Il8 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 21, 1898. 
AROIDS AND ORONTIADS. 
The natural order of Aroideae or Aroids, including 
the Orontiads, contains several genera from which 
our plant collections receive continually species of 
exquisite forms of leaves and flowers of brilliant 
colours. These treasures of the vegetable kingdom 
are mostly inhabitants of tropical countries, only a 
few species being abundant in temperate zones, 
where they equally enhance the character of the 
landscape. 
But in the tropical forest, the Eden of all vegeta¬ 
tion, some species of Philodendron develop as 
climbing plants—Lianas—real gigantic dimensions. 
Do we not admire, even in our conservatories, the 
large specimens of Philodendron pertusum, with 
their immense perforated leaves, especially when in 
bloom and fruit ? The more we will be astonished 
if we look up to the various kinds of Philodendrons 
in their native forests of Brazil and Guiana. There 
they cover the gigantic trees from bottom to top 
with their long stems, large foliage, and masses of 
air roots ; they build hanging bridges with their 
wide-reaching and spreading branches and rope-like 
roots from tree to tree, which offer to the wandering 
monkeys and other animals natural and convenient 
passages through the wide forest. All those 
creatures fear to penetrate the undergrowth or to 
touch the moist humid soil below. 
Some other kinds of the extended genus Anthu- 
rium plants—without ascending stems, live as 
epiphytes on stems and branches of big trees, and 
form in clusters with Ferns, Orchids, Amaryllis, and 
Rhipsalis, aerial garden beds of extreme beauty. 
Tall and robust species of Dieffenbachia, with their 
dense growing stems form palisade-like the borders 
of the Amazon River and tributaries, and on the 
Apure River, in similar localities, the tree-like Alo- 
casia arborea, with its tall stems and thick large 
leaves, gives, with the surrounding Palms and Bam¬ 
boos, unrivalled landscape effects. The majestic 
habit of this tall Alocasia can be compared with 
Cecropia peltata et palmatsr, Strelitzia augusta, 
Urania Amazonica, and Ravenalia Madagasca- 
riensis (the Traveller’s Tree); Alocasia indica, the 
genuine Tarrow, and the ornamental varieties ; Alo¬ 
casia macrorhiza and O. m. foliis variegatis, grow 
in East India, Malacca, and the Moluccean Island, 
and develop on dwarf stems their gigantic leaves. 
In the extensive Llanos of Venezuela abide the 
beautiful coloured Caladiums, such as C. poecile, C. 
pictum, C. argyrites, C. hastatum, C. bicolor, C. 
discolor, and others, the original species from which, 
by hybridisation, a great many varieties of fancy 
Caladiums are produced. They grow in masses 
together and contribute to create an agreeable 
change from the monotonous meadows by adorning 
with their beautiful coloured leaves all low places, 
the borders of lagoons, swamps, and rivulets. 
Wonderful are the aspects of the tarrow fields, of 
Colocasia antiquorom on the River Nile, the tarrow 
fields in Venezuela of Colocasia euchlora, C. cara- 
casana, or of other species such as C. Javanica, C. 
mafaffa, Xanthosoma belophyllun, X. sagittifolium, 
and X. pilosum in Ceylon, Malacca, and Sunda 
archipelagos, where they are cultivated in great 
quantities for their edible stems and rhizomes. 
.Several kinds of Aroids are noted for their extra 
large flower spathes of peculiar colour and smell, yet 
some kinds are distinguished for the brilliancy of 
scarlet and white spathes which last for a long time. 
We note especially Anthurium Scherzerianum, A. 
Scherz—maximum for their brilliant vermilion- 
scarlet spathes ; Anthurium candidum, with showy 
white spathes ; and some hybrids, which produce 
the red and white colour on one plant. 
The individual flowers of the Aroids are placed on 
a separated spadix, surrounded by the spatha, which 
is often of a very large size and of a peculiar brown 
or black colour. The largest spathes produce the 
Arums, Arisaemas, Colocasias, Xanthosomas, and 
Amorphophallus, and the flowers of these kinds 
exhale at the time when opening the spathe a fetid, 
putrid smell. But the greater number of Aroids 
produce inodorous flowers and still the flowers of 
some species are exceedingly fragrant and pleasant, 
such as Alocasia odorata (Calad. odoratissimum 
hort.), Monstera deliciosa, Alocasia arborea. Philo¬ 
dendron fragrantissimum, Schott., and other species. 
Several peculiar phenomena are observed in 
Aroids. The increasing of temperature in the 
flowers during the time the spathe is developing 
and the flowers are mature for accepting the pollen, 
the dropping of water from the apex of the leaves by 
Richardias, Xanthosomas, and Colocasias ; the pro¬ 
duction of tubers on the leaves, etc., of Amorpho¬ 
phallus, or on a separated spike, grown up from the 
tuber on Remusatia vivipara Schott. (Calad. hort.) ; 
the remarkable growth of secondary leaves, appen¬ 
dices and leaflets from the upper surface of the large 
leaves of Xanthosoma pilosum, C. Koch (Colocasia 
appendicalata hort.) 
Regarding the geographical distribution we find 
that all species of Pothos belong to Asia and Poly¬ 
nesia, and Anthuriums are indigenous to tropical 
America. In Africa these two classes are represented 
by only two species, as the very conspicuous and 
climbing Colocasia scandens from the Benue River, 
etc. In Central America, and chiefly in Ecuador, 
Peru, Colombia, Guiana, and Brazil, the Philoden¬ 
drons are the most gigantic climbing plants, 
“ Lianas.” All Dieffenbachias, Spahphyllums, Homa- 
lonemas, and Curmerias, Syngoniums and several 
species of Caladiums and Xanthosomas are American 
plants ; all Richardias, several Amorphophallus ; all 
Nephthytis, Xanthosoma violacea, Auchomanes, and 
several Colocasias are indigenous to Africa, while 
Alocasia indica, A. macrorhiza, A. culcullata, the 
Phyllotaeniums, Pinella tubifera, several Amorpho¬ 
phallus, Remusatia vivipara, the Aglaonemas, Schis- 
matoglottis, Scindapsus, Labisia pothoinea, Alocasia 
Sanderiana, A. princeps, A. Lindeni, A. Luciani, A. 
A. Villeneuvii, A. Lowii, A. pucciana, and all other 
forms like Sanderiana, which are grouped under 
Schistocosasia are distributed from Benga', Ceylon 
to Malacca, Sunda, Papua, and Philippine Islands. 
Though H. Schott, late director of the Imperial 
Botanical Garden at Schonbrunn, near Vienna, in his 
Pvodyomus avoid ; C. Koch, late professor of Botany 
in Berlin, and other eminent botanists, have clearly 
defined the distinction of generas and species, 
nevertheless several kinds, of recent introduction, re¬ 
quire a better or more correct determination in 
order to prevent confusion, and to avoid synonyms. 
The patria of several new species is still unknown, 
and it seems that importing firms conceal the coun¬ 
try and locality where the new plants come from, in 
order to prevent the concurrence of other collectors, 
but to the disadvantage of gardeners in finding a 
guide for the proper cultivation.— R. Deckmev, in 
Florists' Exchange. 
-- 
GARDENING glSCELLANY. 
HYDRANGEAS. 
Hydrangea hortensis varies considerably in colour, 
sometimes being almost white, at others a soft rosy- 
pink, and yet again changing to deep blue in some 
soils. The blue form is exceedingly pretty, and not 
often met with; but still more seldom do we meet 
with the two colours upon one bush at the same 
time. A few weeks ago I saw a grand plant in front 
of a cottage in the Weald of Sussex that was carrying 
a full crop of bloom; one half of the plant was deep 
rosy-pink, the remainder was one of the purest blues 
I have seen in this flower. Hydrangeas are very 
changeable in respect to colour, many different 
shades being produced upon the same variety when 
growing in various soils, but I have never before met 
with such a contrast as in the present case. The 
blue colour in this floweris precarious and uncertain. 
It may be seen on a plant one season and almost 
entirely disappear the next. If soil is the chief 
factor in its production why should it not be more 
constant ? I have propagated from a blue plant 
and used the soil it was growing in, but the result 
was flowers of the normal colour. Some growers 
profess to secure the blue shade by watering with 
certain concoctions, or including certain minerals in 
the soil. If this be a fact, why do we not more 
frequently see this popular plant carrying its blue 
panicles of blossoms ?— Experience. 
LINARIA PURPUREA. 
A British plant and of good habit, Linaria pur¬ 
purea should find many admirers considering its 
floriferous character. Even after a summer of 
uuprecedented drought it is still flowering away 
beautifully as if the circumstances had been the 
most favourable. The purple flowers are moderate 
in size it is true, but they are produced in long 
racemes that keep on elongating and opening flowers 
for many months together. A large number of 
them are open at one time, making a showy bush. 
Like several other allied plants, this one delights in 
dry places and makes a beautiful display even when 
growing in the crevices of old walls where the soil is 
very scanty, or in fact limited to the mortar with 
which the stones were originally cemented together. 
South Europe is really its native country, but it has 
got naturalised in several parts of England, where it 
no doubt finds the conditions suitable. When once 
established in the crevices of old walls, it continues 
to improve annually as it gets established, for it is a 
perennial and quite hardy. 
THE LATE MR. F. L. AMES. 
Mr. Falconer, editor of American Gardening, thus 
writes of this American patron of Horticulture :— 
Mr. Ames had gardening in his heart. He loved 
plants and flowers and trees, and beauty in nature, 
and shared them with the people, for his grounds and 
greenhouses were freely open to the public. He had 
an immense greenhouse establishment, where all 
manner of the choicest decorative tropical plants are 
grown, and his collection of Orchids is the most 
select in the world. In his delightful home and 
beautiful garden he found rest and recreation ; he 
was devotedly fond of his plants and knew and 
esteemed them individually. Within the last twenty 
years he accumulated this vast collection of plants, 
paying over a quarter of a million of dollars for them. 
The influence of this beautiful garden in the village 
is potent on every side. The railway station of this 
manufacturing town is surrounded by a little gardened 
park : the town itself has been decorated by our fore¬ 
most landscape architect; the other wealthy residents 
of the place, stirred to emulation, have fine gardens 
and spacious greenhouses; and the yard of most every 
villager is aglow with flowers and the print of neatr 
ness and loving care. What shall now become of 
Mr. Ames’ grand collection of plants ? We have no 
solicitude on this point, for his widow, one of the 
most estimable and refined of ladies, shared with 
her noble husband his love for plants and flowers 
and a gardened home, and their children’s tastes are 
in the same direction. Nineteen years ago we worked 
for Mr. Ames, and we entertain the fondest affection 
for his family, and the happiest memory of the kind 
and homely people of that New England town. Nor 
was Mr. Ames’ generosity confined to his own gar¬ 
den, for in after years when we were superintendent 
of the Botanical Gardens of Harvard University, he 
gave thousands of dollars towards the support of 
that institution, and since then his hand had con¬ 
tinued its liberality towards that garden and the 
Arnold Arboretum. 
JOHNSON’S GARDENER’S DICTIONARY. 
The re-issue of this useful work makes rapid pro¬ 
gress, yet notwithstanding, it is being brought up to 
date with more care and correctness than the first 
number. It has now reached the seventh part and 
takes the genera in alphabetical sequence down to 
“ Sesbania,” so that «e should expect the publisher to 
limit the book to eight parts as originally promised. 
We are surprised, however, to note such a variety of 
opinion as to the names of plants in the books 
recently issued from Kew, whether officially or 
otherwise. It would be a matter of the greatest 
importance if the names of plants could be reduced 
to uniformity ; but that is a matter which we shall 
probably long for in vain. The fault of botany 
probably is that it is not one of the exact sciences. 
Plants are liable to variation in order that they may 
accommodate themselves to their surroundings. 
Then botanists differ as to their affinities, distinct¬ 
ness, and consequently nomenclature. In the 
dictionary under notice we observe that Aster 
dracunculoides is considered a variety of A. acris, 
while A. dahuricus is retained. Now A. dahuricus 
is less distinct from A. acris than is A. dracuncu¬ 
loides. They are all closely allied forms certainly, 
but if A. dahuricus is to be retained as distinct so 
the other ought to be. Then under A. Amellus we 
have A. A. augustifolius. Surely this is a mistake, 
and should come under A. acris. It was introduced 
in 1596. The figure of A. Amellus given in Dodoen’s 
“ New Herbal,” dated 1578, gives a figure of what 
is evidently the ordinary form pure and simple. 
Notwithstanding these differences of opinion the 
dictionary will be a useful book of reference. The 
publishers are George Bell & Sons, York Street, 
Covent Garden. 
