March 28, 1903. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
273 
Notes about the Plant Illustrations. 
irarLKiAb LtNlAUKEA. 
DIASCIA BARBERAE. 
The above annual represents a genus of something like 
twenty species of plants, natives of South Africa. They are 
nearly all like the plant under notice, annuals, very few "being 
perennials. The flowers are mostly violet or rose in colour, 
those of the above species being most properly described as 
bright pink and eoral-like. The stems are very slender and 
graceful, branching freely from the base and making beautiful 
tufts, very suitable either for cultivation in beds or borders out 
of doors, or for pot-culture and greenhouse or conservatory 
The above is a strong-growing race of the ordinary Sweet 
o O -O ^ Viu 
bultan (Gentaurea moschata) which, lias proved so variable 
under cultivation, and which is so immensely popular and 
valuable for decorative work of all kinds. With regard to 
the old Sweet Sultan, that is a term which has justly been of 
many years’ standing. The several varieties are characterised 
by white, purple, and yellow flowers. They are also sweet 
scented, the scent varying somewhat in the different varieties, 
but in all cases being very agreeable. What we have to say 
concerning these new Imperial Centaureas is that they consti¬ 
tute a veiy vigorous race of the well-known Sweet Sultan, 
lien given plenty of room, the plants attain a height of 
f ft., branching freely, and producin 
tr a 
great quantity of dowel's that are 1 ex¬ 
tremely useful in mostly all kinds of 
decorative work. The flowers are also 
very durable in a cut state. There 
will be those who favour the old 
varieties, but the special recommenda¬ 
tions of the new type are the large 
flowers and the great quantity of them. 
In garden cultivation the size of the 
plants may also be turned to useful 
account in beds upon the grass, or in 
the mixed border. We are enabled to 
place an illustration of these flow'ers 
before our readers by the courtesy of 
Messrs. E. Webb & Sons, Wordsley, 
Stourbridge. 
NYMPHAEA GLADSTONIANA. 
In the above garden hybrid of hardy 
Water Lily we have a subject of the 
first water for the aquatic garden. It 
may be compared with N. marliacea 
albida. in the matter of size, but it is 
newer than the last named, and a dis¬ 
tinct improvement as far as the form 
of the petals is concerned. Some 
writers describe the variety as semi¬ 
double, but Nymphaeas have naturally 
numerous petals, and under artificial 
culture and treatment, as well as by 
crossing, these Water Lilies may 
develop more numerous petals at the 
expense of the stamens. Each petal is 
very broad and rounded or blunt at the 
end, a fact which appeals very 
strongly to most admirers of this class 
of plant, though no doubt there are 
others who- vmuld consider the more 
pointed petals of other varieties as 
more artistic and graceful. The 
variety now under notice is sweet 
scented, and lasts a long time m 
By courtesy of J. Siredibick & Son. 
^ va ls ^ nest pure white Dahlia of its class that has yet appeared in 
e bowers are of the true Cactus form, and the plant is of dwarf and sturdy 
habit. (See page 274.) 
decoration. The plants belong to the same order as the Cal¬ 
ceolaria, and represent another type of structure characteristic 
o t is immensely variable order. In this case the flowers are 
flat, consisting of two lips. The lower lip is furnished in the 
xoat with two- little sacks. In some cases these sacks are 
drawn out to two spurs, being practically like that of Linaria 
when developed. Curiously enough, we have something veiy 
similar amongst Orchids in the terrestrial genus named Saty- 
num, where these two spurs are also represented. The illus¬ 
tration was put at our disposal by Messrs. Sutton & Sons, Read¬ 
ing, who have been instrumental in introducing many beautiful 
oouth African annuals. 
bloom. The illustration was placed at 
our disposal by Messrs. Dicksons, 
Chester. 
PAEONY MRS. GWYN-LEWIS. 
For many years past the old gardens 
were adorned with the few existing 
- varieties of Paeony officinalis, but 
since the introduction of the Sibeiian P. albiflora the 
older species has largely been put into the shade, on 
account of the much greater variability of the Siberian 
type, and the splendid response it has given to- the 
efforts of the cross-breeder. We have not yet attained 
the formation of a Paeony Society in this country 
cousins in America, but the Paeonies are sufficiently 
to 
like our _ ___ _ 
numerous and sufficiently cultivated in this country to warrant 
such a course. For the last twenty years or so we have watched 
the improvements effected from time to time in this variable 
species, and the flowers we- now get are much nearer perfection 
than in the case of the early double forms. The variety under 
