376 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
February 9, 1895. 
ASPLENIUM ADIANTUM- 
NIGRUM GREENII, Nov. vav. 
This variety may be described as intermediate be¬ 
tween the type and A. Adiantum-nigrum acutum. 
The fronds are tufted with a stipes about 5 in. to 7 in. 
long; the frond itself or lamina is lanceolate, 
acuminate, or more or less distinctly caudate, bi-tri- 
pinnate, 6 iu. to g in. long, and 4 in. to 6 in. wide at 
the base. The lower pair of pinnae are not very 
much larger than those next above them, and vary 
from lanceolate to triangular, according to the size 
and development of the frond, and are caudate. The 
pinnules vary similarly. The ultimate segments are 
oblanceolate-spathulate, narrow, and all furnished 
with moderately long, acute teeth above the middle 
or towards the apex; the larger ones are more or less 
deeply incised about the middle. The sori are 
crowded along either side of the mid-rib of the 
pinnules and the apex of the pinnae. 
It is named in compliment to Mr. C. B. Green, of 
Acton, who is much devoted to British Ferns, and 
who obtained it from a locality near Loch Broome in 
the West of Ross. A. Adiantum-nigrum acutum differs 
in having more decidedly triangular fronds, brought 
about by their being shortened and widened by the 
great development of the basal pair of pinnae. The 
apices of these pinnae are attenuate, and the seg¬ 
ments narrowly rhomboid with long, acute teeth. 
As far as Britain is concerned, this form seems to 
have been found only in a few Irish counties and in 
Jersey. It is more plentiful in North Europe, and 
also in the Canaries, Azores, and Madeira. The 
variety under notice occurring in the far north of the 
island, would seem to indicate a similar origin and 
possibly the same habitat as A. A.-n. acutum in 
North Europe, that is, the variety A. A.-n. Greenii 
would be a connecting link between the extreme 
form on the Continent and the type occurring in the 
north of Scotland. The slender and pointed 
character of all parts of the frond and the sharp 
teeth of the segments contrast strongly with the 
more rigid and blunt pointed fronds of the type. 
The two are, therefore, abundantly distinct for 
garden purposes, and those amateurs who love and 
appreciate British Ferns must appreciate this new 
variety. 
--- 
NEW VARIETIES OF CHINESE 
PRIMULAS. 
As intimated in our last issue, we here revert to the 
grand display of Chinese Primulas to be seen with 
Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Reading, in order to mention 
the new varieties which have been added to older 
and highly appreciated kinds. The improvements 
consist of new colours which have been acquired in 
the different sections by untiring labour and per¬ 
severance. That they have been considered fit to 
take their places alongside of the existing standards 
of perfection says much for their individual merits. 
Two varieties have been added to the fern-leaved 
section namely Giant White, and Giant Rosy Queen. 
The former is very robust in habit and an excellent 
companion for the plain-leaved form. The flowers 
are large, of great substance and pure white or 
slightly tinted blush with age, and beautifully 
undulated. Giant Rosy Queen is to be sent out next 
year, but those who may see it now cannot fail to be 
charmed with the huge size of the flowers, and their 
delicate rosy hue. It is perfectly distinct from 
anything in the collection and will be admired by 
hundreds when it comes to be known. Its great 
orange eye adds much to its majestic appearance. 
An Award of Merit was accorded it on the 15th ult. 
by the Royal Horticultural Society. Amongst single 
varieties, the glowing orange-scarlet hue of Grenadier 
is well worthy of its name. It is very floriferous and 
numerous trusses of bloom keep up a succession in 
such a way that it cannot fail to brighten and give 
life to any collection whether in winter or spring. 
Quite distinct in its way is a lavender-coloured 
variety, the large flowers of which become darker as 
they expand, but always remain of a light Forget-me- 
not blue with a white line round the five-angled eye. 
The leaves are plain and wholly green including the 
stalks ; indeed, it may be stated, that this is the first 
blue Primula with a green petiole. Another has 
large, deep salmon flowers. 
Four new doubles have been added to the list, all 
of which are of a high order of merit and must add 
considerably to the existing popularity of the section. 
One of the prettiest is Rosy Queen with soft, rosy 
pink flowers and fimbriated segments. In the way 
of colour, Double Heliotrope is more novel and in 
that respect interesting. It was obtained by cross¬ 
ing Double White with Double Blue, and the results 
were somewhat peculiar, inasmuch as thirteen of the 
seedlings resembled the seed parent and thirteen 
partook more of the character of the pollen parent. 
The flowers of the variety selected and perpetuated 
are large with deeply indented segments and a good 
rosette in the centre, so that the variety comes fully 
up to the standard of the rest in form, while the 
colour is very distinct and novel. Double Salmon is 
handsome and is of a rich tint of that hue indicated 
by the name. 
A pink variety has appeared amongst it, and 
curiously enough, both came from a puce-coloured 
parent. Another noteworthy kind in this section, is 
that having reddish-purple or crimson flowers, and 
takes its place amongst the darkest kinds grown. 
Close by the Primulas are houses containing other 
florist flowers here grown to such perfection. The 
Cinerarias are in 32-size pots with the large and 
healthy foliage covering them. Calceolarias which 
are notable for the brave display they make during 
the spring months, are now luxuriant and healthy 
plants in 16-size pots. The dreaded green fly is 
easily settled by the use of Lethorion Cones for 
fumigation. We noted some Coleus plants large 
enough for 48-size pots but which are still in small 
cutting pots. They are stood on a shelf near the 
glass and supplied with water from pans kept under 
them, and the vigour of the plants as well as the 
colour of the foliage, are simply marvellous for this 
season of the year. Stored about in the same range 
of houses are large quantities of the roots of large 
flowering Cannas, the tubers of Streptocarpus, 
tuberous Begonias, the rhizomes of Gesneras, and 
Achimenes and the bulbs of Liliums all stored in 
cocoa-nut fibre ready for use. The varieties of 
Begonias of the B. sempervirens type now largely 
used for bedding, are getting numerous, important 
and require a great deal of house-room. 
--S-- 
THE PLANTS OF THE 
BIBLE. 
In a lecture on this subject recently delivered at 
Ealing, the Rev. Professor Henslow said there were 
about 120 plants mentioned in the Bible, but, owing 
to the absence of science in the days to which the 
Biblical narratives referred, accuracy of definition 
was often wanting, and identification of a plant 
therein mentioned with one of modern times was 
difficult, the same term being in the Bible sometimes 
used to denote plants that were altogether dissimilar, 
We were not guiltless in respect of this matter in our 
own day ; an instance was our employment of the 
term "lily ’’ as a name for a number of flowers that 
are entirely distinct from one another in scientific 
genera and species. A large number of Biblical 
plants were, however, recognisable in their proto¬ 
types of modern days, as being obviously the plants 
mentioned in the Bible. He would group these 
recognisable plants under the headings of textile 
materials ; herbs, including plants used as condi¬ 
ments, as food, and as dyes, &c.; odorous resins ; 
fruit trees ; timber and other trees; and desert and 
aquatic plants. Professor Henslow gave his audi¬ 
ence much interesting information concerning the 
trees and plants alluded to in the Bible and com¬ 
prised in these several groups. His lecture was 
profusely illustrated with some fifty lantern views 
depicting the plants and trees under consideration, 
and also by numerous specimens collected in Malta, 
Egypt, &c., of the wood, seeds, and other properties 
of the plants. Under the group of textile materials, he 
included flax and cotton. The latter, he said, was only 
mentioned once in the Bible (in Esther i. 6), and its 
cultivation in Egypt and Palestine did not appear to 
have been known before the time of Esther, or about 
500 B.C. 
Fitches were plants known now as Nigella sativa, 
the black seeds of which were, and are still, used 
scattered over cakes, like carraway seed. The Lentil 
was one of the most important, as it was the most 
nutritious, of all seeds ; this plant constituted the 
red pottage of Esau. Several varieties of Wheat 
were cultivated in ancient days ; the only form which 
was probably wild was Triticum monnococcum in 
Mesopotamia. This, or an allied form, was probably 
the "Rye” mentioned with Flax as destroyed in 
Egypt by the hail. The term " Rye ” was a wrong 
translation, because Rye, as was well known, would not 
grow in hot countries, and could not therefore have 
been cultivated in Egypt. The common form of 
Wheat in Egypt was still the same as of old, called 
T. turgidum, while the poliferous variety, composi- 
tum.was described in Joseph’s dream. On the subject 
of Wheat, Professor Henslow took the opportunity to 
enter a strong protest against the supposition that 
genuine Egyptian mummy Wheat had ever 
germinated ; that supposition, he said, was utterly 
false. The Arabs practised upon the credulity of 
travellers in this matter, and rolled newly plucked 
Wheat in the mud of the Nile in order to make it 
resemble the brown mummy Wheat placed by 
Egyptians in jars or other receptacles as offerings to 
the dead; this so-called mummy Wheat was taken 
by travellers from the hands of the dead, and on 
being planted germinated as a matter of course. It 
should be remembered that the genuine mummy 
Wheat was not placed in the hands of the dead 
person, but in the receptacle that was deposited by 
the side of the embalmed corpse. 
In respect to bitter herbs, Professor Henslow said 
that the plant from which gall was extracted had 
every appearance of having been the Poppy. In 
connection with this plant, the lecturer related a 
curious theory that Sir Benjamin Richardson had 
mentioned to him concerning the custom of the 
Jews in offering to malefactors condemned to death 
by crucifixion wine mingled with gall. The supposi¬ 
tion was that this drink was given to them, not only 
to stupify them, but also, by producing the simula¬ 
tion of death, to enable them to escape justice ; and 
the habit of breaking the legs after crucifixion was 
designed to prevent this frustration of the execution 
of the sentence of the law. Professor Henslow said 
he had been unable to veryify the accuracy of this 
theory, but if it were true it threw a curious side¬ 
light on the motive that might have influenced our 
Lord in refusing the drink offered to Him at the 
crucifixion. If He were aware of this custom of 
thus enabling condemned persons to escape justice, 
He would certainly have refused the drink, as He 
would not have acquiesced in anything that would 
have tended to defeat the law in the sentence it had 
passed. 
Professor Henslow dealt in equally attractive style 
with the other groups of plants—those from which 
dyes were procured; those from which odorous 
resins were obtained—the frankincense, myrrh, and 
Balm of Gilead, he said, were not the products of 
trees grown in Palestine, but were brought from 
Saba, the capital of the district lying to the north¬ 
east of Aden; fruit trees, such as the Fig tree, and 
the Palm or Date tree—the latter was illustrated by 
a photograph of a group on the site of Memphis 
(called in the Bible Moph and Noph), with a colossal 
statue of Ramses II., a king under whom the children 
of Israel were in slavery; desert plants, in conjunc¬ 
tion with which the plants that probably supplied 
the material with which the Crown of Thorns was 
formed were designated ; and water plants, of which 
the Papyrus of Egypt the lecturer said was the most 
important—that plant, which was now extinct in 
Egypt, but still grew in Palestine, had several uses, 
boats, chairs, baskets, and paper being made from its 
stems. 
--+-- 
VANDA CAERULEA. 
Those who have seen a well-grown plant of Vanda 
caerulea know what an imposing effect it has in the 
Orchid house during the autumn and early winter 
months. Whether the spikes are few and the 
flowers large, or numerous with smaller flowers, the 
peculiar shade of colour is unique in its way and 
without rival at that period of the year. The 
accompanying illustration was prepared from the 
photograph of a plant grown by William Barr, 
Esq., Llewellyn Park, Orange, New Jersey, U.S.A., 
kindly sent to us by Mr. A. Dimmock of St. 
Albans. The plant was a grand specimen with 
eleven spikes and 116 blooms, all handsomely 
coloured. The collection of this Orchid is one of 
the finest in the States, and grows luxuriantly in the 
corner of a house ; every leaf was without spot or 
blemish, and bespoke a state of rude health. Much 
more could be said about the beauty of the plants in 
flower and their vigorous condition last autumn, but 
the illustration of a specimen that is hardly ever 
matched, and probably never surpassed, will speak 
for itself. All were grown in pots in the usual way. 
