STA 
STE 
basket, nor should the latter exceed six 
inches in depth. The soil should be 
rough lumps of fibrous peat and a small 
proportion of water moss; pieces of 
rotten wood or charcoal are good addi¬ 
tions, as they preserve the drainage, and 
the roots appear to derive much nou¬ 
rishment from them. The compost 
should be used as rough as is consistent 
with the size of the basket, fastening 
the outer pieces with wooden pegs, so 
as to have the exterior neatly finished. 
Stanhopeas require plenty of water 
while growing; the soil should be 
thoroughly soaked every day, and a 
slight syringing, or, what is better, a 
dense application of steam should be 
given morning and night. Most of the 
species form two growths in a year, 
and with proper management will also 
bloom twice, but some care is required 
to have the latter growths duly formed 
before the winter sets in, or there is 
much danger of their rotting. If an 
active state can be induced, about 
February the first pseudo-bulbs will be 
formed, and the flowers expanded about 
May, which leaves good time to com¬ 
plete the second accession. It is hardly 
possible to keep them to a single 
growth in a season, and is, therefore, 
better to start them early in the man¬ 
ner described; winter growths should 
be avoided by all possible means,, as 
they seldom or ever arrive at any 
strength; there are a few very trouble¬ 
some in this respect, from the long time 
they require after perfecting the pseudo¬ 
bulbs, for the production of the flower- 
spike. Such as these should be kept 
positively dry in a warm atmosphere, 
from near the completion of their 
growth till the flowers are seen. A 
temperature of from 70° to 85° will 
grow them best, and for the winter or 
resting period, from 55° to 60° is suffi¬ 
cient. They do not require to be 
frequently shifted, and when they are 
done should be placed, basket and all, 
into one larger, as it is impossible to 
remove them without injury to the 
roots. The following are a few of the 
best: Aurea, Bucephalus, Devoniana, 
eburnea, insignis, in. guttata, Martiana, 
M. bicolor, oezdata, and vars., quadricor- 
nis, tigrina and its varieties. 
STAPELIA (Linn.) Natural Order 
Asclepiadacene. This genus has, within 
these few years, been considerably re¬ 
duced, both in point of numbers and 
interest. Mr. Haworth and others 
having separated it into the following 
genera: Gonostemon, Hoodia, Huernia, 
Orbea, Piaranthus, Podanthes, Tridentea, 
and Tromotriche. Stapelia proper con¬ 
tains now about thirty species, all of 
which, together with the separations 
mentioned, are remarkable for the odd 
forms in which they grow, and rich 
colour, peculiar character, and generally 
fetid smell of their flowers. For cul¬ 
ture the whole may be referred to any 
of the sections of cactaceous plants. 
STATICE (Linn.) Natural Order 
Plumb aginacew. All the Sea Lavenders 
are pretty plants, on account of their 
numerous little flowers. The green¬ 
house species thrive in sandy loam and 
peat, with plenty of air and light; the 
best in this class are S. arborea, S. 
DicJcsonia, S. macrophylla , and S. gube¬ 
rnia, S. tetragona. The hardy kinds are 
effective ornaments in the front of mo¬ 
derately-sized borders, particularly such, 
Armeria, bellidifolia, glohdar folia, la- 
tifolia, and mucronata. S. limonium , the 
common Thrift, is a well-known substi¬ 
tute for Box as an edging to flower¬ 
beds. 
STENANTHEEA (E. Brown.) Nat. 
Ord. Ppacridaceee. A very beautiful 
greenhouse plant, is the only species, 
S. pinifolia, having brilliant scarlet flow¬ 
ers numerously produced. It should be 
treated in the manner of a Heath. 
STENOMESSON (Herbert.) Nat. 
Ord. Amaryllidacece. This is one of the 
finest sections of the order; the flowers, 
for the most part yellow, are produced 
in dense heads or clusters, and are large 
and showy. The bulbs should be potted 
early in spring into a compost of rich 
loam, leaf-mould, and sand. They require 
the ordinary management of such plants 
in an intermediate house, the tempera¬ 
ture of a stove being rather too much 
for them, while that of the greenhouse 
is not sufficiently exciting. In winter 
