April 13, 1901. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
5'23 
will be needed, taking care not to over-do it. In 
August and September an occasional dose of weak 
manure water will add to the size of the flowers. 
The soil should consist of three parts loam, one part 
leaf soil, a liberal quantity of rotten cow dung, and 
sufficient silver sand to keep it open.— T. W. B. 
THE PLANT HOUSES. 
The Stove. 
Thyrsacanthus rutilans.— Of recent years this 
fine old-fashioned subject has been greatly neglect-id, 
but when seen in fine condition during the winter 
or. early spring months it is of great decorative 
Value. Cuttings may be taken now, inserted singly 
in sandy loam and leaf mould and placed in a case 
to root. When this has taken place, and before the 
roots get pot-bound, the plants should be shifted 
into larger sizes, when necessary, and grown on 
strongly. The long stems of this plant would, to 
the uninitiated, appear naked and unsightly after 
they run up to 2 ft. or 3 ft., but the use of such 
becomes evident when the plants are in bloom, the 
long stems being necessary to keep the long, pendent 
flower spikes off the ground. No method of tying 
up would ever make them look natural. 
Centropogon lucyanus. —Now is the time to 
take cuttings of this plant for the production of stuff 
that will flower during the forthcoming winter. The 
cuttings may be rooted by the usual method given to 
soft-wooded stove plants generally. A similar com¬ 
post to that used for Thyrsacanthus will answer, or 
a little more sand may be employed with advantage, 
as the plant is allied to Lobelia, which flowers best 
when not overfed nor kept too moist. The rooted 
cuttings may be shifted on as they require it till the 
plants are in 6-in. pots, which will be found a con¬ 
venient size. About the middle of June, if the 
weather is fine, the plants may be transferred to a 
cold frame, facing south. Here they may remain 
till the approach of cold weather necessitates their 
being brought back to the stove or intermediate 
house. By judicious ventilation, the sun’s heat may 
be utilised for keeping the plants warm enough to 
make healthy bushy specimens by September. 
Poinsettias. —-The old plants may now be intro¬ 
duced to heat, and occasionally syringed to start them 
into fresh growth. When the earliest produced cuttings 
are about 3 in. long they may be taken off and rooted 
to give early and strong plants to come in serviceable 
when Chrysanthemums are getting less numerous. Old 
plants may be repotted after they have started into 
growth, if large, bushy specimens with numerous 
heads are required. The bracts will not be so large 
as those grown on single stems, but they may be 
put to useful purpose in the conservatory, where 
the lower portion of the stems, if naked, may be 
hidden with the foliage of other plants. 
Eccharis. —Pots of bulbs, from which a good 
supply of flowers was cut in winter, should be en¬ 
couraged to make free growth by such stimulants as 
increased temperature and a liberal supply of water 
as soon as young growth shows that such is neces¬ 
sary and desirable. Syringe the foliage, morning 
and afternoon, and see that it is kept clear of mealy 
bug and scale. 
Gesneras.— Some gardenefs like to start these 
into fresh growth before repotting them; but there 
is a danger of breaking the young roots in attempts 
to remove the old soil before repotting. There are 
two other methods that may be adopted, one of 
which is to put the tubers into shallow boxes of rich 
light soil and place the boxes in the stove till the 
plants have made some growth. They can then be 
potted up in pots proportionate to their size and 
vigour. Other growers make up a suitable compost 
and forthwith pot up the tubers straight away. 
Even here it is advantageous to use small pots and 
afterwards shift on the plants as this becomes neces¬ 
sary. By this plan the souring of the soil by 
watering while the roots are still scanty is obviated. 
Temperature of the Stove. —With the more 
genial weather now prevailing the night temperature 
of the stove may be raised to 70^ if the stage of pro¬ 
gress of the plants warrants it. No great firing 
should be given in the early morning even if the 
temperature should be a few degrees below this, un¬ 
less very cold and sunless weather prevail at the time. 
The gardener will here have to use his judgment as to 
the necessity of a brisk fire. Syringe the plants 
twice a day if the weather is fairly bright. 
The Greenhouse. 
Solanums. —If these have started well after having 
been cut back and placed in heat they may be trans¬ 
ferred to a cooler house and hardened off. Presently 
an unheated frame or pit will answer the purpose 
till they can finally be planted in the open to flower 
and fruit. 
Coleus. —Cuttings that have been rooted and 
potted off singly should be put into a relatively cool 
house, after they have become established in the 
fresh soil. Here they will grow more slowly—at 
least, till the weather gets warmer—but they will be 
sturdier and healthier for being grown cool. 
Sparmannia africana. —As soon as the plants go 
out of flower, they may be cut hard back so as to 
reduce their size. Keep them drier for a short time, 
and introduce them to a moderate heat to encourage 
fresh growth. After they have fairly started, better 
and more consolidated growth will be made in a 
greenhouse or other structure with a similar temper¬ 
ature. 
--1—- 
©leanings ftttrm f Ije Dmtlb 
of Science. 
At the meeting of the Scientific Committee of the 
Royal Horticultural Society, on March 26th, the 
subjects given below came up for discussion. 
Cattleya monstrous.—Dr. Masters described 
the specimen sent to the last meeting as follows:— 
The flower is dimerous, in having two sepals, a lip 
and a lateral petal, and a normal column. 
Cypripedium illustrations—Mr. G. S.Sanders 
showed a series of beautifully executed water colour 
drawings of malformations in the flowers of this 
genus as follows :—The entire absence of one or both 
side petals; the entire absence of the labellum, its 
presence in a distorted form, and its partial or entire 
duplication; one or both side petals partially, or 
entirely, taking the form of the labellum ; the side 
petals joined to the upper or lower sepals ; the upper 
and lower sepals joined together; one side petal 
adhering to the labellum ; the lower sepal adhering 
to the labellum; a duplication of parts; a double 
flower, caused by the adherence of two flowers; a 
flower showing the two lower sepals separate which 
are generally joined together in this genus. 
Acotyledonous members of Amaryllideae. 
—Mr. Worsely gave some account of his observa¬ 
tions as follows Among Amaryllideae acotyle¬ 
donous species occur in the genera Crinum, Hymeno- 
callis, Elisena, and probably in Griffinia and several 
Audine Pancratia. I do not think it is constant even 
in one species. Among the Crinums it occurs occa¬ 
sionally in C. Moorei; frequently, or almost invari¬ 
ably, in Ismene and Elisena, but rarely, if ever, in 
Hymenocallis true. Plants from regions of annual 
droughts gain advantage by immediately forming a 
bulb at some depth under the soil, which will not 
break into growth until the rains return, and will 
thus commence their annual growth at the best 
time." In the absence of specimens and illustrations 
it was impossible to form an opinion as to the 
peculiar and anomalous conditions described, as 
acotyledonous plants are unknown to botanists in 
this family. Orchids and parasites, &c., Dr. 
Masters observed, are without cotyledons, because 
the perfect embryo is not formed. Mr. Worsely also 
described the usual curvature of the radicle, or 
“ geotropion," characteristic of all seed germinating 
in the ground. He also described how a bulb will 
be formed at the bottom of the flower pot. This, 
Dr. Masters remarked, was probably the well-known 
formation of a "dropper,” so common in Tulips, 
&c., the new bulb being formed on a leaf-sherth. 
Ferns, anomalous.—Mr. Druery exhibited the 
following remarkable specimens :—Fronds of Poly- 
stichum angulare var. sinuosum, sent by Rev. H. 
Kingsmill Moore, Dublin. It is an unique variety in 
having all the fronds evenly sinuous at short intervals 
in the plane of the fronds In this respect it is quite 
distinct from the several flexuose forms already 
found, they being generally distorted, a fact which 
in pressed herbarium specimens is masked by 
pressure. The fronds exhibited were unpressed, as 
received. The Fern was found wild many years 
ago in Ireland by Mr. Davey. 
Hybrid Orchids.—Mr. Douglas brought some 
hybrids " lot the purpose of showing that Orchids 
which flower naturally at the same period of the 
year produce satisfactory results, whereas if crosses 
are effected between species that do not naturally 
flower at the same period, the results are unsatisfac¬ 
tory.” As an example of the latter he referred to 
Laelia x Briseis, a cross between Laelia purpurata 
(pollen parent), and L. harpophylla (seed parent) 
He observes, " The seed did not germinate freely ; 
two plants only were obtained from what seemed a 
very satisfactory capsule. The Orchid Committee 
thought it worthy of an Award of Merit. Both 
plants are natives of Southern Brazil. L. harpo¬ 
phylla produces its flowers under cultivation in 
February and March ; its flowers are small, 2 in. to 
3 in. across, of a bright cinnabar-red colour, and 
altogether unlike the gorgeous L. purpurata, with 
coriaceous leaves 12 in. to 15 in. long, having 
flowers 6 in. to 8 in. diameter of an amethyst purple 
colour. The only trace of this colour in the 
progeny is a slight tinge on the lip, and in no re¬ 
spect is there anything to lead one to the conclusion 
that L. purpurata was the parent. The plant is very 
much larger in all its parts than L. harpophylla, 
but not nearly approaching evea the intermediate 
size of L. purpurata, either in flower, leaf, or pseudo¬ 
bulbs. Can any reason (other than the fact that the 
two species do not flower at the same season of the 
year) be shown that the seedling is not intermediate 
between the two parents?” He also exhibited 
flowers of Cymbidium eburneo-lowianum, with 
flowers of the seed parent, C. lowianum, and of the 
pollen parent, C. eburneum. " In this case the two 
parents naturally produce their flowers at the same 
time, and the result of hybridisation is entirely satis¬ 
factory. The pseudobulbs and leaves are as inter¬ 
mediate as are the flowers. The flower spikes are 
longer than those of C. eburneum, but not so long as 
in C. lowianum. In the one case the result was 
disappointing, in the other very satisfactory ; more¬ 
over, it has been asserted that such results are to be 
expected. May I ask why ? ” 
Dendrobium leaves, spotted.—Mr. Douglas 
remarks:—“The leaves of Dendrobium, freely 
covered with black decayed spots and blotches, have 
puzzled me greatly. I had a few plants sent here 
which developed the disease, and it speedily spread 
to my own plants, which were quite healthy. I lost 
several altogether, as it is also developed on ihe 
stems. There does not seem to be any fungus on the 
diseased parts, and yet by no manner of treatment 
can I get rid of this pest.” 
Cattleya Trianaei, monstrous.—Mr. Douglas 
observes" The flower of Cattleya Trianaei was 
sent to me by the Rev. Francis D. Horner. It is 
abnormal as regards colour, but it has been constant 
for six years.” 
Turmeric tubers.— Mr. Holmes exhibited fresh 
specimens, an unusual condition, as a marketable 
product they always arrive dried. They are the old 
tubers of Curcuma longa ; the young ones are white, 
and contain starch. 
Plants from Botanic Gardens, Cambridge — 
Mr. Lynch sent the following interesting species : 
Arctotis, sp. d., a fine plant, sent to Cambridge by 
Mr. Gumbleton. It somewhat resembles A. glauco- 
phylla; Melasphaerula graminea, a curious and 
graceful Irid, charming among bolder flowers. 
There are two forms, one having pale yellow flowers 
and is rare; the other with darker tinted blossom*. 
Hybrid Sarracenias.—These showed variations of 
colour, according to those of the parent species as 
follows: S. purpurea x S. flava = Stevensi; S. 
rubra x S. purpurea = Chelsoni; flava x Stevensi 
= illustrata ; Chelsoni x illustrata = hybrids sent. 
Laportea moroides.—This plant had a large bunch 
of Mulberry-like fruit, but paler in tint. It bore 
numerous stinging hairs, the leaf also resembled 
that of the Mulberry tree. It belongs to the tribe 
Urticeae of Urticaceae. It is figured, " Bot. Mag.,” 
1889, t. 7057, and is a native of N. Queensland, 
where it is said to causa the death of horses. De- 
herainia smaragdina.—A native of Mexico ; a tree of 
the order Myrsineae, remarkable for its dark green 
flowers, the corolla having chlorophyll. There are 
foliaceous, rudimentary stamens alternating with the 
petals, as in Brookweed (Samolus) of the allied order 
Primulaceae. The anthers are extrorse dehiscing, 
while forming a central, erect column, but spreading 
on the petals subsequently. It is figured in ” Bot. 
Mag ,” t. 6373. Fungi.—Mr. Lynch also sent some 
specimens of Peziza lanuginosa (described as 
Sepultaria sumneriana in Massee’s " Fungus Flora 1 ), 
growing in the grounds of the Botanic Garden. 
