendrum Cdoperianum callo-roseum. 
Although introduced from Brazil in 1867, this species, 
like many others of the Epidendrums, is far from 
common in the hothouses in this country. It is a 
strong-growing plant about 3 ft. high, bearing terminal 
drooping racemes of flowers. The sepals and petals are 
striated with dull brownish purple on a paler or 
yellowish ground ; the lip being of a deep rose and by 
far the largest organ of the flower, is the most con¬ 
spicuous. The variety differs from the type chiefly 
in the darker colour of the lip. 
Dendrobium endocharis. 
The delicious odour of this hybrid will commend it to 
the favour of those even who are not specially interested 
in Orchids. It takes this character from both its 
parents—namely, D. japonicum and D. aureum, the 
latter being the pollen parent, and in examining the 
hybrid it will be seen to have been greatly influenced 
by the latter. The relative vigour of the stems, and 
the brownish purple, hairy, or pubescent blotch on the 
base of the lip point to this. The flowers are inter¬ 
mediate in size, and milk-white, with the exception of the 
blotch just mentioned. The plant is more amenable to 
cultivation than D. japonicum, which is liable to 
dwindle in the hands of many growers. 
Twin-flowered Cypripedium insigne. 
We are again reminded of the high state of cultivation 
now accorded to this useful old-fashioned plant by the 
receipt of flowers from Mr. Peter Whitton, The Gardens, 
Methven Castle, Perth, who manages to produce twin- 
flowered scapes. In many establishments possessing 
this Cypripedium the custom was very common to grow 
the plant in a vinery or greenhouse, giving it no special 
attention. Under this treatment it flowered more or 
less every year, but the blooms were so small and 
badly coloured as to give no conception of what it is 
capable of doing, as we see at the present day. 
Restrepia pandurata. 
The lateral sepals alone make the species of this genus 
worthy of cultivation, because with that exception all 
the other parts of the flower are quite insignificant. 
The way in which the petals and the upper sepal are 
drawn out into slender tails tipped with a club or knob 
gives the flowers a curious and interesting appearance, 
inasmuch as they resemble the antennse of a butterfly. 
Reference is made to this peculiarity in the species 
named R. antennifera. The tailed processes also remind 
us of the Masdevallias, to which they are closely 
allied ; but in that case the sepals only are tailed in 
some of the species. The lateral sepals of Restrepia, 
like those of Masdevallia, are connate, and being by 
far the largest part of the flower, constitute its real 
ornament. R. pandurata takes its name from the lip, 
which is fiddle-shaped, and like the lateral sepals, it is 
white spotted with crimson-purple. The spots are 
arranged in lines, and when examined very closely, 
constitute a picture of floral beauty seldom surpassed. 
The species is a native of Flew Grenada, but unfortu¬ 
nately is very rare at present in cultivation. 
---»SS«-- 
The Gar deners’ Calendar. 
THE STOVE. 
Propagation. —Preparations should now be made in 
order to secure a stock of cuttings for next year’s work. 
A sufficient number of plants from which the flowers 
have been cut should be headed down and placed in the 
stove or propagating pit to start them into fresh growth. 
They may be plunged in coco-nut fibre or other material 
used for the purpose, and kept on the dry side until 
fresh growth commences. They should be as well 
exposed to light as possible, to give the young shoots 
firmness, when they will strike better, and make sturdy 
young plants in a much shorter time than weak ones. 
This applies to Libonia penrhosiensis, L. floribunda, 
Sericobonia Ghiesbreghtii, Bouvardias, Begonias of the 
B. Weltoniensis, B. insignis, and B. Knowsleyana 
type, Centropogon Lucyanus, and others. 
Temperature. —The sharp frosts with which we have 
been visited recently have necessitated greater attention 
to firing than has been the case for some time past. 
Care, however, will have to be exercised to prevent the 
plants which should now be resting from starting into 
fresh growth. On severe nights the temperature may 
be allowed to drop two or three degrees with impunity— 
say, from 60° to 58° or 57° during the night. By so 
doing, the atmosphere will be less arid than when hard 
firing is resorted to for the sake of keeping up the 
temperature to the usual standard. A little extra 
damping down will be necessary than was the case in 
mild weather, and a little water in the evaporating 
pans will keep up the supply during the night. 
THE GREENHOUSE. 
Cinerarias —Very little fire-heat must be given this 
class of plants, but frost must absolutely be kept out of 
the house, or the large, tender, and easily-damaged 
foliage will soon suffer. If stood on a bottom of coal- 
ashes kept moderately moist, comparatively little 
water will be required, but at the same time they must 
not be neglected, as if allowed to become dry all parts 
of the plant suffer, and the bloom is comparatively 
worthless. Should mildew appear on the under surface 
of the leaves, dust with flour of sulphur at once to 
prevent it spreading. 
Hard-Wooded Plants.— Such things as Ericas, 
Epacris, Camellias, and kindred subjects should be 
kept as cool as possible during frosty weather. There 
need be no uneasiness on the part of the gardener if the 
glass of the house in which they are kept should be 
covered with hoar frost, provided the glass inside 
registers from 38° to 40°. If suddenly excited, Camellias 
are liable to drop their buds, and Heaths start into 
growth at a season which is not only unfavourable to 
growth, but those which have not bloomed will be very 
poor later on. Should mildew appear on the Heaths, 
airest it at once by dusting with sulphur, and if difficult 
to get at, the centre may be reached by syringing with 
water mixed with sulphur. 
THE FORCING HOUSES. 
The Vineries. —The disbudding and tying of early 
Vines will have to be attended to, otherwise serious 
harm will soon result from the tips of the shoots 
coming in contact with the glass. Hard firing in 
severe weather must be avoided as much as possible, 
not merely on account of its rendering the atmosphere 
dry, but the light for some time past has been ex¬ 
tremely unfavourable for the development of good 
sturdy growth, and in the metropolitan area dense 
smoky fogs prevailed on several days. Avoid all cold 
draughts, because the keen air tells upon tender foliage 
in a very short time. Artificial fertilisation will greatly 
assist the setting of the flowers, especially during a 
dull time. This should be done between the hours of 
ten in the morning and one in the afternoon. Late 
Grapes if thoroughly ripened should now be in the 
fruit room. 
