486 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
March 30, 1895. 
flaccid, so that the plant has little beauty untilsee¬ 
ing Occasionally, however, a blossom maybe seen 
fully open even at midday. The night-flowering 
Stock (Matthiola tristis), is all day withered, needing 
the air of night to freshen it into vigour and sweet¬ 
ness. Between seven and eight o'clock in the 
evening during the summer the queen of night 
flowers, the magnificent night-flowering Cereus 
(Cereus noctiflorus) begins to open its blossoms, 
and by eleven p.m these are in full blow. The calyx 
of the flower when open is nearly a foot in diameter 
The inside is of a splendid yellow colour, appearing 
like the rays of a bright star, while the outside is of a 
dark brown. The petals, being purely white, add 
considerably to the lustre of the golden star, and 
while they are in bloom these flowers are unsur¬ 
passed for beauty and fragrance. Another Cereus 
(Cereus nycticalis) is also night-flowering, beginning 
to open between seven or eight, and being fully 
expanded by ten o'clock At eight o’clock, in hot 
weather, the beautiful flowers of the Marvel of Peru 
(Mirabilis jalapa) unfold themselves, but it some¬ 
times happens, if the weather is cool, or the sun 
is obscured, they open in the daytime The nine 
o’clock flower, the latest, is called the Mournful 
Geranium (Geranium triste). Linnaeus named all 
night-flowering blossoms as mournful plants (Florus 
triste), and many, this Geranium included, deserve 
the name from their dull colour 
The expansion and closing of flowers is supposed 
to be regulated by light and moisture. A plant 
accustomed to flower in daylight at a certain hour 
will, however, continue to expand its flowers at the 
wonted period, even when kept in a dark room 
Decandolle made a series of experiments on the 
flowering of plants kept in darkness, and in a cellar 
lighted by lamps. He found that the law of periodi¬ 
city continued to operate for a considerable tim\ 
and that in artificial light some flowers opened, 
whilst others, such as some specimens of convolvu¬ 
lus, still followed the clock hours in their opening 
and closing. Some flowers bloom and fade in a day, 
and are therefore called ephemeral; whilst others 
continue to open and close for several days before 
withering, the corolla usually beginning to fade after 
the flower has been fertilised. Many flowers or 
heads of flowers do not open during cloudy or rainy 
weather, and hence have been called meteoric. The 
closing of the flowers in these circumstances is 
doubtless intended to protect the pollen from the 
injurious effects of moisture. The scarlet Pimpernel 
(Anagallis arvensis), also known as the shepherd's 
barometer or poor man’s weather-glass, is the best 
floral barometer : because, not only dobs the flower 
never open on a rainy day, but long before the 
shower arrives it is conscious of. its approach and 
closes its petals. This peculiarity’ was 'noted by 
Derham in his Physico Theology; by Lord Bacon, 
who calls it winco-pipe ; and by Leyden. Not only 
does the Pimpernel shut up its blossoms during 
rainy and cloudy weather, but it is one of the best 
of the clock flowers, opening its petals in our lati¬ 
tudes at about ten minutes past seven in the morning, 
and closing them a few minutes after two in the 
afternoon .—Evening Standard. 
ORCHID ROTES AND GLEANINGS. 
By John Fraser, F.L.S., Kew. 
Cypripedium Brysa.-—The seed parent of this 
hybrid was C. Sedenii candidulum, itself a hybrid, 
and C. Boissierianum. The upper sepal is oblong, 
almost white, and finely netted with pale green. 
The lanceolate, twisted petals are soft rosy-pink. 
The lip is much inflated, of peculiar shape, with a 
large circular opening to the pouch, the edge of 
which is crenate; externally it is wholly of a soft 
pink. The unfolded side lobes are creamy, spotted 
purple, and sufficiently large to be a conspicuous 
feature of the flower. The pollen parent is a com¬ 
paratively little known species from the Huanuco 
district of Peru, where C. caudatum was discovered 
at the same time, so that their botanical history is 
ihe same, though their garden history is so different. 
C. Brysa is a great improvement upon C. Boissieri¬ 
anum in the matter of colour, robust in constitution, 
and free flowering. It belongs to the Sslenipedia 
group, a section of the genus confined to the New 
World and not extending so far north as Mexico. C. 
Boissierianum was so named and described by 
Reichenbach in 1854, but in 1882 he again described 
it as C. reliculalum, probably in reference to the 
netting of the upper sepal and under the impression 
that it was new. It has also been given as tbe seed 
parent of C. Brysa, and judging from mere appear¬ 
ances this might have been the case. At all events 
it is pretty, distinct, and deserves a place in collec¬ 
tions. A Botanical Certificate was awarded it by 
the Royal Botanic Society on the 20th inst. when 
exhibited by Messrs. J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. 
Dendrobium atroviolaceuni.—This very dis¬ 
tinct and striking species was introduced from New 
Guinea in 1890. The specific name refers entirely 
to the lip. The sepals are sharply pointed, and the 
lateral ones are so broad at the base as to be 
triangular-ovate. They are yellow on both surfaces, 
tinted with green, and densely spotted with blackish- 
purple on the back, but the spots show themselves, 
though more faintly on the inner face. The rhom¬ 
boid petals are pale yellow at the base, fading to 
soft sulphur-yellow above that, and thinly spotted 
on both surfaces with a hue that is almost black. 
These colours remind us somewhat of Brassia 
verrucosa, and are as interesting as they are striking. 
The very distinctly three-lobed lip is dark violet on 
the inner face, and of a dull greenish hue externally 
tinted in places with dark violet. The inner face of 
the lateral lobes is the richest in hue. and is faintly 
marked with green lines ; the middle lobe is more 
plainly striped, but partly hidden by the unfolding 
of the sides. The flower given us by Messrs. F. 
Sander & Co., St. Albans, measured fully 2\ in. 
across the petals. The colours and their peculiar 
combination constitute the paramount interest 
attaching to this comparatively new species. Judg¬ 
ing by the number of times we have seen it in bloom 
since its introduction, it must flower freely and 
regularly in its proper season. 
Dendrobium Wardianum Elvinia, Nov. var.— 
The general aspect of this variety is very striking on 
account of the manner in which the sepals and 
petals are twisted. The twisting detracts from the 
real size of the flower, but notwithstanding this it 
measures 4 in. across the petals without any 
stretching or flattening of the latter whatever, and 3J 
in from the tip of the dorsal to the tip of the lateral 
sepals, which are more curled than the other 
segments. The basal half of both sepals and petals 
are of a waxy, shining white, while the upper half is 
of a dull milk-white, tipped with rose in the case of 
the petals. More than half the lip is of a blight 
orange, both externally and internally, with the two 
customary maroon blotches at the base , the apical 
third is white with a pale rose tip. The outer face 
of the sepals is faintly tinted with pink, and there is 
the faintest suspicion of a blotch at the apex of the 
inner face. Independently of colour, the half 
twist of the petals and the great inward curve of 
the lateral sepals are sufficient to characterise this 
variety. It is named in compliment to Lady 
Elvinia Rose. The ordinary form of D. Wardia¬ 
num with flat petals accompanied the above as well 
as the gracefully refined and charming D. nobile 
elegans, with its light coloured flowers. We 
received all of them from Mr. P. McArthur, The 
London Nursery, 4, Maida Vale, W. 
Lycaste Skinneri alba —A remarkable speci¬ 
men of this much favoured Orchid is to be seen in 
the collection of Max Robinow, Esq., Hawthornden, 
Didsbury, and it is a real credit to his gardener, Mr. 
Blomiley, under whose fostering care the collection 
has so much proved. The specimen has forty good 
bulbs, and seven strong leads, and is showing sixty 
flowers, some of which are just opening, and though 
not fully developed are already 6 in. in diameter. I 
do not remember having seen such a grandly leaved 
plant before, for many of them are 3 ft. long and 
4 in. broad. It is a treasure to be proud of. There 
are also several good Vandas in bloom which scent 
the place with their sweet perfume. The plants, V. 
suavis and tricolor, are dwarf, and many have two 
spikes. -A. Outram, F.R.H.S. 
Orchids at Chardwar -When at Chardwar, 
Bourton-on the-Water, to-day, March 21st, I was 
pleased to see a splendid lot of Miltonia Roezlii, ten 
plants in 4-iu. pots having eighty blooms, many 
of the spikes having four blooms The perfume 
on entering the house is delicious. I noted 
also a splendid specimen of Oncidium flexuosum 
with thirty-six spikes, and Oncidium barbatum with 
a very strong spike; two good specimens of Dendrobium 
nubile, each carrying 100 fine blooms ; the curious 
D. Johanis with two good spikes ; many blooms of 
D superbum ; a very fine variety of D. primulinum, 
and many other choice Orchids.— J. C. 
THE PLANT HOUSES. 
The Stove. 
The past few days have been warm and spring-like 
enough to rejoice the gardener's heart, and after the 
cold winds with which March was ushered in such 
genial weather is doubly welcome Still, increased 
light and heat although pleasant in themselves bring 
in their train a host of duties that must receive 
immediate attention if things are to progress satis¬ 
factorily. 
Shading.— It will be no longer safe to further 
delay the fixing of the blinds. In some cases they 
have been left on the houses all the winter, letting 
them down at nightfall to assist in keeping up the 
temperature of the house. Although this practice 
has much to recommend it, it spells ruin to the 
blinds, which will barely last for more than a season 
or two at the utmost when left out all winter. Steps 
should now be taken therefore to replace worn-out 
blinds by new ones where the old ones are not 
capable of being repaired. See that the ropes that 
are u:ed to work them are in good order, and that 
the wheels of the pulley in which they run are oiled, 
for nothing is so trying to the temper during a sudden 
burst of sunshine than to find the cords will not run 
Permanent Shading.— Where blinds cannot be 
fixed owing to awkward corners in the roof, the glass 
must be painted over with a light coating of Summer 
Cloud Shading, which may be obtained from any 
vendor of garden sundries. A very light application, 
just sufficient to exclude the fiercest rays of the sun, 
should be given now, making it heavier in a few 
weeks’ time It should not be put on however until 
it is absolutely necessary 
Stephanotis floribunda. —Where this is grown 
in an ordinary collection of stove plants, the growths 
will by this time have reached a good size. These 
must be neatly tied in before they get tangled 
together The syringe too should be kept vigorously 
at work among this, as well as among the rest of the 
inmates of the stove, for green-fly has a decided 
partiality for the tender tips of the young growths of 
Stephanotis. Be particularly careful that the water 
supply is ample, especially if the plant is being 
growm in a pot or tub, for, with the vigorous growth 
it should be making if in a healthy condition, large 
quantities of water will be required 
Stove Ferns. —W r here these are grown in the 
stove a special corner should be assigned them 
where the spray from the syringe will not reach 
them Do not be too free with the watering-can 
upon those plants which have been newly-potted, 
Gymncgrammas more particularly Keep a shaip 
lookout for slugs and cockroaches, which at this 
time of the year exhibit particular rapacity, biting 
off the young fronds almost as fast as they appear. 
A little phosphorus paste should be spread on pieces 
of slate or cardboard for the latter and laid upon the 
stages at night-time, taking care however that it is 
beyond the reach of children or animals. The most 
efficacious way of dealing with slugs is to go round 
several times during the evening with a lantern, 
when the enterprising animal may often be caught 
Dracaenas— Plants that were ringed according to 
instructions a few weeks ago will now have made 
sufficient roots to warrant the removal of the tops 
These should be carefully potted up and kept close 
for a few days, shading them well and dewing them 
overhead with the syringe several times a day. The 
stems cf the old plants may be cut up into small 
pieces of about ij in in length, having a couple of 
nodes each, and plunged in Cocoanut fibre in a brisk 
bottom heat, where they will soon start into growth, 
or, if desired, the old plants may be left as they are to 
break naturally, which they will do from the top¬ 
most node first, the break being removed and 
inserted as a cutting, and the old stem thus induced 
to make another growth This is a slower methed 
of obtaining a stock of plants than the first-men¬ 
tioned, but it is nevertheless a sure and dependable one. 
Greenhouse and Cool Conservatory. 
The fixing of the blinds here must be executed as 
promptly as possible, for the bright sun will scon 
cause many of the flowers to drop if allowed to beat 
upon them in its full radiance. Air must be 
admitted freely by both top and bottom ventilators, 
and the atmosphere of the house should be kept as 
cool and sweet as possible. A night temperature of 
about 50 0 Fahr should be maintained. Watering 
must now be looked over twice a day, the principal 
watering being given at night, at which period the 
