PASSIFLORA ALATA SUPERBA.—THE CULTURE OF ALPINE PLANTS. 
PASSIFLOBA ALATA SITPEBBA. 
)P1L0WEBING specimens of the superb Passion-flower represented on the accompanying plate were 
A forwarded to us early in January last, under the name now adopted, by Messrs. Lucomhe, Pince, 
& Co,, of Exeter, from whom we learn that the plant, first introduced to England by Mr. Henderson 
of the Wellington Boad Nursery, was originally obtained from M. Meillez, of Lille, in France. It is 
described, by both Mr. Pince and Mr. Henderson, as being a much freer bloomer than P. alata , to 
which it is closely related, and of the general characteristics of which it largely partakes. Indeed, 
Mr. Pince describes his plant as being “ literally covered with flowers, blooming upon short spurs as 
well as on the long shoots, and perfuming the whole house.” It is, no doubt, a variety of garden 
origin, and probably a seedling from P. alata, but we have not ascertained its exact parentage. 
Though unable to describe the habit of the plant from personal observation, we can bear testimony 
to the extreme beauty of the blossoms, and to the noble foliage which it produces. In the specimen 
sent to us the.stem was quadrangular, with the angles slightly winged. The leaves were large, ovate, 
almost cordate at the base, slightly acuminate, attached by petioles which are furnished with one or two 
pairs of glands. The flowers are very showy, large, axillary (on the short lateral shoots produced from the 
axils of the upper leaves). The pedicels terete, and bearing an involucre of three ovate bracts, which 
are fringed with a few (one or two pairs) glandular teeth towards their base. The outer series of 
segments of the corolla or sepals are green externally, and of an ochreous-carmine within; the inner 
series of segments or petals are externally rose-crimson, tipped with greyish-blue, and on the inner 
surface deep carmine. The coronal filaments are purple, barred below crosswise with white, and in 
the upper parts mottled with white and purple. It is a most desirable stove climber.—M. 
Among stove climbing plants, this is certainly one of the most beautiful, and well deserves exten¬ 
sive cultivation. As pot plants, the large varieties rarely succeed well; but this being a very free 
blooming kind, probably would, if properly managed. Planted, however, in the corner of the bark 
bed, in the plant stove, they succeed admirably, and will cover, in a short space of time, an immense 
area of trellis. The Passifloras delight in a rich porous soil, such as two parts turfy loam, one leaf 
mould, anrl one turfy peat, with an abundance of charcoal and gritty sand. Previous to planting, the 
station for the plants should be thoroughly drained ; for though the plants delight in plenty of moisture, 
both to the roots and foliage, they do not like it in a stagnant state. The best time to plant out is in 
March ; and the stronger the plant is at the time, the greater the success that will attend it during the 
first season. The Passifloras, like all climbing plants, flower the better for not being too strictly 
trained; indeed, they should be allowed to ramble a little, and‘ the branches to hang in loose fes¬ 
toons. The only pruning is to cut the young wood boldly back at the close of the flowering season. 
With the roots planted in a little heat, on a tank, or in the plant stove, and the branches trained into 
the greenhouse, many of the Passifloras will flower beautifully in the greenhouse or conservatory in 
the summer months ,* and thus they may be viewed in a much more enjoyable temperature than in the 
damp plant stove. Before the plants commence growth in the spring, remove as much of the old soil 
from around the roots as possible, and replace it with proper compost. Liquid manure may also be 
applied occasionally. Through the growing season, Passifloras are propagated by cuttings of the half- 
ripened wood in sandy loam, the pots being placed in a brisk bottom heat.—A. 
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THE CLLTTTBE OF ALPINE PLANTS. 
THE PRIMULA. 
T HE genus Primula is an important one in Ornamental Gardening; and, indeed, the natural order 
to which it belongs is pre-eminently distinguished for the beauty and variety of its cultivated 
plants. Primula affords some of the prettiest things for flower-garden decoration that are at present 
in the hands of cultivators. The species, P. auricula, in its highly improved condition, maintains its 
character as a standard “ florists’ flowerwhile, in its unsophisticated form, it appears as a charm- 
