510 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
June 18, 1904. 
On the Editor’s Table, Plants Recently Certificated 
Embothrium coccineum. 
At the present the above is, perhaps, the most popular 
member of the Proteaoeae in British gardens. Most of them 
require greenhouse treatment, and that would apply to the 
Embothrium in some parts of Britain, but it is so nearly 
hardy that it may be successfully grown upon, wall® and in 
sheltered places in the more favoured districts of the south 
and west of England, possibly also in the favoured parts of the 
west coast of Scotland. Our correspondent, Mr. T. H. Bolton, 
Baron Hill Gardens, Beaumaris, North Wales, sends us some 
well-flowered specimens which he obtained in some quantity 
from Valencia Island, Killamey. Tire flpwers of this species 
are very freely produced in short dense racemes along the 
side of last year’s branches. The flower itself is scarlet, but 
this falls off after 1 a certain time, leaving the ovary 
and style exposed. These latter portions, together 
with the pedicels 1 , are orimsonbred 1 , so that even when 
the flower has fallen for some time the beauty of the 
shrub is maintained by these parts. The flowers are so 
freely produced that the more persistent portion® are 
very effective. 
When seen at a little distance off the shrub resembles 
a Honeysuckle, and some people take it for one. The 
leaves are oblong, dark green above, and decidedly 
glaucous beneath, so that both the- leaves! and flowers 
may not inaptly be compared to 1 a Honeysuckle. Those 
in favoured parts of the country will find in, it a very 
interesting subject for planting in sheltered situations. 
It, is well worthy of a place, however, in the greenhouse 
or cold conservatory where such protection is necessary. 
The specimen from which our illustration was pre¬ 
pared was given us by Mr. G. Reuthe, Hardy Plant 
Nursery, Heston, Kent, who lias been making an effort 
for some tune past to bring this splendid shrub to the 
notice: of the British public. Those in favoured districts 
would be doing horticulture a service by establishing 
the shrub' wherever it is capable of flourishing, and 
serve to relieve the moniotony that, is too often per¬ 
mitted to prevail in collections of hardy and half-hardy 
flowering shrub®. Every plant successfully established 
would be a, fresh triumph in thei cause. 
Parasitic Progress. 
Dr. Reynolds 1 Green, F.R.S., traces in “ Knowledge ” 
the growth and development of Parasitism, of which 
the most complete instance in the British flora, is the 
common Dodder. The plant infests many herbaceous 
plants, especially clover. The -seed germinates on the 
ground, and the young embryo twine® itself around 
some neighbouring stem. Having established its hold, 
it forsakes the ground, and in all itsi subsequent growth 
it twinie® more and more fully round its host. The 
long twining stem bears no leaves, and contain® no chlorophyll. 
At intervals along its course it, put® out sucking root-like 
filaments, which perforate the host and set up a close union 
between the tissues of the two-. So fed, the Dodder flowers 
and seeds altogether at the expense of its host. Our own. flora 
shows us no more complete instance of a parasite than this. 
In some tropical areas a, parasite can be met with which lives 
entirely wrapped up inside the tissues of its host. The de¬ 
gradation, of its structure is complete, for its anatomical com¬ 
plexity is reduced to a very close resemblance to the hypal 
network of a fungus. Here and there an, outgrowth of the 
plant penetrates the surface of the host plant, and develop® 
with a flower, which in, some eases has an, enormous fleshy 
body. Tire parasitic habit now dominate® the plant; 'it lives 
only to produce its flower, it has lost all trace of normal struc¬ 
ture, it obtains, everything from the internal tissues, of its 
host, and stands before u® indolent, atrophied, 'and yet 
triumphant. 
By the Royal Botanic Society. 
June 8th. 
Odontoglossum wilckeanum albens Kosslyn var. 
The sepals of this handsome variety have two very large 
chocolate blotches nearly covering them. The petals are 
lozengetshaped, slightly jagged at the edges, and furnished with 
numerous chocolate blotches on a, white ground. The lip also 
has a rich chestnutr-red blotch in front of the crest and smaller 
one® on, the side®. First-class Certificate to H. T. Pitt, Esq. 
(gardener, Mr. W. Thurgood), Rosslyn, Stamford Hill. 
Odontoglossum crispum Princess Victoria. 
The flowers in this instance are of large size, with broad 
overlapping segments. The sepals are blotched with brownash- 
EMBGTHBIUM COCCINEUM : FLO WEE'S SCAELET. 
purple nearly all ever. The petals are triangular and white, 
with numerous round brownish-purple spots. The lip has about 
seven chestnutdrlotcbes about the crest,. First-class Certificate 
toH. T. Pitt, Esq. 
Odontoglossum wilckeanum The Alake. 
Here again the flower® are of large size, and the sepals have 
three warm brown bands' running across them on creamy white. 
The petals are lanceolate, jagged a,t the edges', and white, with 
a large group of circular brown spots. Award of Merit to 
II. T. Pitt, Esq. 
Odontoglossum crispum Ace of Trumps. 
The sepals and ovate toothed petals 1 are blotched with 
brownish-purple on the centre of each, and tinted with rose on 
the back. The plant carried a fine spike. Award of Merit 
to H. T. Pitt, Esq. 
Odontoglossum Adrianae Minikin. 
The round flowers of this variety have a few chocolate 
