March 18, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
•225 
cessory individuals contained a few fertile seeds. He regards 
this form of the Opium Poppy (Papaver* somniferum) as a 
distinct and constant variety which has been in cultivation 
for many years, reproducing itself constantly within limits, and 
obtainable from the seed merchants in the ordinary way. 
Similar instances occur in the Houseleek and Wallflower, 
and them also lie regards as true varieties to be obtained only 
from seeds of these forms. Fields of the ordinary forms would 
not produce it unless stray seeds of this particular variety had 
( r 0 t in the fields accidentally. We may mention that this change 
of the stamens into pistils also occurs amongst Willows, par¬ 
ticularly in Salix cinerea, less often in S. aurita. 
The chapter on the production of new species from Oeno¬ 
thera or Evening Primrose by hybridisation will also prove 
very interesting to botanical students. This fact we mentioned 
SO me time ago about the production of species from Oeno¬ 
thera by experimental treatment. The book includes twenty- 
eio-ht chapters all relating to plants to be found in gardens and 
in experimental or botanical gardens, which the author has 
utilised freely to prove the various theories which he under¬ 
takes. It would be impossible in a brief notice to do justice 
to the multitude of facts here collated and commented upon. 
Sparmannia africana. 
(See Supplement.) 
Four species of Sparmannia have been recorded and de¬ 
scribed by botanists with one exception, perhaps, which has 
only been named. Only one, however, has been introduced— 
namely, the subject under discussion, which was introduced 
from South Africa in 1890. It is the so-called African Hemp, 
and belongs to the Lime or Linden family, some members of 
which give fibres of a coarser or finer nature. 
The "subject of this note is grown purely for ornamental pur¬ 
poses and has found a place in many greenhouses and cool con¬ 
servatories in different parts of the country, though it is not 
given the treatment which always ensures a good display of 
flowers. It is usually grown in pots as a low bush, but we 
give an example of it as grown in the greenhouse at Ivew, and 
which seems to encourage a much greater development of 
flowers. It is grown as a standard with a clean stem of -4 ft, in 
height, on the top of which is a hemispherical head laden with 
flowers. It commenced flowering some time about the new 
year or earlier, and kept on producing flowers in succession 
for many weeks afterwards. The general effect of the flowers 
may be gleaned from our illustration, even if the structure of 
the flowers cannot so clearly be. made out owing to the small 
size, as a result of photographing the whole plant. 
The flowers are made up of four sepals and four obovate 
white petals, as may be seen from the back of a flower towards 
the lower right-hand corner of the picture. When the face of 
the flower is seen, it appears to 1 have a dark centre 1 , but that is 
the effect produced by the great brush of stamens filling up 
the centre 1 of the flower. These stamens are remarkable in 
form, and we have not seen anything else exactly like them. 
Many of the stamens are barren, and consist of yellow fila¬ 
ments, swollen towards the top, and covered with wart-like 
swellings of a purple colour. So> prominent are these stamens 
that they are both curious and interesting when the flower is 
closely inspected. The leaves are of large size, heart-shaped 
and unequally toothed at the sides, but. bearing a close resem¬ 
blance to a Lime, except in colour. They are hairy on both 
surfaces, which gives them a somewhat grey cast, recalling 
v hat we see in the Mallow family, to which this is not very 
distantly related. There is a double variety, with some of the 
stamens transformed into, white petals, making a globular, 
snowy mass. 
The plant is usually propagated by cuttings inserted in 
sandy soil and placed under a bellglass or in a. propagating 
case, as one would treat an Abutilon. The compost for the 
rooted plant may consist of good fibrous loam, with one-thircl 
to one-half of peat, to which silver sand is added sufficient, to 
ensure porosity. A cool house is perfectly sufficient for its 
welfare, but as it flowers in winter, a temperature of 50 deg. 
would meet all its requirement* and ensure the perfect dev 1 - 
ment of its flowers. Those who would prefer to flower it in 
spring or early summer can manage this by keeping it in a 
cool greenhouse and in a resting stage during the winter. 
Eupatorium ianthinum. 
At this period of the year, when our plant-houses are ablaze 
with the gorgeous display of forced shrubs and bulbous plants, 
one is apt to overlook other plants of equal beauty and 
attractiveness. Believing such is often the case, 1 have 
thought it worth while to pen a few lines concerning this hand¬ 
some species of Eupatorium, which at this season of the year 
is producing its inflorescence under normal conditions. This 
particular species was introduced from Mexico in the year 
1849, and in my estimation there are few Eupatoriums which 
can surpass in beauty and general usefulness the subject' of this 
brief note. As a decorative plant for the greenhouse, it is 
undoubtedly an acquisition and deserving of more extensive 
culture. 
E. ianthinum may be characterised by its woody growth 
and large deep green leaves of a leathery texture. The flowers 
are produced in terminal clusters which are of a delicate light 
purple colour. The whole plant attains to the height of about 
2 ft., and somewhat resembles a huge type of Ageratum. 
Success with the culture of this plant depends upon it being 
given a start in a warm house, where atmospheric conditions 
generally are favourable to- promoting a healthy growth but 
as the plants attain vigour and become established in their 
flowering pots, they may with immunity be removed to a more 
airy structure, where they may remain until about the end of 
September. After this date they should again be subject to 
a slightly increased temperature until the development of the 
flowers. While in flower an ordinary greenhouse temperature 
and the general conditions appertaining to such a house suit- 
them admirably. At all seasons of the year struct attention 
with regard to watering need be exercised, as neglect on the 
part of the cultivator in supplying the plants with plenty of 
moisture will cause them to become denuded of their lower 
leaves, which will greatly detract from the general appearance 
of the plants. Frequent applications of diluted liquid manure, 
soot water, and occasional top-dressings of some good artificial 
fertiliser are essential to the sustenance of the plants and the 
promoting of healthy foliage and dense clusters of flower's. 
Propagation may "be effected from cuttings obtained after 
the old plants have been cut back and started into growth 
again. The best method to adopt is to insert the cuttings 
singly in small 60’s, employing a light, sandy compost, and 
then subjecting them to a good bottom heat in the propagating 
case. When sufficiently rooted, pot on into 5-in. or 6-in. 
pots, employing for this larger shift, a compost of good fibrous 
loam, leaf-soil, and sand. Except for occasional stopping ot 
the shoots, which is necessary in order to procure neat, com¬ 
pact plants, their subsequent treatment should be earned out 
on the lines previously indicated. tr - 
Potato ninety-fold. 
I observe reference is made to Ninety-fold Potato on page 
99. This variety can hardly be relegated to the old order, 
for it is only just entering its eighth year of introduction. 
Further, being an early Potato, it cannot be expected to crop 
equal to maincrops, and the N.P.S. report draws attention to 
this point. For an early, Ninety-fold has hitherto been con¬ 
sidered an extremely heavy cropping variety, and when good 
seed is planted it is still so. . . 
Personally, however, I am not a great admirer of it. as l is 
apt to come coarse, and has a peculiar habit of producing 
tubers ornamented (or otherwise) by numerous knobs, which 
detract from its value as a market Potato. The past season 
produced the best Ninety-folds I have seen. The suggestion 
of the Editor re obtaining date of introduction was anticipated 
by the N.P.S. committee ; indeed, I observe a note to that 
effect on page 104. 
