STROBILANTHES AURICULATUS. 
STROBILANTHES AURICULATUS. 
f HE order of Acanthads contains many pretty stove plants of the “soft-wooded” class, which, from 
their affording considerable variety, and from many of them being winter-bloomers, are desirable 
in gardens where conveniences exist for the cultivation of plants of this peculiar stamp. There are the 
Aphelandras, the Porphyrocomas, 
the Schauerias, the Eranthemums, 
the Goldfussias, the Beloperones, 
the Buellias, the Cyrtantheras, and 
many other family groups, all yield¬ 
ing species of a more or less orna¬ 
mental character; and though not 
quite so striking as some of these, 
there are some Strobilanths, such as 
S. Sabinicinus, and the subject of the 
present notice, which possess suffi¬ 
cient merit to claim admission, if 
only for variety’s sake. 
Strobilanthes auriculatus is a 
vigorous-growing branching plant, 
of from two to three feet high, hear¬ 
ing stem-clasping elliptic-oblong 
leaves, which are narrowed to the 
base, and strongly auriculate; they 
are hairy on both surfaces. The 
flowers come on short axillary 
branches, and issue, as is usual in 
this genus, from a spike of imbri¬ 
cated leafy bracts, which, having 
the character of a strobilus or cone, 
seem to have suggested the generic 
name. They are very pale blue, 
prettily veined, and when a consider¬ 
able number are expanded at one 
time, are rather attractive. Their 
defect is, that they individually fall 
too soon. 
The plant is a native of the East 
Indies. We have no exact informa¬ 
tion as to its introduction to this 
country. The plant was presented 
about twelve months since to the 
Chelsea Botanic Garden, by Messrs Henderson, Pine-apple Nursery, Edgeware Road. With us it 
has blossomed in February. 
Nothing can he easier to cultivate or increase. It grows vigorously in a stove, if potted liberally 
into a free compost, which should not be too rich. To develope its ornamental qualities, a good plant 
should be grown on through summer and autumn, and then allowed a short rest. The excitement of 
additional heat will then cause it to throw out the flowering branches. To produce smaller blooming 
plants, cuttings taken from a nearly matured growth, will usually branch into flower, as happened 
with that from which the accompanying sketch was taken.—M. 
STROBILANTHES ALRICL’LATUS. 
