May 20, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
415 
Notes on the Illustrations in this Issue. 
Berberis stenophylla. 
It often happens that artificial productions give better 
results in gardens than the natural ones, and this applies to 
the beautiful Barberry under notice, which was obtained by 
crossing B. empetrifolia with B. Darwinii. The first named is 
a. very dwarf and weakly growing shrub with narrow leaves and 
yellow flowers, but seldom seen outside botanic gardens. 
Darwin’s Barberry is a much stronger growing shrub, with 
oblong leaves of a variety of shapes and furnished with strong 
spines to the teeth. Although it cannot be described as either 
a weakly grower or a. tender one, it grows slowly, and is, we 
think, more neglected in gardens large and small than it ought 
to be, for a well-furnished bush is a handsome specimen with 
orange flowers followed by blue-black berries later on in the 
season, and sometimes by flowers produced by a second growth. 
B. stenophylla is intermediate between the parents, and has 
narrowly oblong, slightly toothed leaves with racemes of orange 
flowers produced in the axil of almost every leaf of last year’s 
growth or on the short spurs. The plant grows vigorously, and 
our illustration scarcely gives an idea of the length of the 
stems, because they always assume a strongly arching form, 
and while the bush may stand 3 ft. to 5 ft. high, the stems 
are really much longer. Our picture shows one of many bushes 
to be seen in the pleasure-grounds at Ivew not far from the 
Dropbridge Gate on the banks of the.Thames, 
and during May, sometimes even earlier, they 
are the glory of that part of the garden, and 
give the visitors much pleasure in seeing such 
a wealth of flowers producing such an effect, as 
far as the eye can see them. The orange 
flowers are so numerous as practically to con¬ 
ceal the foliage, which is of a rich dark green 
and evergreen. 
Several people have saved seeds from the 
berries of this hybrid, and the resulting seed¬ 
lings show a considerable amount of variation 
both in the foliage and the flowers, as they 
tend towards one or other of the parents. 
Very often the leaves are relatively broad 
when they diverge towards B. Darwinii. Both 
this Barberry and its parents have the sepals 
as highly coloured as the petals, making- 
twelve in all. Possibly also- this number may 
occasionally be increased, as is likely to 
happen in hybrid plants. They also tend to 
form a flower of globular shape, and when 
half expanded the coloured pieces are SO' 
numerous as to lead many to think the flowers 
are double, and accordingly attach flore pleno 
to the name. We have not, however, seen a 
truly double Barberry, nor do> we think that 
the seedlings raised from B. stenophylla are any improvement 
upon the original. 
T)ie best form of the bush and the most floriferous, we think, 
is that which is intermediate between the parents. It is as 
easily grown as the common Barberry, and being perfectly 
hardy should be planted in fully exposed positions so that the 
leathery evergreen leaves may get all the benefit of light and 
air. Possibly, also', a soil that is inclined to' be drv is con¬ 
ducive to flowering. At all events, wherever we have seen this 
Barberry in its most floriferous condition, it has been on sandy 
or gravelly soil, or that which is light and friable, thereby 
inducing the plant to complete its growth early and to ripen 
up the young wood. 
Those who select such a soil and position for their plants will 
be well rewarded during May with the splendid appearance 
of this evergreen shrub. Berries are freely produced later in 
the season, and though ornamental in themselves, scarcely 
produce the striking effect of the flowers in May. 
Lisochilus Mahoni. 
About the third week of April and for some time previously 
a new> Orchid flowered in the Victoria House at Kew. It may 
be regarded as one of the most stately of the family, although 
it would not be everybody’s Orchid. Some idea of its stately 
character may be gleaned from the illustration of the whole 
plant standing upon the floor and showing the leaves and 
flower-spike. It reached Kew from Uganda in 1902, and was 
collected by Mr. John Mahon while travelling in Uganda. 
ihe stem of the plant shown was 8 ft. high, and terminated 
by a raceme of about thirty flowers of large size even for this 
genus. The form of the flowers may better be seen in the 
picture showing the inflorescence on another column. The 
sepals are green, while the petals are large, obovate, soft lilac- 
purple, and turned downwards, so that they face the beholder 
when looking up to the flowers. The lip has green side lobes 
with a pale yellow prominent disc and a dark purple terminal 
lobe. The leaves are lanceolate, plaited, tapering downwards 
4 ft. to 5 ft. long and nearly erect. The features of the plant, 
then, are its stateliness, long leaves and large flowers, the 
showy parts of which consist of the petals and lip. 
The above is a much more stately plant than the closelv 
allied Eulophiella peetersiana, from Madagascar, and which 
was flowered by Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., and brought before 
the R.H.S. at the meeting on April 12th, 1898. That had a 
raceme of massive flowers on a scape 31, ft. to 4 ft. high. Liso¬ 
chilus Mahoni is double the height. 
O 
Noccaca stylosa. 
Among plants that can strike root into the narrow crevices 
and chinks of stonework or walls, and flourish in an almost 
perpendicular position in full exposure to the sun, the above- 
named plant must take first rank, and consequently may be 
looked upon as a most desirable plant for clothing old walls 
or rocky ledges. The habit of growth is close and compact, 
Die leaves small, and the flower-stalks so> short as to give an 
impression that the flowers spring from the foliage, so that 
even in wind-swept corners there is no fear of the plant being 
damaged. The leaves are dark green, and the flowers are 
mauve or lilac, the latter being oroduced with great freedom 
throughout spring and early summer. Yet another charm 
may be added to' those already indicated—that of a sweet, re¬ 
freshing perfume. Individual plants are not long-lived, but 
seed is abundantly produced and freely germinates in any 
fissure to which it may fall, so that when once established, a 
good stock is assured. The' plant is sometimes to be met with 
under the name of Iberis stylosa. 
IPhoto . J [aclaren and Sons 
Tiie Naerow-leaved Barberry (Berberis stenophylla). 
Heather Bell. 
