294 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 4, 1903 
bases attached to it, and obviously then retaining that which 
is needful. The main point is that the bulbils, when formed, 
have a fair chance of getting their fronds through to the light, 
which is impossible for them to do without this surgical opera¬ 
tion. The old roots, by the way, should be cut off to within 
an inch of the bases. 
With aposporous varieties, all that is necessary is to prepare 
small, shallow pans as if for spores, and to- peg down the pinnae, 
back downwards, as flatly as possible; the prothalli generally 
develop far more rapidly than from spores, and can be pricked 
out and treated in every way like those obtained by sowing. 
Propagation by the bulbils, produced on most of the plumo- 
sums is, perhaps, the most difficult task of all. They only 
appear at the fag-end of {he growing season just before the 
fronds begin to fail; hence, when pegged down, they are almost 
immediately deprived of what we may term maternal succour 
and before they have a chance of forming roots. If, however, 
kept very close after being pegged down flat in the soil, a 
small percentage manage to retain vitality through the' winter 
and start in the spring. ~ 
It is a. curious fact in this connection that no variety of Lady 
Fern has, so far as we know, developed axillary or basal bulbils 
on the fronds on the lines of the Shield Ferns, at any rate, in 
adult plants ; while the soral bulbils of the several plumosums 
are unknown in any other of our species, and extremely rare in 
exotics. It may be here remarked that the production of these 
coral bulbils does not seem to be dependent upon close culture, 
as might be imagined, since a division of superbum percrista- 
tum planted in the open, and in full sun, was literally crowded 
with bulbils and ripe sori, while the other half of the plant left 
under glass had extremely few, and those very small and weak. 
On the outdoor plants, on the advent of frost, the bulbils had 
developed quite visible fronds, and although at the time of 
writing (January) no definite results by layering can be re¬ 
ported, there is great promise of success* which the indoor 
plant has so far not afforded. Mr. Lovelady’s (a most appro¬ 
priate name, by the way, in this connection) cultures of this 
eetion showed very, abnormal prothalli, irregular and spread- 
rig, and producing plants by apogamous. buds or fleshy excres¬ 
cences, one prothallus thus yielding several, so that it is obvious 
1 hat normal lines have been broken through, not merely in the 
fashion of the fronds, but also in the reproductive stage. 
From all these facts it is clear that in the Lady Fern we 
i.ave something which stands quite alone in many respects 
mong all known Ferns, evincing a greater independence, so to 
peak, as regards the normal rules, to which most others appear 
‘o adhere so closely. Lady-like, it has adopted innumerable 
fashions, eccentric or beautiful, or both together, justifying 
till further its common name by the grace with which it bears 
its multiform adornments ; and it is certainly a matter of con¬ 
gratulation for us Britishers that, despite' the abundance of 
"oreign material scattered over nearly all the world, as I have 
fated, it is we alone who have discovered its possibilities, and 
by assiduous study and laborious search acquired such a weatlh 
of forms utterly independent of importations or outride aid of 
'ny kind. The pity of it is, however, that when I say “we 
Britishers,” this does not mean Britons as a body, but a 
ridiculously small minority, the great mass of people ignoring 
these gifts of Nature entirely, and leaving their study and 
acquisition to a comparative handful of enthusiasts like our¬ 
selves. 
Rhobodendron fulgens. 
Forming a splendid succession to nobleanum, this is one of 
he most conspicuous shrubs flowering in the open at present. 
Its flowers, which are intense crimson, are produced in com¬ 
pressed umbels very freely. A robust growing form from the 
Himalayas. 
p July, no plants, 1 ut apparent sporellngs. 
The Best Flowering Plants at Kew. 
“ There are more plants in the garden than ye wot of.’’ 
Eulophiella Eiizabethae. 
An extremely handsome Orchid, belonging to a little-known 
genus, which thrives in a hot moist atmosphere similar to that 
required for Cyrtopodium. The creeping rhizome gives origin 
to tufts of plicate, lanceolate leaves 2 ft. long. From the bases 
of the tufts of leaves stout scopes are produced, each bearing a 
many-flowered raceme of white, fragrant, hemispherical 
flowers, the three-lobed lip being much smaller than segments, 
with a golden disc. Native of Madagascar. 
Odontoglossum Pescatorei. 
In 1847 this species was first discovered in the Oak forests 
that cover the declivities of the Eastern Cordillera, of New 
Granada. Generally speaking, it closely resembles 0. crispum, 
from which it differs by its suborbicular lip, oval sepals, and 
petals concomitant with a panicled inflorescence. The white 
flowers are heavily blotched with magenta-purple in the best 
forms. 
Trichopilia suavis. 
An epiphytical genus deriving its name from thrix, a hair, 
and pilon, a cap, in reference to the three tufts of hairs sur¬ 
mounting the column. This species attains a height of nearly 
12 in., including the pseudo-bulb and solitary leaf. From the 
base of the pseudo-bulb a. two to* three-flowered pendant pe¬ 
duncle is produced. Flowers large and deliciously fragrant of 
linear twisted, pure white sejaals and petals, and a trumpet- 
shaped lip, convolute at base, the mouth being plentifully 
spotted with rosy pink. A handsome Orchid from Costa Rica, 
where, on Oak trees, it occurs a.t elevations of 8,000 ft. 
Porphyrocoma lanceolata 
A pretty shrubby acanthaceous stove plant, which forms a 
unique and attractive subject for the front of stages. Leaves 
are drooping, lanceolate, and dark green. The purple-blue 
flowers are produced on dense terminal racemes, which are 
four-angled. The floral bracts, of a reddish-purple hue '-eatly 
enhance the effect. Native of Brazil. 
Clianthus puniceus. 
The “ Glory Pea,’’ or “ Parrot’s Bill,” is an Australian legume 
of attractive appearanefe and great merit, either for furnishing 
pillars or as specimen pot plants. The raceme is axillary, bear¬ 
ing large Pearshaped, crimson flowers, with a white mark at 
the base of the standard, and having a long, curved, pointed 
keel 
Hardenbergia comptoniana (syns. digitata, macrophylla ard 
makoyana). 
Those synonyms might be used as varietal names, as there_ 
are at least four forms of this species, some more desirable 
than others. Like the preceding, it is also an Australian 
leguminous plant, both being adapted for greenhouse culture. 
Stem woody and climbing with slender branches, bearing 
dense racemes of small, bright blue Pea-shaped flowers, de¬ 
sirable and very useful in a. cut state. 
Clematis indivisa. 
This handsome greenhouse climber is too well known to 
require any description. Its racemes of white flowers are 
produced so freely that the whole plant appears, like a white 
cloud. For Easter decorations there are few more serviceable 
plants ; to ensure it for such it must have a north aspect in a 
cool house. Native of New Zealand. 
Boronia heterophylla. 
An erect, much-branched shrub, attaining a height of from 
4 ft, to G ft. Grown in 5 in. and 6 in. pots, and cut -back 
annually, they are very useful for greenhouse stages, whilst 
full-grown specimens are exceptionally handsome plants, yield¬ 
ing a profusion of crimson flowers in whorls of four to six - 
in the axils of the leaves. Native of Australia. 
Veronica diosmifolia (syn. jasminoides). 
A pretty little greenhouse plant producing freely many- 
flowered terminal panicled corymbs of small pale lilac flowers. 
