June  20,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
523 
Lecture  at  Ctiiswick. 
On  June  12th  Prof.  Geo.  Henslow,  M.A.,  Y.M.H.,  Ac.,  delivered  a 
lecture  on  “  The  Propagation  of  Plante  Without  Seeds.”  He  pointed 
out  that  roots  can  always  form  perfect  branches,  so  long  as  they  are  in 
a  oondition  to  do  so.  Elm  trees,  from  whose  roots  the  soil  has  been 
washed  away  (as  by  a  river’s  bank),  are  generally  covered  with  short 
but  perfeot  shoots.  In  one  case  branohes  had  sprung  up  from  Elm 
roots  to  a  distance  of  80  yards  outwards  from  the  base  of  a  tree 
that  had  been  blown  over.  When  roots  or  other  vegetative  organs  have 
over  and  over  again  produced  differentiated  structures,  these  tend  to 
become  hereditary.  This  fact  Professor  Henslow  emphasised  upon  his 
audience.  The  genus  Prunus  was  oited  as  being  remarkably  liable  to 
send  up  shoots  from  roots.  Here  the  habit  is  “in  the  blood,”  as  also  in 
Raspberries,  Gooseberries,  Rose,  and  Lilac.  Some  species  of  Thistles 
in  the  sun  it  produces  these  bulbils,  a  characteristic  which  thus  gives  it 
great  persistency.  The  golden  flowers  are  very  abundant,  and  are 
trimorphic,  like  the  Loosestrife  (Lythrnm  Salicaria). 
Few  of  us  recognise  the  beautiful  Gloxinias  under  their  revived 
name  of  Sinningia — S.  speciosa.  From  this  species  have  evolved  the 
large  selection  of  varieties  such  as  was  shown  in  Messrs.  Webb  and 
Sons’  group  (which  we  illustrate)  at  the  show  in  the  Inner  Temple 
Gardens  this  year.  The  revived  name,  however,  may  be  predicted  to 
remain  in  its  present  obscurity,  and  the  few  botanists  who  are  designated 
WEBBS’  GLOXINIAS. 
have  underground  stems,  even  to  the  depth  of  4  feet  (as  testified  by 
dried  specimens  brought  by  the  Professor),  and  every  part  of  such 
stems  are  able  to  produce  vegetative  buds.  Anemone  japonica  produces 
budB  on  its  roots.  The  Carex  in  another  well-known  example.  As 
a  rule  these  underground  rhizomatous  or  running  stems  are  associated 
with  light,  loose,  sandy  soils.  The  Potato  is  an  instance  of  a  stem 
whose  tip  has  one  way  or  another  become  arrested.  The  question  that 
requires  an  answer,  however,  is,  Why  do  not  the  tubers  elongate  when 
produced  in  a  light  loose  soil  ?  The  hereditary  influence  “  concentrated 
in  the  blood  ”  we  must  suppose  is  too  great  to  allow  this.  The  lecturer 
concluded  by  giving  a  full  and  interesting  description  of  Oxalis  oernua. 
This  little  plant,  of  which  cultural  notes  were  given  on  page  326,  is  a 
native  of  South  Africa,  and  grows  perfectly  well  on  the  chalky  cliffs  of 
the  island  of  Malta.  It  was  introduced  by  a  priest  named  Father 
Hyaointho  abmt  the  year  1806,  and  by  1820  had  spread  all  over  Malta 
and  Gozo,  even  unto  Egypt,  and  along  the  Mediterranean  littoral.  It 
reached  Gibraltar  in  1829,  and  in  all  these  places  it  is  most  difficult  to 
eradicate.  It  produces  long,  thin,  thread-like  rhizomes,  which  are 
remarkably  prone  to  develope  bulbs.  Even  when  uprooted  and  plaoed 
as  “purist8”in  this  matter  of  nomenclature  can  enjoy  their  chosen 
name,  while  nine-tenths  of  cultivators  and  others  will  never  know 
any  other  name  than  the  pleasant  one  under  which  we  write. 
At  Wordsley,  near  Stourbridge,  Messrs.  Webb  &  Sons  take 
great  pains  to  maintain  their  superior  strain  of  these  tender  exotics 
in  the  highest  state  of  perfection.  Size,  form,  substance,  colouring,  and 
prolificness  in  throwing  and  continuing  to  throw  up  blooms,  together 
with  sturdiness  and  good  habit,  are  the  objects  held  in  view.  Many 
houses  of  a  suitable  nature  are  devoted  to  the  growing  of  large  batches 
of  Gloxinias,  so  that  from  such  a  numerous  selection  there  is  scope 
for  the  seed-selector  and  hybridiser  to  bring  forth  new  and  improved 
tvpes.  The  form  has  been  altered  within  recent  years,  till  now  the 
flowers  are  almost  perfectly  bell-like,  velvety  or  smooth  in  texture, 
as  the  case  may  be,  and  many  magnificent  self-coloured  and  spotted 
named  varieties  are  now  offered.  But  where  the  strain  is  so  good 
and  affords  so  much  variation  there  is  little  need  to  choose  individual 
sorts.  Still,  folks  always  have  epecial  favourites,  and  the  naming  is 
essential  if  exact  selections  have  to  be  furnished. 
