THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 8, 1904. 
801 
umbrella-like leaves. The rare and interesting British plant, 
Pilularia, globulifera, lxasi thoroughly established itself on the 
margins and crept some distance into the bog, and fruits so 
freely that an abundance of specimens is obtainable for the 
botanical classes. 
Summer bedding is not very extensively carried out here, as 
other parts of the city are well supplied in this respect. There 
are, however, some fine beds of Calceolaria amplexicaulis mixed 
with early flowering Chrysanthemums; Calceolaria Golden 
Gem mixed with Carnation®; also Fuchsias and Antirrhinum®, 
Fuchsias alternating with Lobelia Firefly on a ground of Har¬ 
rison’s Musk ; yellow, crimson, white and copper" coloured An¬ 
tirrhinums mixed with Calceolaria amplexicaulis; Lobelia 
Queen Victoria spaced about amongst bicolor Pelargoniums 
and other subjects used for edgings. Violas have been freely 
used, and are practically always a success in the northern, parts 
of the island owing |o the cool, moist atmosphere. 
While passing through the grounds-we noted a specimen of 
Araliu chmemsis 9 ft, high, and preparing to flower. An in¬ 
teresting bed was furnished by Veronica, lycopodioides with 
leave® more like a. Lycopod and very unlike what wei should 
expect ini a Veronica. We had no time to inspect the trees 
and shrubs generally, but we learned that Pinus austriaea 
about 30 .ft, high was the best Conifer in the gardens. This 
latter tree was, pointed out to us by Mr. Christopher Sherry, 
who has charge of the herbaceous department and is enthu¬ 
siastic over tire plants under his care. 
We. were next banded over to Mr. James Bourke, who is in 
charge of the indoor department, and in whose company we 
made a, tour of the plant house. The stove was occupied with 
a large number of the plants that are popular at, the present 
day for the embellishment of that department, so that it is 
unnecessary to give the names of them in detail, but we were 
pleased to. And them all in excellent-condition.. Several in¬ 
teresting plants further took our attention, including a. fine 
specimen of Carludovica palmata, from the fibres of which 
Panama hats are made. A very uncommon plan t in bloom was 
Tillandsia tessellata, bearing a. large panicle of flowers, and 
standing 5 ft, high. Usually it is grown for the sake of its 
foliage. On the roof we found plants of Clerodendron splen¬ 
dent and Aristolochia braziliensis, both of which were ini bloom. 
The same might be said of Begonia, President Carnot, At one 
of the ends of the house was a batch of Weeping Coleus used 
for edging stages and for hanging basket®. Tliei stems of this 
variety hang down, naturally, while the. yellow leaves have a 
triangular red blotch ait the base. 
The aroid house is, well filled with a great variety of subjects 
to which this structure is usually devoted, and amongst them 
we noted some splendid specimen® of Anthuriums, notably A. 
a,caule, with leave® 3 ft, long and 15 in. wide; A. Waluiewi, 
with arrow-shaped leaves 4 ft, in, length, including the leaf and 
blade.; and A. crystaHinum, which was also in excellent condi¬ 
tion. A well-grown plant of Calathea veitohiana had beauti¬ 
fully marked leaves 2 ft, in, length. 
The Water Lily house was also well filled with a great 
variety of subject®, and interesting withal. From the roof were 
suspended some splendid specimens of Pitcher Plants, includ¬ 
ing Nepenthes mixta, with pitchers 6 in. to, 8 in. long exclu¬ 
sive of the lid; N* dioksonianu,, a,Iso with handsome, pitchers, 
and a tall specimen, of N. mastersiana,, flowering freely. It was 
rather late in the season for the Nymphaeas in this house, but 
N. amazonica, was still opening its white flowers. A very strik¬ 
ing plant, not often seen in cultivation was Cochliostema jacob- 
infana., with the base of the pot, immersed in the water of the 
tank and flowering freely. Other water plants included 
Cyperus Myendorfii, Salvinia and Eichornia. 
In one of the Fean, houses we noted some interesting speci¬ 
mens in a, healthy and attractive condition, including the broad- 
leafed Davallia platyphylla,, and the miniature. D. alpina, with 
frond® only 2 in. or 3 in. long, including their stalks. Varie¬ 
gated Ferns are grown in, various gardens in some numbers, 
but we have seldom seen Adiantum cu neat um variegatum in 
such fine condition, as here, the fronds being 12 in. to 18 in. 
high. The. glaucous leaves of Polypodium Mayi were in very 
fine condition. On the roof of this house was a large specimen 
of Asparagus resembling a small-leafed A. Sprengeri, b ut pro¬ 
ducing longer drooping shoots than that species usually does. 
The.se branches were profusely laden with strongly-scented 
white flowers, the scent being most notable in the morning. 
The economic house contains a number of interesting plants 
of economic, value from various countries. These are not 
grown in pots, but planted out in the body of the house and 
severely cut back in February to keep them within bounds. 
The result of this treatment is that the plants make very 
vigorous and healthy growth during the season,, giving the 
plants a, fresher and more interesting appearance than small 
specimens grown in pot®. On the roof of the house was a 
large specimen of Passiflora quadrangularis, bearing a large 
number of its sweetly fragrant fruits and a,t the same time 
carrying a crop of its remarkable blossoms with the long red 
and violet filament® forming the corona of this peculiarly con¬ 
st,ructed flower. In another part of the'garden was a hybrid 
between, the above specie® and Passiflora Constance Elliott, 
Several of the species of Ficus were interesting on account of 
the fine development, of the foliage. This would apply to F. 
religiosa, with its long-tailed leaves, and F. australis, with 
oblong leaves 12 in. to 16 in. in length. The pot specimen! 
of F. diversifolia was notable for the freedom with which it 
produces its fruits, these being about the size of Peas. The 
Guava, also fruits well here, and Vanilla planifolia, from which 
the commercial article is produced, was also fruiting. A flue 
specimen of Piper Cubeba was trained up a pillar. 
The collection of Selaginellas is very extensive, and include® 
many fine species and some rare ones, the latter including S. 
haemaitodes, S. atroviridis and S. graiidis, the last-named being 
the most striking and most uncommon. Usually it is grown 
under a handlight or case, but in this instance was in fine 
condition without any such protection,. Many of the better- 
known species were grown in pots and pans, while S. unoinata 
was trained over a piece of stem of a tree Fern, and showed 
off its. beautiful steel-blue colour to advantage. 
© 
In the Palm house are many interesting plants, some of 
which only occasionally find their way into, private establish¬ 
ments. We refer to, such as the Giant, Bamboo (Dendrocahv 
mus giganteus), and the true Banana (Musa, sapientum) which 
bears purple fruits. The highly ornamental Vitis peaidula, has 
leaves made up of five leaflets. A fine specimen of Sabal 
Blackburnia.na carried a large panicle of green fruit®, while 
the huge leaves reached right up to the roof of this tall house. 
A tall specimen of Brownea Ariza, here known as Talasia 
Priniceps, also reaches up, to the roof. 
The succulent house is also, well filled and in better condition 
than when we saw it last some years ago. The more prominent 
subjects consist of specie® of Aloes, Gasterias, Ma,miliarias, 
Opuntias, Agaves, Euphorbia®, etc. The smaller plants first 
named are grown in po.tsi, but, many of the latter are planted 
out and have made splendid growth. 
There are several cool houses, in, one of which we noted a 
free-fruiting Solanum named S. Balbesi, with orange-scarlet 
fruits and blush flowers produced in a long succession. Coiy- 
dalis thaliotrifolia has found its way here and flowers 
.splendidly. The same might be said of the Baby Primrose 
(Primula Forbesii). A grand specimen of Witsenia oorymbosa 
measured 4 ft. each way, and w r as well laden with its blue 
flowers. It is an example of an old-fashioned plant that might 
he reinstated to. our greenhouse® for the sake of the beautiful 
blue, flowers it produces, and the remarkable habit, of the plant, 
which might be described a® a shrubby member of the Iris 
family. In the next compartment we came upon a light purple- 
flowered Pass ion-flow er with violet and purple corona- This 
was named Passiflora Munroi, whose parentage was quadrang- 
ularis x caerulea, and having remarkably fragrant flowers. 
A splendid specimen, of Lapageria rosea may he seen here cover¬ 
ing the whole of the roof of one house. Two pyramidal speci¬ 
mens of Rhododendron Gibsonii, grown in tubs., stand 10 ft- 
high, and must make splendid objects for the house in spring 
when in. bloom. 
