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NOVELTIES AT THE METROPOLITAN EXHIBITIONS. 
NOVELTIES AT THE METROPOLITAN EXHIBITIONS. 
17JIHE June fetes of the Horticultural and Royal Botanic Societies were held, the latter on the 9th, the 
A former on the 12th ult., in both cases under very unfavourable conditions of weather. Indeed, so 
thoroughly wet an exhibition-day as that of the Royal Botanic Society we never remember to have 
seen; and this was the more to be regretted as the display of American plants, which has this year 
been very fine, was at the time in full beauty. The Horticultural Society’s day, though more favour¬ 
able, was so cold and cheerless as to very much limit the attendance. As to the objects of exhibition, 
both Societies were well supplied, though there was lacking the freshness of May. Thus the miscel¬ 
laneous groups, the Azaleas, the Orchids, and Roses, were not so fine as on the former occasions, 
while on the other hand, the Heaths were decidedly improved, and the Pelargoniums also were better 
developed. There were again some finely-grown Pansies in pots, and very creditable Pinks exhibited 
in a similar way. The display of fruits presented nothing extraordinary. 
The novelties produced at the Regent’s Park included some interesting plants. There was from 
Messrs. Henderson, of the Pine Apple Nursery, the very fine Gastrolobium calycinum , which promises 
to be a first-rate plant when brought under proper cultivation; and along with it, from the same 
source, a slender yellow-flowered bushy Gompholobium called Bidwillii. They also sent a very pretty 
novel Stylidium, bearing rosulate tufts of radical spathulate leaves, and pyramidal racemes of pink 
flowers of conspicuous size. Munronia javanica , a sweet and free-flowering dwarf white-flowered 
meliaceous stove shrub, came from Messrs. Rollisson of Tooting. Messrs. E. G. Henderson & Son sent 
the Pentarhaphia verrucosa , a pretty stiff 1 shrubby Gesnerwort, with small leathery leaves and scarlet 
flowers; and also a coarse stove perennial, with cream-coloured axillary gesneraceous flowers, called 
Nantylocalyx bracteatus. The fine Franciscea eximia was produced, but not in good condition. Indif¬ 
ferent plants of the very pretty Linaria reticulata , accompanied by a paler-flowered variety, and 
Armeria Welwitschii from Portugal, came from Mr. Stark, of Edinburgh. 
In addition to these, there were the Calodracon nobilis; a fine species of Ficus called imperialis and 
Jacaranda Caroba, the two latter from Messrs. Rollisson, and all plants remarkable for then- foliage. 
The most remarkable new Orchid was Dendrobium clavatum. 
At Chiswick, the finest novelty was unquestionably a species of Lcelia , called pmpurata, from 
Messrs. Backhouse of York, remarkable for the rich deep colouring of its lip, which is purple, paler, 
and veined towards the tip, the tube-like base yellow with purplish veins; the sepals and petals are 
flesh-coloured; it is from St. Catherine’s. Cleisostoma ? crassifolium, an insignificant plant, came from 
the same source ; also a Californian Diplacus, with nankeen-coloured flowers, which had been 
previously bloomed in one or two collections near London during the last autumn and present spring. 
Messrs. Standish and Noble sent a very pretty scarlet-flowered Chinese Lily, Lilium sinicum, in the way 
of L. concolor; and along with it two splendid evergreen Berberries, B. Beallii and B. trifurca, both 
having very large leathery pinnated foliage of the richest green, and expected to prove hardy 
Among the Cacti produced at this exhibition was one from Mr. Green, called C. crenatus grandi- 
Jlorus, a very striking kind, with creamy white flowers, the sepals being yellow and brown externally ; 
its stems are very broad, flat, and crenated. Messrs. Rollisson had a remarkably fine tuft of the Venus’ 
Fly Trap, Bioncea muscipula , exhibited beneath a large bell-glass. 
We noticed one or two fine seedling Fuchsias exhibited by Mr. Turner. One of these, Model, has 
very large flowers with bright coral-red well reflexed sepals, and a fine deep purple corolla ; another 
named Perfection had the flowers similar, but the plant appeared coarser in habit. There was also 
a seedling variegated Pelargonium, raised by Mr. Kinghorn, named Attraction , the peculiarity of 
which consisted in the presence of an irregular zone of red and brownish-purple interposed between 
the green centre and white margin of the leaves ; the flowers are cherry-coloured, produced in large 
trusses. Another useful kind for bedding was shown, the Titness Ivy-leaved, which has deep rosy 
crimson flowers. At the Regent’s Park, where Mr. Kinghorn’s Attraction was also shown, there were 
two others of the “ scarlet ” class with horse-shoe marked foliage, both likely to be useful for the flower- 
