314 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
April 11, 1903. 
themselves gracefully upon the stem against the March winds. 
Ray Smith is similar in style to Sprightly, but taller in habit, 
with slightly larger flowers. The two- latter remind us of the 
Tenby Daffodil, in their self-supporting habit, owing to the fine 
texture and sturdy growth of the stem of the flower. Captain 
Nelson is a dwarf yellow variety, with a golden trumpet. 
Similarly dwarf is The Don, but the segments are silver and 
the trumpet yellow. Willie Barr would come into this sec¬ 
tion, but is a larger flower with a. widely-expanded golden- 
yellow trumpet. Both stems and broiad glaucous leaves' stand 
up boldly against the breeze. 
Golden Spur is very early and practically over, but too* good 
a Daffodil to be omitted. One of the finest of the golden- 
yellow Daffodils, and one of the earliest, is Santa Maria. Glory 
of Leiden might have been mentioned amongst the giant 
yellows, for it is one of the largest of those put into commerce 
some years ago. Nor can we omit the old Narcissus maximus, 
which, though not the largest now', is still, perhaps, the biggest 
of the uniformly golden-yellow Daffodils. Some people have 
difficulty in flowering this type, especially in pots, those of 
garden origin responding more readily to the cultivator’s art. 
Amongst the half-trumpet types, N. Backliousei is still worthy 
of mention. 
CHALICE-CUPPED DAFFODILS, 
The various forms of N. incomparabilis still have their 
admirers and rearers either for cut flowers, for bedding pur¬ 
poses, or other forms of garden decoration. Few of them come 
up to the giant dimensions of Sir W atkin and Stella superba, 
yet have tueir several merits to recommend them. The first- 
named is particularly fine' at Long Ditto-n, by the side of the 
water-course. Gloria Mundi, with its widely bell-shaped 
orange crown, makes a distinct and handsome bedder. For 
real charm, however, it has two’ very close rivals in Lucifer 
and Vesuvius, the first of these having long white segments 
and an orange crown, and the latter sulphur segments, with a 
bell-shaped orange crown. Vesuvius is also later and dwarfer 
than Lucifer, both of these being relatively new. C. .1. Back¬ 
house is one of the earliest of those with an orange chalice, and 
still finds many admirers. Very pretty is Duchess of West¬ 
minster, having an orange edge to the crown and wlnte seg¬ 
ments. Beauty is also a, good form, which we must not- over¬ 
look, as it is grown in large quantities for bedding purposes. 
It has a bright orange rim to' the large crown. 
The Leedsii section, it may be remembered, are characterised 
by a delicate lemon crown, fading ultimately almost white. 
They differ chiefly in the length of the chalice and its colour. 
A new variety is The Sisterhood, so named because it carries 
two or three flowers on a stalk, this being quite uncommon in 
this section. Mountain Maid is a choice variety, with broad, 
overlapping segments, quite different from the starry character 
so common in this group. Una has an orange edge to' the 
crown, and certainly is pretty. On the other hand, Mrs. 
Langtry is even more delicately charming, as it has a soft 
yellow crown, which ultimately fades almost to- white, leaving 
just a yellow rim, and might be described as a, Pieotee-edged 
variety. The crown of Maggie May is uncommonly large, con¬ 
stituting practically the Sir Watkin of this group. 4 eiy choice 
also- is Katherine Spurrell, with broad, overlapping segments 
of good substance. Beatrice lias a soft apricot or stone-coloured 
crown, recalling Apricot amongst the trumpets. Gem has a 
darker yellow cup than most of the Leedsii type, and is also 
a very old one. 
One of the finest of the Barrii section is that named Lady 
Godiva, having white segments' and a. brilliant orange rim to 
the cup Barrii Sensation has also a bright-edged cup, but of 
very short duration Barrii Crown Prince is very handsome, 
as the orange colour extends almost to the base of the cup. 
The forms of Narcissus poeticus are always late, but several 
of them are already in bloom, including a beautiful new one 
named N. p. Almira, having a bright scarlet rim to the crown, 
and extending into the cup. A more striking distinction, 
however, for this type is the broad and overlapping character 
of the segments. 
The Best Flowering Plants at Kew. 
“ There are more plants in the garden than ye wot of.” 
Cymbidium lowianum. 
Closely allied to' C. giganteum, yet superior, this species 
forms one of the most striking objects in the Orchid houses. 
Its long, arching raceme, bearing eighteen to twenty-five large 
flowers, which remain in perfection during a long period, is 
very effective. Individual flower, 3 in. to 4 in. across, com¬ 
posed of somewhat similar sepals and petals of a greenish- 
yellow, veined with red, and a three-lo-bed lip, with a dark 
red-crimson pubescence near the apex. Native of Himalaya. 
Dendrobium fimbriatum oculatum. 
Though the typical fimbriatum is considered to- be the finest 
of orange- yellow Dendrobes, we assume that the eye-like mark¬ 
ings of this variety but enhance its appearance, this probably 
accounting partly for its more general cultivation. Native of 
Himalaya. 
Utricularia montana. 
Associated with the Orchids—that is, in the same house— 
the above well merits its position. In the West Indian Islands, 
where it is found, it grows as an epiphyte on the wet, mossy 
trunks of trees; hence in cultivation, given, moss, a teak-wood 
basket, and a warm, moist atmosphere, it luxuriates. Like its 
congeners, the “ Bladder-worts, it- produces ovoid, holloa 
green bladders on its fibrous roots. The erect, wiiy scape 
supports three or four large white, personate flowers, resem¬ 
bling those of Antirrhinum, having a- diameter of U in. The 
lower lip has a yellow palate. 
Erica persoluta alba. 
A desirable form of the Cape Heaths, attaining a height of 
12 in. to 14 in., bearing a profusion of white flowers in ter¬ 
minal clusters, on short lateral branclilets, which are highly 
artistic when utilised for the formation of sprays, wreaths, etc. 
Acacia verticillata. 
The “ wliorled-lea.ved Acacia” is at present the handsomest 
flowering plant in the Temperate House, where, from base to 
apex, fully a height of 10 ft., it is shrouded with bright yellow 
drooping globose clusters of flowers, which almost- hide the 
pungent-pointed phyllodia. Native of Australia. 
Polygala myrtifolia var. grandiflora. 
A graceful shrubby greenhouse plant, grown in 1 in. or 6 in. 
pots, it forms an acceptable subject for furnishing side stages. 
Naturally, it forms a much-branched shrub, with downy 
branches, 4 in. to 6 in. high, bearing terminal racemes of 
purple flowers mimicking in shape those of a leguminous plant. - 
Native of South Africa. 
Rhododendron racemosum. 
A dwarf alpine Rhododendron from the mountainous regions 
of Western China-, of comparatively recent introduction, indit¬ 
ing extended cultivation. Stem erect, having up to the present 
scarcely exceeded 2 ft. in height, with short, horizontal 
branches and oval, obtuse leaves 11 in. long, f in. broad, dull 
green, with dark spots, light margin and silvery reverse. The 
rose-coloured flowers, which are produced in terminal corymbs, 
are tubular-campanulate, with minute calyx. 
Fritillaria aurea. 
A charming little bulbous' plant somewhat resembling the 
native Meleagris in bulb and habit, but easily recognised by 
its dwarf stature and large campanulate flowers, yellow, viti 
distinct dark brown cross-bars and slightly tessellated insi i. 
A native of Asia- Minor, perfectly hardy and adapted for 1 10 
front of herbaceous borders. 
Muscari conicum. 
Decidedly the most effective of present flowering Muscaib- 
having a nearly cylindrical raceme fully 3 in. long, of numerous 
azure blue flowers, with a narrow 1 linae-like white margin 
Though its native country is unknown, it is perfectly liar } ■ 
and, grown in pans, it is a decided ornament to any g* ee11 
house. 
