The NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

JANUARY, 1947 The American Horticultural Society PRESENT ROLL OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS April, 1946 OFFICERS President, Dr. David V. Lumsden, Silver Spring, Md. First Vice-President, Mr. Wilbur H. Youngman, Washington, D. C. Second Vice-President, Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss, Washington, D. C. Secretary, Dr. Charlotte Elliott, Lanham, Md. Treasurer, Mr. J. Marion Shull, Chevy Chase, Md. DIRECTORS Terms Expiring 1947 T l'1'11lS Expiring 1948 Mrs. Robert Fife, New York, N. Y. Mrs. Walter Douglas, Chauncey, N. Y. Mrs. Mortimer J. Fox, Peekskill, N. Y. Mrs. J. Norman Henry, Gladwyne, Pa. Mr. B. Y. Morrison, Takoma Park, Md. Mrs. Clement S. Houghton, Chestnut Hill, Mr. Kenyon Reynolds, Pasadena, Calif. Mass. Dr. Donald Wyman, Jamaica Plain, Mass. Dr. E. J. Kraus, Chicago, Ill. Mrs. Arthur Hoyt Scott, Media, Pa. ----- HONORARY VICE-PRESIDENTS Mr. George Lawrence, Pres., Dr. Ira N. Gabrielson, Pres., American Uegonia Society, American Ruck Carden Society, 447 N. Hidalgo Ave., Investment Bldg., Alhambra, Calif. Washington, D. C. Dr.- H. Harold HUllle, Pres., American Camellia Society, Mr. John Henny, Jr., Pres., University of Florida, American Rhododendron Society, Gainesville, Fla. Brooks, Oregon Mr. Thomas J. Newbill. Pres., American Delphinium Society, Dr. Charles Vernon Covell, Pres., 234 S. 13raina~d Ave., American Rose Society, La Grange, lllinois 1419 Droadway, Dr. Frederick L. Fagley, Pres., O

SOCIETIES AFFILIATED WITH THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 1946 Akron Garden Center, American Rose Society, 226 South Main St., Dr. R. C. Allen, Secy., Akron. Ohio Box 687, Harrisburg, Pa. . Bonne Terre Garden Club, ArlingtQn County Garden Club, Mrs. Robert Moran. Secy., Mrs. Lewis H. Weld. Pres., Donne Terre, Mo. 6613 N. Washington Blvd., Bristow Garden Club, East Falls Church, Va. M n. R. L. J ones, Pres., American Begonia Society. Box 660, Bristow. Okla. Mr. George Lawrence, Pres., California Garden Clubs, Inc., 447 Hidalgo Ave., Mrs. J. A. Simmington, Alhambra, Calif. 870 Chida Vista Ave., Pasadena. Calif. American Fuchsia Society, Ca1i£ornia Horticultural Society, Headquarters : Calif. Acad. of Sciences, Miss Cora R. Brandt, Secretary, Golden Gate Park, 300 Montgomery St., San Francisco, Calif. San Francisco, Calif.

PUblica tion Ofti ce. 82nd St. aDd Elm A\'e.. Balt.lmore. Md. EDtered a. second·c1uB mOlter JaDuao 27. 1932. a' tbe Post Oftice at Baltimore. Md .. UDder tbe Art of Augu8t 24. 1912. Chestnut Hill Garden Club, Georgetown Garden Club, Mrs. Bryan S. Perman, Treas., Mrs. Carroll Greenough, Pres., 41 Crafts Rd., 1408 31st St., N. W., Chestnut Hill, Mass. Washington, D. C. Chevy Chase (D. C.) Garden Club, Goldthwaite Garden Club, Mrs. Edward J . Mullins, Pres., Mrs. Mary H. Winsor, 5315 28th St., Goldthwaite, Texas. Chevy Chase, D. C. Chicago Horticultural Society, Greeley Garden Club, US So. La Sall e St., Nir. J. E . Looney, Chicago 3, Ill. Ch. of Horticulture, Chico Horticultural Society, Greeley, Colo. 1144 W. 3rd St., Hamilton Garden Club, Chico, Calif. Mrs. L. D. Bratton, Pres., Civic Garden Club of Denver, Inc., Hamilton, Texas Mrs. Charles L. Bend, Pres., Hawthorne Flower & Garden Club. 2272 Jasmine St., Mr. L. C. Zimmerman, Denver 7, Colo. 7912 Cermak Rd. & 48th St., Colorado Federation of Garden Cl ubs, Inc., Chicago 23, Ill. Miss Effie Hext, Librarian, 218 East 8th Ave., Home Garden Club of Denver, Denver 3, Colo. Mrs. William P. Mellen, Pres., Community Garden Club of Bethesda, 4864 Tennyson St., Mrs. A. C. Ehlshlager, Pres., Denver, Colo. 13 Albemarle St., I. B. M. Country Club, Washington 16. D. C. RR No.2, Johnson City, N. Y. Dallas Garden Club (Founders' Group), Kendall Garden Club, Mrs. Fred LuclCh3'ber, Miss Edith M. Edgerton, Secy.-Treas., Maple Terrace. Rt. 3, Box 568, Dallas 8, Texas Portland 6, Ore. Fauquier & Loudon Garden Club, Mrs. Warren Snider, Pres., Lake Forest Garden Club, Leesburg, Va. Lake Forest, Ill. Federated G.c. of Cincinnati and Vicinity, Longmont Garden Club, Mrs. W. R Grace, Sr., Pres., Callahan House, Terry St., 7911 Hamilton Ave., Longmont, Colo. Mt. Healthy 31, Ohio. Men's Garden Club of Phoenix, Forest Hills Garden Club, Mr. Maurice J. Bradford, Pres .. Mrs. H. Norair, Pres., Rt. 1, Box 826, 2936 Albemarle St., N. W., Phoenix, Ariz. Washington, D. C. Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati, Michigan Horticultural Society, Walnut and Central Parkway, Mr. Earl Bailey, Exec. Sec'y, Cincinnati 10, Ohio 2201 E. Jefferson Ave., Garden Center of Greater Cleveland, Detroit 7, Mich. East Boulevard at Euclid Ave., Midwest Horticultural Society, Cleveland 6, Ohio 100 North Central Park Blvd., Garden Center Institute of Buffalo, Chicago 24. Illinois 1500 Elmwood Ave., Northern Nut Growers Assn., Buffalo 7, N. Y. Mr. Clarence A. Reed, Pres., Garden Center, 7309 Piney Branch Rd., N. W ., Youngstown Public Library. Washington 12, D. C. Youngstown 3, Ohio Garden Club of Alexandria, Pittsburgh Garden Center, Mrs. Richard P . Williams, Schenley Park, Episcopal High School Pittsburgh 13, Pa. Alexandria, Va. Rock Garden Society of Ohio, Ga rden Club of Danvill e, Mrs. H. O. Wendal, Treas., Danville, Va. 2811 Shaffer Ave., Garden Club of Fairfax, \ i\T est wood, Cincinnati, Ohio Mrs. Edward Howrey, Pres ., San Antonio Garden Center, Burke, Va. Witte Museum, Ga rden Club of Gloucester, San Antonio, Texas Mrs. N. S. Hopkins, Librarian. Nuttall, Va. South County Garden Club of Rhode I sland. Ga rden Club of Virginia, Mrs. Rush Sturges, Pre .. :lvIrs. C. James Andrews. Pres., Wakefield, R I. 929 Graydon Ave., State Agricultural Society, Nor folk 7, Va. P. O. Box 2036, Ga rden Club of lvIo rristown. Sacramento, Calif. Mrs. Warren Kinney, Takoma Horticultural Cl ub, Chairman of Hort., A. C. Barret, Pres., Lee's Hill Farm 4719 Brandywine St., N. W., Morristown, N. J . Via hingtoll, D. C. .' C ol/Ii'llled (II/ II/side baclz cover) The National Horticultural Magazine

Vol. 26 Copyright, 1947, by THE A;\[ER,~ CAN HOR,TIC'ULTURAL SOOIETY No.1

JANUARY, 1947

CONTENTS PAGE The Greenhouse as a Workshop. ALIDA LIVINGSTON ______.______1 Yankee Treasure. CAROL J EA N GRIi\-rSHA W ______5 Boophone and BrurJ.svigia. L. S. HANNIBAL ______7 Cascade Palms in Southern Mexico. O. F. COOK ______10 Rooting Rex Begonia Cuttings by Hydroponics. GEORGE B. FURNISS ______35 Rock Garden Notes: • Primulas for Shaded Areas. VVALTER C. BLASDALE. ______41 Rhododendron Notes: Double Azaleas. FREDERIC P . LEL ______42 Azalea, G. L. T ABER ______45 Rho do de'l1 d r 017 sea b1"u1n ______48 Narcissus Notes: Daffodil Notes from OklahomL ______49 Three 0 range-c upped N arciss us ______:______53 Cacti and Succulents : Three Interesting Succulents ______54 Increased Interest in E llfope ______c______56 Three Interesting Echeverias ______58 Dis pia yi ng .s uccu Ien ts inFlow er S how s ______:______60 Desert B 0 tan ica 1 Gar dell ______62 i\ Book or Two ______64 The Gardener's P ocketbook: Lapeyro'Ms-ia CTbt enta and cru.enta alba. L..s. HA NN IBAL ______67 Daphne t atJ1,g~ttica. F. L. SI

Lili1J1111, pumiZ,M11IL. ELDRED E. GREE N______~______76 Cornflower or Bachelor's B u ttons.______76 COCkSC0l11 bs ______.______.______.______78

Published qua rter ly by Th e Ameri can Horticultul'al Society. Publication offi ce, 32nd St. and E lm Ave., Baltlm?re, . Md. Editorial offi ce, Room 821, W'ashington Loa n and Trust Building, Washington, D. C. Contnbuhons from all members are cordially invited and should be sent to the Editorial office. A .subscription to the magazine is included in the anIlual dues to all member s ; to non-members the prlce ]8 seventy -fi ve cents a cOPY. three dollars a year. [ii] The National Horticultural Society Volume T wenty... Six

Washington, D. C. 1947 •

Copyright American Horticultural Society, 1947 . I

Robert L. Taylor [Sec paw 14 ]

Carolina las'l1Iille, Gelse'i'I'liu'/'JI sr;l17peTvire lls The Greenhouse as a Workshop

ALIDA LIVINGSTON

There are so many possibilities in arts the English and Chinese excel, greenhouse work, and all of them fasci­ and their instructions read like recipes nating, I wish I could have many lives · for cooking elaborate dishes. I have and try them each in turn. Size, heat, been tempted by the thought of chrys­ expense, time and taste are not limita­ anthemum plants six feet wide carrying tions but act rather as gui des to par­ two hundred blossoms, three foot ti cular projects. cherry trees looking like red vyramids In Colonial days my great-great­ of fruit, well-Iadened grape vines light grandfather had exotic plants tucked and compact enough to come right on away in his cargoes of silks, spices and to the dinner table, old twisted plum Lowestoft; once he received a little trees growil1g and flo wering in dainty ornamental tree with jade green ap­ porcelain bowls, sacred lilies, the bulbs ples, growing in a cloisonne pot. He skilfully sliced to produce crowded thought it came from Persia, was ten­ blossoms in curved horizontal tiers. der and probably poisonous, and not Vvhatever its destiny the greenhouse till it grew and grew, threatening to should be supplemented .by cold frames. burst the XVIIIth century gree11house, Here seedlings started for the summer did he cast it out and learn its true garden go through a transition period, value-it was the Rhode Island Green­ choice young perennials and shrubs mg. winter safely and sometimes go on de­ A hundred years ago 111 y grandfather veloping for a year or two; and here laboriously grew pineapples and ba­ cold-loving plants like pansies, forget­ nanas under acres of glass, and to the me-nots and wallflowers, are lightly delight of his childnw, served those frozen in autumn and early winter be­ rare delicacies to unenthusiastic guests fore being brought into the greenhouse who politely cut up rnorsels and silent­ for a premature spring. ly chewed on the peel. A propagating box is a useful device. Of the two extremes, the warm, Mine is just large enough to hold two damp, tropical house, and the unheated flats and a few pots, sitting on a wood­ Alpine house, I am completely ignor­ en platform surrounded with glass but ant. The cool greenhouse (40-50 night open on top; under this a shallow tray temperature) threatens to absorb my of water, and at the bottom two small life, fo r its possibilities are infinite. As old fashioned kerosene lamps with described by Mr. Sutton it is an orna­ chimneys, to heat the water in the tray. ment, a private fl ower-show the year This arrangement provides bottom 'round, changing with the seasons. It heat for rooting cuttings, and extra may be used to grow pot plants and warmth at little expense for such seeds cut fl owers to decorate the house. In as require it. it, horticultural sleight-of-hand may be I am fortunate that my greenhouse practised, turning out such tricks as is alm ost a part of my house, being potted fruit trees. and all kinds of connected by a glass enclosed passage, standards and specimen plants ; in these which not only makes it comfortable [1] 2 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947 to go there at all hours and in all friends, those insidious little advertise­ weathers, but provides a perfect win­ ments on the back page of horticultural tering place fo r plantings of young lily publications, and the lure of faraway bulbs and such seeds as must have a places. Some things like white Aga­ cold start. panthus sound beautiful and unusual; I have made Cascade chrysanthe­ Amaryllis, though they may only bloom mums and the easier standards, such as in time to cheer myoId age, are not fuchsias, heliotropes and geraniums, to be resisted; Strelitzia possibly is and I have grown the easier pot plants, even slower to reach maturity, but it primroses, chrysanthemums, nemesias, is a frivolous game to wakh the large schizanthus, cinerarias and cydamen; seeds- only partially covered and cut flowers, like carnations, gerberas, barely moist-until one day the attrac­ forget-me-nots, pansies, and various tion of bottom heat draws out the stout annuals. Then pots of daffodils and root, causing it to grow incredibly tulips dug out in January were brought fast and push up the seed still inno­ in to be gently urged into bloom. It cent of green. So I have experimented was very pleasant and reasonably suc­ with ~reen h o u se subj ects, summer cessful. I still have chrysanthemums, bulbs and tub plants. and most of all gerberas and cyclamen. with shrubs, hardy perennials and The war changed things-there was bulbs. Here is an account of a few of more to do and less time to do it in; these ventures. no extra help ever to be had, fuel was In 1940 I saw an advertisement of scarce and uncertain, and maybe a dif­ shrub seeds from a well known English ferent spirit came too. so the green­ firm. and after considerable corre­ house changed into a workshop given spondence they came tightly packed in over to experiments in plant propaga­ the oldest cigarette box, (tin at that tion. Half the space and more than time was rarer than gold and silver ), half the time and wo rry ha been given and heavily insured against "loss to lilies, but that is a separate story and through enemy action. " From that old a long one. cigarette box have grow n many species Cuttings have been rooted and grown lilacs. Swegillzo'wii, Tif' olft, reftexa - on, shoots of fancy lilacs begged or in England they call Refl exa Yunnan- . stolen-these are difficult; yews, very ensis Rosea, so I was agreeably sur­ easy; dwarf spruce from winter-broken prised to see an old friend when it branches, an assortment of fuchsias bloomed last summer-a great diver­ and geraniums, both flowering and sity of cotoneasters, dwarf, tall, ever­ scented; thymes, oleanders, fragrant greell and deciduous some quite un­ daphne, rosemary, and such like, but known to me, all apparently perfectly the main thing is seeds. Seeds of rare hardy. One species rose from China. plants, expensive plants, slow plants, Da.vidiana, very robust and completely amusing plants, or plants so easy to covered in June with graceful dusters grow at home it would be mortifying of li ttle pink blossoms; two Hyperi­ to buy them. There are always some cums, gmlldiftorus and Forresti-i only good garden standbys, or some par­ root-hardy, but bearing large showy ticularly pleasing colors to be perpetu­ flowers in A ugust on new wood: J-{.y­ ated by home-saved seed. dran.gea Sa,rgelltiae, slow and definitely I can not be orderly or systematic not hardy, but a lovely tub plant. about this work, there are too many Other shrub seeds have come from temptations : the gifts of generous \i\f estern Canada, more lilac species, Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE 3 villosa., oblata, julia,na; various flow­ same way but is apt to be over optimis­ ering plums and cherries, and their tic, and break out into top growth dur­ relative P1'i1'lsepia sinensis. These are ing our usual January thaw, and when all very hardy, even tough. this happens it must be rushed in for I have used home-saved seeds to ex­ protection. There are other good peony tend plantings of favorite shrubs like species, but I have not yet found seeds Lab~W11'bt111 , Cor'ylopsis sp-iwta, Cot01'l­ of them. eastel' perpusilla, Azalea a.ltaclare'11sis. The botanical tulip are an educa­ Most shrubs grow rather quickly and tion in patience. No matter at what easily fr0111 seed, and make a very eason they are sown the seed will be presentable appearance in fo ur or five dormant until it has experienced the years. When sending to foreign coun­ cold winter, then on the first warm tries for seeds of trees and shrubs an day in March, up comes a fragile coty­ import permit is required, but those ledon, bent double like a green hair­ quick, efficient, kind people who pre­ pin. Brought into the protection of side over the U. S. Bureau of Ento­ the greenhouse, the hai rpins straighten mology and Plant Quarantine, make into a sort of grass "lhich withers away it a pleasure, for once, to comply with after several weeks, yet the next au­ a government regulation. tumn, when the well dried containers Some Peonies, not the usual garden are shaken out, there are the little bulbs hybrids, though very slow, are well ready to be planted and frozen again. worth growing from seed, for they are The second season will bring only very amusing, and rather rare and expen­ slightly bigger green blades and bulbs, sive to buy. I have worked with three but the third year the foliage will sug­ kinds, lVlutan, l~btea and 1l1lo1wse­ gest real tulip leaves, the bulbs wifI be witschii. Mutan is the well known tree a more respectable size and may be put peony of gardens, I have never had into the cold frames to shift for them­ seeds of the true species, but this is­ selves until they bloom at last, in six one plant of mixed origin which seems to eight years from the time they were always to produce beautiful offspring. first sown. L utea is the wild yellow tree peony of Lest I lose heart waiting for things China, a small bush with fresh widely like these, there _a1~the quick and easy cleft, almost fernlike foliage, and pleas­ African bulbs, many of which will ing, not very large cup-shaped fl owers. bloom from seed the second year, in­ M lokose'witschii is a superb herbaceous crease rapidly, and perform in the species from the Caucasus, with bold. greenhouse as in a meadow with the highly deoorative, almost blue foliage, minimum of care; Sparaxis, like a the large primrose yellow flowers open scentless freesia turned gaudy-orange a month before the garden peonies. and red for the 111:0st part-but with Mlokosewitschii and hl,tea devote their' many subtle variations in shades of sal­ first year exclusively to making a large mon, ashes of roses, to nearly white, fleshy root, which should not suffe r and always with precise markings of from extreme cold or too much damp­ yellow and black in the throat; the ness, for the first eighteen months they slender, discreet Gladioh~s t1'istl;S, with may well be handled in pots or seed its elusive night perfume; On1ithoga~ pans, allowed to freeze lightly, and l~~1n thYI'soides, Chi ncherichee, which brought back to the greenhouse in keeps in water almost indefinitely; and March to enjoy a long season of cool there are many others. I think some slow growth. M~~ta n. starts out in the interesting things co uld be done with 4 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE J an., 1947

a good strain of freesia seed, but have from the now famous Kurile Islands. not tried it yet. F labcllata, alba, from Japan. and eca.l­ Tuberous rooted begonias are fasci­ carata carrying little bronze and gold nating to grow from seed, and this tassels over maiden-hair fo liage, are is the way to have many types and practi cally indestructible. colors at little expense, but it is a fussy There are innumerable wild fl owers and exacting business for which the to be naturalized in favorable situa­ propagating box is really indispensa­ tions, our own and those of distant ble. The individual seed is almost in­ lands; Iris species by the hundred, and visible, one scatters a pinch of amber­ clematis vines, bushes and trailers ; colored dust over a spongy surface of several good daylilies, bloodroot, he­ wet sphagnum into which it immedi­ patica, trillium, cardinal fl ower. to ately disappears. At least one origi­ name a very few. A ll these are best nator furnishes very clear cultural di­ sown in the autumn and left out over rections to which his seeds respond me­ the winter, but as I have not many ticulously, and if the vari ous steps are sheltered nooks, plenty of field mice, taken with care and at the right time, and often• not much seed, I put it in they will bloom beautifully and true flats and seed pans, leave these to fre~ze to description in six months. In the in the cold but safe glass passage and autumn the tubers may be dried off and in March bring them into the green­ stored, and the second year most of house for some extra pampering and them will produce bigger plants. Glox­ closer observation. l111as are grown in exactlx. the same Finally there are always some regu­ way. lar garden standbys. both perennial and In the Pacific northwest there is a annual to be started, some novelty to cult for Primulas. Very high quality try, s·ome specially pleasing color to be seeds of endless varieties and colors perpetuated through home-saved seed. may be had there, and also much good No greenhouse is necessary in order advice to ensure quick germination to grow most of the plants I have men­ and successful culture. I have to keep honed, but it reduces accidents and reminding myself that Primulas dis­ makes success surer. It is such a nice like the climate of Long Island in sum­ place to work in on a sunny J anuary mer and will langui sh here unless the day, the temperature over sixty, snow soil is very carefully prepared, the site outside and fresh air coming through well selected and arranged. and ample the open ventilator. I think a sun porch moisture always available. At present wi th a radiator to ensure a night tem­ I can offer these attentions to onl y a perature of about forty, a si nk with small patch of Polyanthus and Acauli s. running water, a work table, and some Aquilegias are a collector's hobby­ place to keep soil , would have nearly there is an endless diversity of form . the same advantages: much too can be and color, from dwarfs a few inches done with cold frames. but less luxuri­ high to stout clumps rising several ously. feet; true species from America, Eu­ , ;V ith interesting work, a comfortable rope and Asia, and strains selected for place to do it in, quite a lot is accom­ some particular quality. Oddly enough plished through the years; the grounds some of the rarer kinds are more per­ begin to look different, like a strong sistent than the common garden hy­ personality the influence of the green­ brids. Akitensis, a three or four inch house is permeating the place. dwarf with big bright blue fl owers, Oyster Bay, L. 1. y ankee Treasure

CAROL JEAN GRIMSHAW

Before we evei1 discovered the place gLory, the other half rears a gaunt a li vely disrespectful hurricane ... New skeleton, in stark testimonial. England style ... had given it a whirl­ N either procedure suited us, but we wind once-over, tangling brush, up­ decided then that our first step should rooting trees and tossing up giant jack­ be an inventory of our existing assets. straw piles which became impenetrable Assisted by the seed and nursery as undergrowth forced its way through catalogs we had saved under "Garden interwoven debris. Not a foot Df soil Notes," armed with a layman's knowl­ had been cultivated and the cabin it­ edge of plant species and fortified by self was the only evidence of man's a hodge-podge collection of nature mag­ presence. That, too, belonged to the azines and gardening literature, we un­ woods for the frame was laid up of dertook our project. the largest hurricane victims anc! the A hobby was born fu ll-fledged on our panelled ceilings ' and walls inside were first trip of assessment, or exploration. of knotty, random boards that sweat We found a storm-crippled birch re­ resin and smelled of pine. pudiating its former glamour girl ex­ O ur Ii rst garden was a challenge and istence by seeding the slope beneath a gamble that s'oon developed into an its bent-down trunk with a colony of eye-opening refresher course covering perfect young canoe birches, some al­ every trick, theory, tip and gardening ready mature enough to lose their rud­ superstition that either of us had ever dy baby skin for the chalky white Dt overheard or practised. adolescence. One of the neatest problems that Treasure was revealed in a lavish ever faced a gardener was what could scattering of young pin oaks, when we and should be done regarding the care gave them mental price tags according and handling of the remainder of our to height, trunk diameters and nursery five acres of wilderness. valuations. We considered and debated. Where Clearing boundary we came upon a to begin, what to attempt, what to sweet white azalea that thrust its head save and what to discard, these were from the surrounding vegetation and our topics of discussion and conjecture. begged reprieve from brush-cutters. Before we reached a decision, more Deeper in the woods, the children precipitate neighbors provided an ob­ thrilled to discover a few "glove and ject lesson. We watched their busy mitten" trees whose pungent sp'otty bulldozer shove back Nature's gentle grey bark and amusing foliage pro­ contours into a plateau semblence; claimed them sassafras. clay subsoil followed mellow top as Our piece de resistance, the white hillocks were layered into depressions pine seedlings needed only careful in­ to achieve that city lot made-land effect. spection to reveal numerous specimens Stripping brush and young trees from that could rival any purchased plantings his lot, another neighbor piled them with the slight encouragement of intel­ to burn beneath a patriarchal oak. To­ ligent forest weeding. day that oak is tall and spreads enor­ Among smaller items which but for mous limbs, but on ly half leafs out in our treasure hunt system might have [SJ 6 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947 been ignored are the luxuriant water­ Forestry Association which promises cress that blankets the overflow from expert assistance. spring to brook, the dignified austerity Beneath and among the various tree:: of cattails also stream born and the and bushes we discover fiddle head jaunty spikes of the white-petaled, yel­ and sweet fern, white violets and many low eyed sagittaria with its green spear­ types of blue and purple ones, wind­ head leaves. flowers and rue anemohe, wild roses Spring shows us native blue flag, to and strawberries, partridge berry and me the bluest of all iris. It spreads a wintergreen berries. bold carpet of bright adder-tongue On the slope -behind the cabin we varying from high-headed giants whose carefully skirt the glossy green of bottle tenancy outstrips our own to the brand gentians, to enj.oy their soft deep blue new babies of the ever expanding pe­ in early September. V'Ve make daily rimeter. trips to watch the bees as they go fr0111 Despite authoritative opinions our one closed bloom to another and paw dog-tooth violets which make their own then open just enough to get front beds without advice or admonition. feet 'and head inside, then buzzing their usurp every near-swamp pocket - that motors up to a maximum, shoot all the edges the stream and thrive in the way 111. spongy bogs that are left by spring's If luckily the light is right you may high water, places where at any season watch the busy pollenizer as he pushes a well sunk crowbar will produce a down to the very bottom, completes a Ii ttle well. few gyrati~lg capers within and emerges This year's singleton prize was a triumphantly. drooping white trillium, tall enough to Another pride and joy was right in need the full height of a peach basket our dooryard too, but who could smell for protection as we cut the nearby the sweetness .of bayberry leaves with­ wild cherry and the elm suckers which out searching the source? \",1 e watched seem to exist solely for the support of the bushes with misgiving. for no ber­ tent caterpillars. ries came at first and we were starting Still we meet strangers in our woods. inquiries about distinguishing batchelor The first spring blooming bush is a boys from batchelor girls ( that we sweet-barked swamp lover that wears might supply the missing sex) when a tiny yellow fringed blossom; it may this year berries appeared. be one of the witch hazel family or Blueberries, wild blackberries and perhaps something known as spicebush. raspberries, grapes and elderberries In fall we have another puzzler with are fruity and fragrant. and if we never shiny oblong berries, snug against its use these fruits ourselves they are well limbs, but leaves that are lobular with worth their keep in bringing us birds none of holly's points. that are interesting and beautiful for With a family weakness for nuts, our winter entertainment and prove from peanuts to pecans, we cherish a useful assistants in our summer battle few shrubs (or young trees) with clus­ against garden insects. tered nut formations but the little cat­ Yes, our scheme of developi ng a kins that appear in the fall lead us to place is slow with none of the spec­ suspect that our trees may be beeches. tacular elements of the clean-sweep Anxiously, we await the arrival .of the clearing method and none of the pre­ tree identification book of the American cision of the neatly barbered, carefully Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 7 spaced professional landscaping, but as your selections. You have become a source of year rOlt'nd enjoyment for familiar with the tribal habits of many every member of the family it is un­ plant families and know which ones rivaled. Children take a greater inter­ thrive in your soil. You are aware of est in plants they have helped to dis­ exposed and sheltered situations and cover than they would in nursery im­ have a valuable appreciation of the con­ ports. There is a deep, growing satis­ tour of the land, its drainage problems faction in making the acquaintance of and the depth and fertility of the soil. the natural bounties of your home. At this time it is safe to indulge in the IJ, finally, the time arrives when you most expensive luxury item that you have plumbed your native resources might wish to add to your home and the introduction of some desirable grounds . . . if you still want to add outsiders amid the original plant friends a fillip or flourish to the inherent wealth is indicated, you will find that this ap­ that your nature treasure hunt has un­ prenticeship to Nature has equipped covered. you with a fine knowledge to guide East Hartf.ord, Conn.

Boophone and Brunsvigia

L. S. ·HANNIBAL

The Amaryllids from S.outh Africa Hae11wmth'btS toxicarius by Thunberg. are probably the most diversified as Herbert in his "Amaryllidaceae" recog­ well as interesting examples of the bulb nized that it was not a Haemanthus, so kingdom available, but many of them assigned the name Buphane, meaning are not well known, and only a very "Cattle killer," but Milne-Redhead of few have been seen in this country to the Kew gardens suggests the above date. Boophone distich.a (Syn B'Vtphane Boophone1 is more likely correct if we disticha) is thus new to us, but accord­ examine the derivation of the word ing to reports it is very wide spread from the Greek roots. through Natal, Transvaal, and the In the South African velt the Boo­ Cape area where it grows in r·ocky out­ phone disticha is a serious problem to croppings in the grassland areas. cattle growers as it is deadly poison. During the rainy seasons a score of producing a maddening condition. In leaves some 1" wide by 18" long ap­ turn the natives use the sap to tip their pear in a distinct fan-shaped formation, arrows, which meant death to many whence comes the name from the dis­ an early explorer. Locally it is called tichous appearance. After the annual "Gifbol" meaning poisonous bulb. leaf growth the bulb goes into a sum­ There are several other members to mer dormant rest not unlike an A111,a- this Genus, which are also poisonous . 1'yllis bellado17:na, only to throw a short B. ciharis is to be found in the Cape stiff scape in the fall with a mass of area. It throws four or five tongue blood red flowers (see plate). shaped leaves that are edged with a To be seen in flower the amateur black hair or cilia. According to reports botanist would consider the bulb re­ it rarely flowers unless a grass fire lated to an entirely different genera of sweeps the velt. Then the , blossoms plants, namely H aemanthus, and for 'See Milne·Redhead's footnote in " The Genus AmJ'l1ocharis," Jour. Linn. Soc., Vol. 52, P. 162. that reason it was first described as (1939). 8 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE JaB., 1947

will appear in the fall by the thousands. Bntnsv'i.gia coopr!1·j is one of these. It The least known species is B. l011,ge­ is much like gigantea, but grows in pedicella,fa. Pax ( 1889) which is still a the high meadows, so it is far hardier stranger here. to mild frosts than giga·n.tea. In fact All of the Boopho11.e fl ower with the it has been grown in the open in south­ individual blossoms on relative short ern England, and it does well about pedicels, excluding the last mentioned. the San Francisco Bay area. As the fruit begin to ripen with their B. mino?' Lincll., B. st1'iata Aiton, B. single seed the pedice1s elongate 5 or 6 rad~bla, Aiton, and B. mduolosa Her­ inches, making a large umbel of pods. bert are all dwarf members to giga11- Dean Herbert described the pods as tea wit h small spreading leaves. Stria.ta winged, which was not properly under­ makes an interesting pot plant and has stood by the writer-- In the modern a root system several feet long, which sense he should have stated that the is all out of proportion to the thim]jle fruit (pods) bad peaked shoulders not sized bulb. B. N atale/'lsis and append1'­ unlike a "Root-Suit." It is quite a dis­ cuJata, only recently described, are in­ tinct characteristic. .A mature umbel termediate in size. The flowers of all may be noted in the second plate with of these are more or less characteristic I . . the Brunsv~gw. of those shown in the umbel, having The Genus BrwlIsvig'ia is still little the characteristic upward turn on the known, and in considerable confusion. ovary. It too is a South African bulb group be­ Bntl'lsvigia J oseplvil'lAl.e (syn B . giga.lI­ longing to the same tribe as Boophonc. tca Van Marum, 1805) is proba~l y Both Linnaeus and Heister described best know n and is the typical example subspecies in 1753. Linnaeus called his of the lorate, upright, multiple-leaf A111,aryllis 01'ienta.lis, and Heister, hi s group, or subgenus as the case may be. Bru11svigia gigantea. The enclosed plate There are many features that differ ip the latter form, which grows with a hom the Brunsvigias above. The plants taller scape and has pointed lingulate have 8 to 14 leaves which arrange leaves, whereas the o'rientalis leaf is themselves in a didtichous manner as slightly more oval. However the dif­ the BOQPhone so named. These are fe rences are small. One is the subspe­ lorate in shape and bear a waxy coat cies of the other. that sheds water as a duck. In turn, Like Boophone, or A11ulJryllis bella­ the blossoms and fruit are shaped dif­ donna the Brunsvigias grow their foli­ fel-ently from Orientalis. Possibly not age in the winter, and flower in the late so much with B. J osephinae as with fall with a bare scape. Most of them B. g1'andijl01'a LindJ., B. Slateriana grow in the open or under slight brush Benth., and B. u. nd~(.lata. Leighton. where conditions are well drained. Of Brunsvig·ia Jose phi·nae has been the recl1mberant, lingulate-leafed group, widely grown in England for years un­ the plant illustrated is the largest. der glass, and B. Sla.teriama, which re­ There are several other members to this sembles a giant Nerine Bowdeni when subgenera with smaller bulbs from the in flower is particularly choice. Neither size of a man's fist to the size of a hazel of these are particularly difficult to. nut, but the common characteri stic handle in large pots, or even in the throughout is the 4 or 5 leaves that li e open about Los Angeles. B. gm'ndi­ prone upon the ground where they can flora Lind!. is not unlike Sla.te1'ia1u1, catch the slightest trace of dew in their but it is not known in this country. cupped surfaces. However its hybrids with Amaryllis Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 9

Gra,nt ltf,' aI/au Bru11,svigia gig(lr11tea H e1:ster (left) with seed umbel of B oopl7O'ne in w 'rner " Booph011e disticha, H e1'bert (right). belladonna, known as the " Brunsvigia ported unofficially from the Cape that Multifioms)) have been grown in Aus­ she considered it a form of Slateriana. tralia some 90 years, and these do ex­ If so, it is a sub-tropical variant of an cellently in central Califomia and attractive plant, and it is unfortunate South, so presumably Gmndifi01'G that we have so much' difficulty with would. it here. B. w1,du.la,ta is not known here, but Fin.ally we have the M 'btltiflora hy­ recently the writer imported an unde­ brids mentioned above, which are not scribed (?) spocies from Natal which unlike the Brunsdonnas (Amaryllis upset all concepts of winter growth bella.donna X B1'U1'lSvigia ] osephinae habits. This plant throws its foliage Hybrids). Both of these groups are at­ d.uring the summer and rests 1n the tractive, but to the writer the finest winter, which is contrary to expecta­ of the Hybrids are the white Multiflora tions, and all descriptions of the habits albas, which should be better known as of Brunsvigias. Miss Leighton has re- stocks become available. Cascade Palms in Southern Mexico

O. F. COOK

The southern districts of Mexico, be­ in the coffee-growing di strict of Coban, tween the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and and is one of the largest members of the borders of Guatemala, usually are the Chamaedorea group, w~th trunks reckoned geographically as belonging often attaining 20 feet in height and to Central America, or "Middle Amer­ exceeding 3 inches in diameter. Most ica," if this expression be preferred. of its relatives are much smaller palms, Much of the country is mountainous, with only slender trunks, the size of and palms are more abundant in the canes, pencils or quills, and some have mountain forests than in the lowlands. their trunks reduced to creeping root­ The Central American palm flora is stocks. relatively rich and varied, with many Another interest attaches to some of forms remarkably localized. Three se­ the smaller pacaya palms on account of ries or fl oral elements may be distin­ being adapted to cultivation as house­ guished in Central America when ques­ plants, with notable tolerance of shade. tions of affinity and geographic distri­ dry atmosphere and moderate tempera­ bution are considered among the palms. tures. a usually encountered under One series finds its affinities in South living-room condition. in ordinary America, and i largely confined to the dwelling-houses. One of these "house­ tropical lowlands, while another series hold palms" has thriven for more than is related to groups that are centered 40 years in a Maryland fa rm-house, in northern Mexico. The palms that fl owering, frui ting and germinating torm the third series appear to be truly with no special care except pollination, indigenous, with a notable wealth of the sexes being separate. An illustrated localized forms, especially among those account of this palm appeared in the referred traditionally to the genus Cha­ NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE m.aedorea, now recognized a a diversi­ for January 1938. "A Diminutive Palm fied family, Chamaedoreaceae. from Ma)fa Land." Several other pacaya This group is known popul arly in palms with similar habits of living in Guatemala and other Central American nature as undergrowth, and showing countries as "pacaya palms," a name similar tolerance of hou ehold concli­ having reference primarily to the use tions. yet widely different in appear­ of the succulent male inflorescences as ance and in fl oral characters, were de­ a vegetable or salad food. The edible scribed and figured .in the NATIONAL inflorescences, in their natural wrap­ HORTICULTURAL 'MAGAZINE for July pings of husk-li ke spathes, having much and October 19-1- 3 "Household Palms resemblance to ears of maize, often are and Related Genera." collected in commercial quantities and P lants that can thriye in our living­ sold in the public markets of Coban and rooms may bring us rich satisfactions other table-land cities in eastern Guate­ as yet but little appreciated, in serving mala, as described and illustrated in as vivid reminders of congenial places the NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGA­ in other parts of the world. Even a ZINE for July 1939, "The Edible Pa­ fa miliar species, as Sa,t'ifraga sar11'lel'l­ cay a Palm of Alta Vera Paz." This tosa., the Chinese saxifrage or "beef­ useful pacaya palm is most abundant steak plant," takes on a new charm [10) Jan ., 1947 TH E NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE 1l

Fig. 1. Male Vadia palm, fiowe1'i1'lg, reduced to one - q~tar ter. 12 . THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947 and distinction after one has seen 1t tion to species that can serve as house­ plants, or in tropical countries may be boTowina b wild on the summits of Lu- shan, in central China. It is pleasant of use for ornamental planting, in foun­ to reflect that in a few years the palm tains, cascades or water-falls. world of the mountain forests of Cen­ Instead of the slender reed-like tral America may be readily accessible trunks produced by most of the palms by motor or air-plane. No other tropi­ of the Chamaedorea family, these palms cal region has greater attractions of that grow in cascading mountain tor­ climate, landscape, plant-life, human rents have the trunks reduced to short­ interest, as the region that generated jointed creeping rootstocks anchored the ancient Mayan' civilization. To by many interlacing roots to the rocks equip ourselves for recognizing our of the stream-bed. In periods of heavy plants in the field is the first stage of rain, when no doubt the entire plant effective study and appreciation of the is submerged in the rapid current, a tropical world. rigid upright trunk would in<:rease the danger of being broken or uprooted, or New Habits of Cascade Pal1ns at least of the foliage being whipped and shredded. The palms made known in the pres­ ent paper, although of small size and A Na'111,e for the New Palm able to grow as potted plants under living-room conditions, are not closely The generic name Vadia is suggested related to those previously described for the new palm in allusion to its be­ as household palms, but are shown by ing adapted to stream-bed conditions. their inflorescences and fi.owers to have with alternating periods of immersion much greater affinity with the genus and partial exposure, or even to long Edantl~e, the palms that produce the exposure in dry seasons. The word edible pacayas. In other respects there Vadia, a Latin cognate of our English is little similarity. The cascade palms 'lood e, carries the suggestion of a palm are among the smallest members of the living in shallow water. A copious for­ group instead of the largest, and the mation of roots in Vadia may be seen plant body, instead of being represented as a first qualification for holding to by an upright jointed trunk, is restrict-· the stones, in the swift currents. Even ed to a horizontal creeping root-stock. in greenhouse plants the roots often Among the distinctive features of the grew through the pots and ranged new type are its adaptation to a special widely in the soil underneath. habitat or place in natUl~e , a departure The roots are rather coarse, about from the habits of the other sl:nal] 3 mm. t hie k wit h relatively few palms that root in the forest leaf mold, • branches attaining 2 mm., but abundant and .an approximation to the habits of fine threadlike branches, not noted in various aquatic; plants that grow in the other palms of this group. With such rocky beds of the mountain streams. A roots forming cushions on the rocks, wider range of oonditions and possibili­ more soil and moisture would be held ties of adaptation needs to be recog­ than would be possible for a plant with nized in the event of a general search a limited root system. Other examples being made for household palms. Not of adaptively specialized root forma­ only the wooded slopes of the Central tions have been recognized in Si11 '~P­ American mountains will need to be ex­ sonia, a fan palm of the F lorida keys, plored, but the ravines, water-courses and also in the related genus Ooth:rinax and stream-beds may also give protec- in Haiti, in these cases the roots form- Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE, 13

Fig. 2. Vadia pal111L with twin injlo1'escences, natuml size. 14 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURA:L MAGAZINE Jan. , 1947

ing masses of spongy material for hold­ visits to Central A merica to obtain in ­ ing rain-water. formation regarding protection against The extent of specialization involved the boll-weevil. ·The expedition of 1906 in this adaptation to stream-bed condi­ extended across Guatemala, by way of tions may be considered in detail by Salama, Rabinal, Quiche, Totonicapan comparing figures 1 and 2, showing the to Quetzaltenango, Huehuetenango, compact short-j ointed root-stocks of J acaltenango and N enton, then Comi­ the new palm, with figure 10, where tan in southern Mexico and northward erect long-jointed reed-like trunks are across C hiapas, through Ocosingo, shown in Mau1'anthe lwnata. Figure 10 Tumbala, and SaIto de Agua, to Fron­ shows also the amply branched inflor­ tera, Campeche and Merida. The visit escences in both sexes developed in to Ocosinga afforded the first contact thrifty plants of 1lI1 auranthe, in the with an outstanding new native type same greenhouse as the plant of Vad-ia of cotton, grown in a neighboring table­ shown in figures 1 and 2. Inflores­ land district of Chiapas, a type that cences of Vadia are shown in natural proved adapted to conditions in the size in figures 6, 7, and 8, which should United States, and later was grown ex­ be compared with those of the edible tensively. An account of these explora­ pacaya, and especially with figures 3 tions was published by the Department and 7 of the paper published in 1939, of Agricul ture in 1927, "Acala Cotton. noting essential agreements in fl oral a Superior Upland Variety from South­ structure and arrangement in both ern Mexico," including a small map. sexes. Mr. B. T. Jordan of Victoria, Texas. From the fo li age of Vadia, as shown at that tim e a field assistant in the Bu­ in figures 1, 3, and 5 of the present reau of Plant Industry, U. S. Depart­ paper a close alliance with the N eanth e ment of Agriculture, was my com­ palm might be expected, as may be panion in 1906. seen from figures of N eanthe in the Ocosingo is about 50 miles southwest NATIONAL H ORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE of Palen que, in a region well known to of January 1938, but ample detail s of archaeologists for its ancient Maya the flowers of 1\1ea,nt he are reproduced cities, many of them described by in that paper, aLlCI will leave no reader Stevens and Calderwood in 1841, in in doubt that the palm s are speciali zed the second volume of "Incidents of on widely divergent lines. In addition T ravel in Central America, Chiapas and to their structural differences, the male Yucatan." The country between Oco­ fl owers of N ean.the are arranged in two singo and Palenque is reported by rows and widely separated along the Stevens and Cald erwood as extremely branches, while those of Vad'ia are in broken and difficult, "across mountains fo ur rows and fitted together in a con­ and precipices," where the mountain tinuous pavement. streams are broken into many cascades "peculiar in beauty." Occasion of F'inding the Cascade Palm, The · new palm was found on June Studies of N eanthe and other native 18, 1906, a few miles after Ie.:wing palms of Alta Vera Paz in eastern Ocosingo in a northwesterly direction. Guatemala had been made in 1902, on the road toward Bachajon, Chilon . when coffee and rubber were being in­ and EI Saito, in the bed of a mountain vestigated and the discovery in that torrent. Many mountain streams had district of an insect enemy of the cotton been crossed in this and other journeys boll-weevil in 1904 occasioned further in Central A merica without finding Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE IS

such palm s. The raillY season had be­ potted plants. as in fig ures 1, 2, and 7. gun. and no extended search could be if seen by themselves, might not be made to determine the range or abun­ taken for palms, but the contrasts with dance of the new form, but no other palms of other fo rms may be very specimens were seen in crossi ng the pleasing. L ux uriant greenh0use plants range of mountains between Ocosingo of Vad1:a, as shown in figure 1, may and E I SaIto. Several larger palms of reacb a height of two or three feet, the Chamaedorea family were fo und, while on reduced household plants the most of t hem closely similar to the spe­ leaves may b~ only 6 'Or 7 inches long, ci€s studied previously in Alta Vera as in the small leaf-blade shown at the Paz. The scarcity of surface stream left of figure 5, with the rachis only in the cavernous mountains of Alta half as thick as on leaves of thriving Vera Paz might explain an absence of greenhouse plants shown in compari­ _ aquatic palms. son. The stream where the palms grew Leaves of small household plants may was known as J otola, a name that may have only 6 or 7 pinnae on a side while be taken as a version of a Maya ex­ large luxuriant leaves may have 16 or pression hootolha, meaning water on 17 pinnae on a side. The terminal bud an incline, oblique or "sloping" water. subdivides, so that in a few years a Many of the mountain streams form many-headed plant is fo rmed, as in successions of cascades, so that the ex­ figure 7. A larger plant was formed in pression "cascade palm" may serve as the course of three seasons from the a reminder of the native habitat. Sev­ single head shown in figure 1, photo­ eral of the palms were fo und to be graphed in February 1943. In the fruiting, all with small, simple inflores­ spring of 1946 this plant had developed cences, and the seeds immature. A few 6 heads, each witb 3 to 5 leaves. The living plants were brought home by l ea~es individually are very graceful the method of rolling in oi led paper, and form a cluster much more attrac­ with the package tied above the roots tive than appears from a photograph, but left open above the leaves, as pre­ on account of vivid emerald color and viously use d wit h N eanthe and the s11100th shining surfaces of the pin­ o m.a1'! the. The plants survived t he re~ nae, giving a notable impression of turn journey by way of Frontera, Cam­ freshness and vigor. The petioles and peche, Merida, and N ew York, and leaf-sheaths, and the spathes of the later showed their ability to thrive with young inflores-cences are of the same the other household palms under living­ deep green color, but lighter near the room conditions. The specific name base. A root-stock exposed to the light Va.dia jotola11a is suggested for the is crossed with narrow bands of green, type species, in reference to the cascade some of the joints having a length of habitat and the locality where the palm 2 or 3 111111. b'etween the leaf-scars. was discovered. Leaf-Shea.ths C~£rved and Bulbous FO'r'JIH and Color Two unusual characters appear in The lack of an erect symmetrical Vadia as consequences of the replace­ form may render Va.dia of less interest ment of an upright trunk by a short­ t han the other household palms for jointed horizontal root-stock. The leaf­ g rowing by itself, unless t he graceful sheath bundle is not straight and cylin­ outl:lines and intensive oolors of the drical as in the many kinds of palms foliage should prove attractive. The that stand erect. but is notably curved Jan., 1947 16 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE and thickened in the basal part, as in the lower part of the rachis, even or shown in natural size in figure 2. The slightly depressed in the upper part. lateral view of the plant in figure 1 The upper side of the rachis is marked shows the extent of curvature required with a fine median ridge, continuous to bring the young leaves and inflores­ and mostly free, but often partly occu­ cences into upright positions. pied by the bases of the pinnae. The The rather abrupt thickening of the ridge is much stronger in the !ower leaf-sheaths at the base, shown espe­ part of the leaf, and the surface rather cially in figure 2, doubtless serves to densely beset with minute tubercles or resist the strains of the swift currents caruncles, also the neighboring sur­ during periods of high water. No such faces of the rachis and the bases of the swelling of the leaf-sheaths occurs in pinnae, especially along the midrib. the related palms that retain the usual The rachis is semicylindric, nearly reed-like babit, as in IVI a.w'anthe 1M nata), flat above, with a narrow median flange ~ shown in figure 10. The swollen bases giving support to the oblique attach­ of the leaf-sheaths are of notably suc­ ments of the pinnae. Lower surface of culent texture and do not persist on rachis evenly convex except as marked moribund leaves, but tend to shrivel as by slight longitudinal grooves 011 soon as a mature leaf-blade turns yel­ each side of the vitta or medi.an band low. of indurated tissue which in many re­ lated palms is white or pale green in Petiole and Rachis contrast with the surfaces on either The petiole of a fully mature leaf side. The vitta in Vadia usually is from a greenhouse plant at Beltsville. green, but the grooves distinct. as in Maryland, November 1944, was 16.5 natural-size photograph at the right of cm. long, with strong lateral compres­ figure 5. On the rachis of the small leaf sion, in the lower part 3 mm. wiele, 5 at the left of figure 5, the grooves do mm. thick, in upper part 2.5 mm. by not show, but a slight difference in 4.5 mm.; the upper face with two fine color may be perceived. The vitta as parallel ridges about 1.5 mm. apart, de­ a compact band of indurated fibers current from the lowest pinnae; the doubtless is present in all the members median band between the ridges mod­ 0'£ the group, but may be concealed by erately convex in the lower part gradu­ a green epidermal layer. ally becoming concave; lateral faces From later observations on living di stinctly grooved, on one side more leaves it appears that the compression strongly than the other; the lower face of the petiole and the grooving of the largely occupied by a prominent pale surface are to be considered as effect of vitta bordered on each side by a narrow shrinkage, although sometimes taking green band between two parallel fine place while the tissues are still alive. grooves, with other green bands more The upper part of the petiole in a fully or less distinct. The vitta is greenish fresh condition may show a rounded yellow finely dotted or mottled with triangular cross-section 5 mm. thick greenish along the sides. and nearly as wide, the upper surface The rachis also has the vitta distinct with a flat median band less than 2 mm. and separated by distinct grooves, the wide slightly raised above the surface, lateral green bands broader than the bordered on each side by a fine raised 'vitta in the lower part of the rachis, line and a slight groove, the lines narrower in the npper part. The sur­ marked by the absence of the stomata, face of the vitta is broadly prominent elsewhere abundant on the surface, in- Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 17

F£g . 3. Vadia pal1'l1 , t'ype sp eci111,en, female. duding the median band. The lower the leaf-sheath. Stomata are absent side of the petiole often has several along the vitta and also on the light­ 10ngitudinal grooves or wrinkles on colored tissue of the basal callus of the ,either side of the vitta, more numerous pinnae, as well as from the veins. The jn the lower part of the petiole and on stomata between the veins of the pinnae 18 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL ~IIAGAZINE Jan., 1947 are more minute and densely crowded, the marked tendency to separate in but stomata are not perceptible on the drying, shown in some of the related upper surface of the pinnae. forms. Length of rachis 31.5 cm. , of entire Cu.rved Attach1%ent of P1;nnae leaf-blade with terminal pinnae 42 cm., The pinnae are linear, the upper sur­ 17 pinnae on each side. Lowest pin­ face fl at, even the rnidvein scarcely nae 10 cm. long by 6 mm., gradually larger to above the middle of the leaf; prominent, but dist inct underneath, and tenth pinnae 17 cm. by 12 mm. ; fif­ also the submarginal veins, these not teenth pinnae 13 .5 cm. by 9 mm.; close to the margin but much fa rther penultimate pinnae 12.5 cm. by 6-7 fr om the midvein. The inse rtion of the mm.; last pin nae 11 cm. by 8 mm. pinnae of Vadia is peculiar. The lower The midrib of the pinnae is marked margin of the pinna, instead of meeting on the upper si de by a distinct ridge. the rachis directly, passes above the the other veins by minute ridges set in rachi s nearly to the median ridge. fine grooves. The three prominent veins forming a broad curve or angle, and are transparent by transmitted light. then returning obliquely to meet the the others indistinct. A fine submar­ margin of the rachis, so that the upper ginal vein is perceptible near the upper surface is turned under and the lower margin of the pinnae, but not along the surface becomes visible inside the lower margin. The lower pinnae are curve, as shown in figure 5. The lower alternate, the upper opposite, on this margin of the pinna remains free until leaf. In figure 5 the small leaf shows the margin of the rachis is reached. alternate pinnae, the large leaf nearly This mode of attachment of the pin­ opposite pinnae. The general shape of nae is in marked contrast with N eanthe the leaf-blade is oblong or oboval, the where the lower margin remains lower pinnae shorter and narrower straight to near the base, and there is than the upper; terminal pinnae scarce­ curved abruptly forward so that a ly shortened' or widened, in this respect sharp angle or notch is formed in markedly contrasting with those of reaching the point of attachment to the IV ea·nthe. The texture of the pinnae margin of the rachis. The pinnae of appears uniform by transmitted light, IV eanthe are gradually narrowed and some:wht mottled and with lighter at t he base abruptly narrowed, with the areas, but not th e short longitudinal base as a whole in the nature of a pul­ lines observed in some of the related vinus, while in Vadia the pulvinus ap­ forms. pears to be confined to the part of the Leaves of the luxuriant greenhouse base above the midrib, where the thick­ plant at Beltsville, with the rachis at­ ening is greater, but the attachment of taining 38 C111., the petiole 27 cm., the the lower part of the pinna is much basal sheath 16 cm ., back of rachis and longer, in being decurrent upon the petiole with a rather narrow pale green rachis, and is turned obliquely side­ vitta, not distinct on the leaf-sheath. wise, though not reaching the margin Lower pinnae 'li ttle rec),.uced, fifth pin­ of the rachis, which forms a ·sharp an­ nae 21 to 22 cm. long, 1.2 to 1.4 cm. gle, in the lower part minutely notched, wide; subterminal pinnae usually 17 tuberculate or carunculate like the cm. by 1.1 to 1.4 cm., ranging from 6 neighboring surfaces. The slight devel­ mm. to 22 mm. in width, the inner mar­ opment of the pulvinus may explain gin of last pinnae 12 to 13 cm. long. why the pinnae of Vadia do not have Petiole often distinctly flattened on Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL ~IAGAZINE 19

Fig. 4. Lobia, pa11n, type speci1llells, red1,f(ed, natural, '/1'La,g1·lified. the sides and notably narrower than becoming slightly channeled below, the rachis. Lower part of rachis more then deeply channeled. The lower side than 5 111m. wi de, the pettiole less than may be evenly rounded or fl attened, 4 111111. in lateral width, 6 111111 . in ver­ rather sharply angled at each side of the tical width, upper side ot petiole flat. vitta. 20 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947

The Tjlpe S peci11'l.en af Vadia little-known type described but not il ­ lustrated in the NHM in October 1943. Growing in the bed of a mountain page 148, under the name L abi1. This torrent between Oc.osingo and J otola, is another Central American palm that El Salto de Agua, Chiapas, Mexico, appears to be specialized for s.hade and June 18, 1906, number 127, shown as moi sture conditi ons, but obVIOusly on a pressed herbarium specimen in Fig­ divergent lines. Even in dry spe~ime.ns ure 3. of the foliage of Vadia as shown 111 Flg. Rootstock 1.5 cm. in diameter in the 3 the streamlined tendency is evident. dry state, joints very short, often less in marked contrast with the fo liage of than one millimeter between the scars L abia, shown in Figure 4. Thus from of . the leaf-sheaths. Leaf of female the leaf form it may be inferred that plant with blade nearly 30 cm. long, L ab ia is not adapted to conditions of petiole about 16 cm., the leaf sheath 13 submergence, although exttemes of cm. long, open for four to five cm. , to atmospheric humidity are suggested b ~ near to the base in an older leaf. Ten the delicate texture and open port ot pinnae on a side, lowest 12 cm. by 8 the pinnae, which also are more widely mm., fifth pinnae 16 cm. by 10 111m., separated on the rachis than those of penultimate pinnae 12.5 cm. by 7 111111 ., Va,dia. as well as more divergent. last pinnae 13 cm. by 9 m111 .. another The minute ba al lobes or auricles leaf much smaller. of the pinnae in Labia ..pr ojecting from Peduncle 20 CI11. long, first joint 2 the inferior angles of the pinnae. ml11. long by 12 mm .. widely amplexi­ obliquely transverse to the rachis, are caul, second joint 5 111111 . by 3 111m. , a feature noted as yet in no other palm. third joint 31 mm. by less than 3 mm., The lobes of the third and fourth pin­ fourth joint 4 cm. long, fifth joint 5 rme are shown in natural size in the C111. long, sixth. joint 4.8 cm., seventh upper right hand photograph of fig~re 3 CI11. , axis 6.5 cm. Spathe of 3rcl 4 : below this an enlargement showl11g joint 3.4 cm. long, leaving 7 mm. of the ba es of the third and fourth pin­ fourth joint exposed; spathe of fourth nae and the hi spid pubescence most joint 6 cm. long, of .fifth joi nt nearly 6 notable on the rachi s. The minutely cm. long. Only five spathes, the sixth rOlJO'h ened surfaces of the rachis and b . joint with a membranous ring 1 to 2 adjacent leaf margins of Labw, con- mm. long. trasting with the smooth surfaces of Since the third spathe is not as long Vadia , raise the question of moisture as the fourth sectiton of the peduncle, being obtained by Labia. from spray or a part of the fourth section often is left mi st in peri od of dry weather. Al­ exposed, a feature not observed in tholJO'h the two palms are differently otrer forms, and possibly to be in ter­ spec~ li zed, they might grow in adja­ preted as a tendency to reductiton of cent place, where openings in the fo r­ the lower spathes while the upper est canopy are afforded by stream-beds spathes may be supposed to have had a or water co urses in mountain districts. compensating enlargement, at least in The rather fleshy leaf texture of the male sex. Vadia may be compared with that of many aquatic plants, while Labia se~ 111 A Contrasting L eaf-Pattern in Labia more delicately fe rn-like or moss-lIke, The extent of speciali zation in the a character remarkable among palms leaf-pattern of Vadia may be appre­ as an opposite extreme of adaptation ciated by way of contrast with another from the many that are specialized for Jan .. 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 21

Fig. 5. Vadia palm, l eaf stnfct1l1'e, 1wtural size. 22 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947 deserts or other conditions of expo­ sheath, as shown in figure 1. The ma­ sure as Washing tonia, h£baea, and ture inflorescence, with 15 branches, Si111psonia. Only the female flowers of was about 47 cm. long, the axis 7 cm., Lobia are known, but these afford no the lower branches 11 cm., the upper indication of alliance with Vadia. The 8 cm. Six spathes are exposed, the calyx of the female flower is well de­ lowest about 2 cm. long, the second veloped in Lobia, with large broadly projecting 2 cm. beyond the ~rst, the rounded lobes, while in Vadia the calyx third 3 cm., the fourth 8 cm., the fifth is reduced to a thin, narrow, oval rim 13 cm., the sixth 10 cm., the last spathes often scarcely perceptible in the dry nearly complete, fusiform, with a cylin­ state. The petals of Vadia also appear drical section nearly 2 cm. in diameter. to be shorter and thicker than those of the slender beak 5 to 6 cm. long, pro­ Lobia and more stronglyy connate. The jecting in the young inflorescences be­ texture of the petals of Vadia is not yond the swelling formed by the tassel fibrous, but in the dry state appears of branches inside. The young inflores­ thickened and indurated, especially in cences are colored like the young leaf, the lower part. a much deeper green than at maturity. The spathes are of succulent fleshy Injlo1'esce'J'l.ces Develop amo1'1g the texture, the lower still green and fleshy Leaves at the flowering stage, but the upper The inflorescences of Va,dia may be yelowish and somewhat flabby, al­ described as interfoliar, since they de­ though the flowers sttill appear rather velop to a length of several inches while fresh. The size. shape and texture of still inside the sheaths of the living spathes confirm the alliance with leaves, but the fully developed inflores­ Edal1the and other genera having tes­ cences are infrafoliar, in the sense of selate flowers, and the texture of the being no longer included in the leaf­ foliage also points to this association. sheath bundle, as shown in figures 1 The narrow pinnae are in contrast with and 2. N eve·rtheless, the inflorescences Edal1the but the prominent veins in are closely adjacent to the leaves, the agreement. The fleshy, elastic texture leaf-sheaths that sub tend the inflores­ of the male inflorescence is another cences being only recently dead or still consi tent feature. moribund at the time of flowering, thus An inflorescence may have only five suggesting that the development of the spathes exposed in the earlier stages of inflorescences may occasion the wilting developmen t, the sixth spathe some­ and decay of the mature leaves. On ac­ times emerging rather late or project­ count of the succulent texture of the ing but little beyond the fifth, depend­ leaf-sheaths a rather prompt shrinkage ing upon the growth of the peduncle. and shriveling occurs. The moribund Color of male peduncle and axis pale leaves were removed from the plant green, not white as in Edanthe. Basal that was photographed a figure 1. spathes and subtending leaf sheaths Spathes and Pend uncles turning yellowish at time of flowering. the leaf yello,wing and the leaf-sheaths A male plant 111 a greenhouse at dying back rather rapidly after the pe­ Beltsville, Marlyland, flowers each year tiole and blades are removed, but the in February and March. 011 February decaying leaf tissues do not blacken as 23 , 1943, one inflorescence was open, in Edanthe, nor like the flowers of two were well-advanced, and one was 1\II a,U1'a'n the. beginning to emerge from the leaf- Male inflorescence branches more or Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI IE 23

Fig. 6. Vadia palm, 11'/.ale alld female illfiorescences, 17Gtural size. 24 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947

less quadrangular, with the flowers in the flowers. The l'Ower branches are f.our rows, a few 'Of the lower flowers 1 to 2 cm. apart, the upper much closer. on the ,outer face 'Of a branch often sep­ The branches are completely oovered arate or irregular. Lower branches with the flowers ex<:ept in the axil, f'Or with no flowers in the axils, the naked one C111. or less. Some of the lower area one cm. or less in length, but the flowers are large and oblong attaining other three sides with flowers. No trace 5 mm. by 3 m111. , the others regularly of bracts subtending the branches, but hexagonal, creamy white when first ex­ the articulation is distinct, the branches posed, becoming light greenish yell'Ow, not adnate 'Or decurrent, with scarcely then dull orange, the petals rather any developn"ent of an axillary pul­ fleshy and persistent, turning purplish vinus, yet the lower branches becom­ at the tips and withering gradually, but ing distinctly divergent or reflexed. the opening remaining small and tri­ angular. A rather unpleasant odor is Twinning and Bmnch,q;ng of perceptible, like the red Trilliums. h,florescel1ces 'Peduncle with two basal joints very Not only the l'oot-stocks are forked, short, the sixth joint 111uch the longest, but the same tendency to dichotomous enclosed by the longest spathe. Lengths division may be recognized in twin in­ of joints in centi111eters: 0.7, .08, 2.8. florescences emerging from the same 5.5, 7, 13, 10, 3. Lengths of spathes basal spathes, as shown in figure 2, and 3.5, 7.5, 12.5, 20, 30, 18. The basal in the formation of a double male in­ joint is broadly · amplexicaul, with a florescence, reproduced in figure 6. The basal spread 'Of nearly 5 C111. narrowed plant shown in figure 2 is the same as above to 2 cm. ' The first spathe has in figure 1, but a year later, in Febru­ lateral carinae about one 111m. wide. ary 1944, after the leaves and inflores­ The second spathe is equally bilabiate cences of the previous year had been with narrow carinae. The third spathe entirely replaced. The slight vertical is deeply notched on one side, slightly ridge running nearly parallel to the notched on the other, slightly bllt dis-. margin of the leaf sheath may have tinctly carinate below the notches, at been occasioned by pressure in the least in the dry state. separation of the terminal buds. The double inflorescence when fully Or·ie·ntation of Male Flowe1's in Vadia expanded. had a length of nearly 60 cm., The male flowers are tesselate, c'Om­ the peduncle 45 cm., the axis 6 cm., the pactly arranged in four· rather regular branches 9 to 10 cm. long, 4 to 5 111m. rows, completely covering and conceal­ thick, tapering to 3 mm. or less. The ing the slender tetrag'Onal branches. axis of this inflorescence, as shown in The branches with the flowers are natural size in figure 6, was twinned about 4 mm. thick, the square flower­ or dichotomous, one division with 12 bearing core less than 2 m111. thick. The branches, the other with 13. One of the individual flowers are oval-oblong, 3.5 branches forked or fasciated about 4 111m. long, 2.5 111m. wide, distinctly fiat­ cm. from the base, the rows of flowers tel1ed, in vert~cal longitudinal section 1l101:e numerous and irregular in the more than twice as broad as high, with lower part. The normal branches have a rather wide space between the bases 4 rows of flowers, usually very regular of the stamens and the central pistil­ to near the end, tapering somewhat but lode. Calyx obsolete, not projecting ending abruptly or with the sterile tip between the f!.owers, but sometimes per­ very minute, s'carcely projecting beyond ceptible as a narrow rim bordering tl1f. Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE

Fig. 7. Vaclia palm. small inflorescences, natuml S1.ze; greenhouse pla11t in 8 - i11c1~ pot. expanded base of the flower. The sup­ CorolIa unsymmetric, in regular pression of the calyx is a feature of the placement, the distal petal labriform, speciali zed orientation. transverse, somewhat narrower than 26 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947 the others; these in lateral positions 01%anthe, with the distal pair of oppo­ with their margins in contact but site oblong sepals much larger than the scarcely overlapping along the median proximal triangular sepal. line of the flower. In view of their Under the label C hmnaedorea atro­ margins incurving rather than over­ vire'J1.s, a palm agreeing with Vadia in lapping, the maj,e petals of Vadia are habit, color, and texture of foliage was to be described as valvate, not as im­ noted in the New York Botanic Garden bricate nor convolute. Color of male on April 7, 1913, with a fully devel­ flowers pale olive green, becoming oped male inflorescence having 5 yeHowish and withering to light brown­ spathes and 6 branches. Many of the ish, outer surface flattened at first, be­ fl owers are narrowly oblong, the lateral coming convex and inflated. at anthesis. petals expanded twice as broad as the as shown in figure 8, at the left with upper petal, the margins nearly straight, fl·owers fully opened, magnified about not mucronate. The upper ends of the 3 diameters, at the middle an earlier lateral petals are included in the su­ stage with anthers becoming visible. perior petal, the lower ends meeting magnified about 10 diameters. At right near the median line or slightly over­ a sectional view obtained by splitting a lapping. The generic affinity seems flowering branch, with effective cam­ plain, and the name Vadia atrovi:rens era treatment by Mr. Robert L. (Martius) may be used. According to Taylor. Burret the original specimen of afro­ Stamens with robust co lumnar fila­ virens came from Oaxaca. ments not tapel:ing upward, but some­ times broader toward the end, usually FelJlale F lo'wers of Vadia incurved, the mesial surface flattened The female fl owers of Vadia, shown or concave; the anther cells broad, in natural size in figures 6 and 7, are opening widely, inward and upward, broadly turbinate. similar to those of becoming light brownish, pollen nearly Edanthe, somewht less flattened and white. Pistillodes slender and delicate. standing somewhat closer together on distinctly shorter and more slender than the branches, usually separated by not the filaments. rather deeply three­ more than half the width of an individ­ parted, the divisions pale greenish. ual flower. N ear the base of the rather sharply conic, erect and slightly branches the flowers are further apart. divergent. some of them spaced two or three A comparable pattern of orientation times the width of a flower, but near is indicated in the calyx of o711an,the . the tips of the branches almost in con­ In both sexes there are two equal tact. The calyx is less prominent than in Edallthe, appearing as a very shal­ oblong sepals more or less connate at low rim. often scarcely perceptible in the distal end of the flower, and a much the fresh state. The female petals are narrower triangular sepal at the prox­ not broadly overlapping as in Edanthe. imal end. The flowers of the Omal'lthe but often appear separate to near the are not crowded, but the branches are base, so that flowers of both sexes may sleader and the flower-scars long and be described as'" valvate. The tip of th'e narrow. The calyx of the female flow­ petal often is harply angled or 111U­ ers of Stachyo ph01-be area phila is chonate but the projection minute, not rather well developed and shows simi­ thickened and recu rved as in some oi lar inequalities. The fl ower-scars are the related genera. A style is absent. of oval form, less narrowed than in the short stigmatic lobes robust and re- Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 27

Fig. 8. Vadia pallll, male flowers, magllified. 28 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947 curved, separated at the base by a dis­ floresce to near the time of flowering, tinct sulcus. as shown in figure 1. Also the foliage In dry specimens the female flowers is rather fleshy and of a vivid green appear to be subtended by a rudimen­ color as in Edanthe, but in other re­ tary bract or transverse rim above the spects there are complete contrasts, as margin of the depression. The calyx the very narrow pinnae with only a is seen to have very short broadly single submarginal vein well developed. rounded lobes of the same texture as The leaf sheaths of Vadia are very the petals, somewhat coriaceous, with short and deeply split, instead of the no indication of fibers. The petal that long. cylindrical, dosed sheaths of subtends the fertile carpel appears to Edallthe. The absence of a trunk is be accrescent, growing twice the length the most striki ng difference, the long­ of the others. Immature fruits distinct­ jointed trunks of Edanthe growing 20 ly obvate, 4 mm. long, 2 to 3 mm. wide, feet tall. with a diameter of 3 to 4 with persistent indurated stigmas. The inches. The succulent texture of the petals appear rather broadly overlap­ peti.oles and leaf-sheaths in Vadia is ping in the dry specimens. perhaps another similarity with Edal/the, but from shrinkage, since the photographs Vadia shows no tendency to marces­ of the fresh female flowers show no cence. that is the injured tissues do not such overlapping of the petals as those blacken as in Edallthe. of Edanthe. Vadia. COIn-pared with Stachyoph01'be Vadia Related to Edantl~e .. the Edible Pacaya A. palm with notable similarity to Vadia was collected around waterfalls As already noted, it is plain trom the in the State of Oaxaca in 1842, by structure of the male inflorescence that Liebmann. a Danish botanist, and re­ Vadia is not related to N ea11the, but ported in 1845 under the name Stachy­ to the much larger palm named ophorbe catara-ctan(lI/. The habitat may Edantl~e, that furnishes the edible pa­ not be the same as in Vadia., since the caya. The male inflorescence of Eda.llthe palms are reported on blocks of rock is the edible part, with rather thick fallen from the cliffs of a mountain fleshy branches, and the surface of gorge and may not have grown in the these completely covered with the male streambed. The leaf form is very flowers, flattened and set dose together, similar to Vadia. with the pinnae rather like tiles in a pavement. . This type of narrow and close but more numerous, floral arrangement is known as "tes­ 22 on a side. Three of the veins are selate," and is shown in the illustrations prominent, but five or six others are of Edanthe. Although the inflorescences rather distinct and the white vitta is of Vadia are much smaller, with fewer. strongly developed. The pinnae attain shorter, and more slender branches, tile a width of 13 111111. in one of the speci­ essential similarity will be apparent mens frol11 the Copenhagen Museum when the illustrations, notably those of but only 9 111m . in the other, a contrast figure 4 and figure 7, are compared like that shown by the two leav~s of with those of Edafl7the in the NHM for Vadia in figure 3. The upper pil1l~ae July 1939. are close together and in one instance Another feature of Vadia tending to two of the narrow pinnae remained at­ support the alliance with Edanthe is the tached. but the others are separate, with ample spathes of the male inflorescence, a width of only 3 to 5 mm. notably expanded to protect the in- The divergence of Vadia frOI11 cata- Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 29

P'ig.9. Enche1:la palm, reduced, lIatllral alld magllified. ractant11'1 is not the critical question more plicate pinnae. the terminal pin­ since the genus Stach)1ophorbe was nae fused, the male' inflorescences sim­ based on a different species, StacllY o­ ple. and remarkably attenuate. S uch phorbe or eophila (Marti us) , with an inflorescences are illustrated in N HM erect, short-jointed trunk. h oader and fo r October 19-1-3. p. 151. and have lit- 30 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947 tIe resemblance to the short, fleshy. The pinnae of oreophila, are much ramified male infl'orescences of V adia. fewer and much broader, only 12 or 13 which have the terminal spathes en­ on a side, with the terminal pinnae larged and the branches not exposed double or triple, 4 to 6 cm. wide. A until the fl owers are nearly mature. fifth pinnae is 33 cm. long, 4 cm. wide. The spathes of Stachyophorbe are ex­ Some of the lower pinnae have sep­ tremely narrow and closely fitted to the arated from the rachis, and one of these very slender peduncle. A male inflores­ is 52 cm. long and 3 cm. wide. with an cence obtained from a palm in the Gil­ apical section of about 7 cm . plane and lespie collection at Santa Barbara, firmly indurated, in contrast with the Cali f., October 6, 1931 ,. is 86 cm. long, longitudinally grooved and wrinkled the peduncle 68 cm., the spike 18 cm. surface elsewhere. Other pinnae show The peduncle was 3 mm. thick near the a smaller development of thi s apical base, 2 mm. above the base; the spike spur and a somewhat similar tendency 8 mm. thick. The spadix of o'reo phila is perceptible in the pinnae of Vad1;a was reported to Martius by L iebmann shown in figure 3, with the midrib run­ as 3 feet long, exceeding the leaves, the ning close to the margin about 1 cm. spike as six inches long, the fruits as below the apex. The midvein in the yell ow, the size of coffee berries. The basal section of a pin na of oreophila is spadix of cata?'actant.111 was 7 to 15 distinctly closer to the upper margin, in ches, shorter than the leaves, the but in the distal section is closer to spikes 3 in., the fruit the size of peas. the lower margin . Sockets of pinnae The seeds of the type specim en are rather long. 1.5 cm. apparently sepa­ broadly obovate, 6 mm. long by nearly rated in drying; no such tendency in 5 mm., covered with dose parallel cata1'actant117 or in Va,dia. fibers, anastomosing onl y above the raphe. The description of cata?'actaru1N Vadia Distinguished frolll Cladalldm may relate only to the female sex. while Confusion may arise from the male both sexes of oreophila appear to have been obtained. inflorescence of Vadia having a general resemblance to that of Clada ll dra, an­ The foliage offers the most striking other trunkless palm made known by contrasts between the type specimens Oersted's beautiful illustration pub­ of oreophila and catm'actant?11 . The li shed under the name Stachyo phorbe structure of the rachi s is markedly dif­ fygmae'a in L'A1'IIeriqu(' Centrale, Ta­ ferent, with the vitta of oreophila rela­ ble 4, but widely different from either tively narrow, but much more promi­ of the two species that Liebmann orig­ nent, forming a thin median ridge 4 to 5 mm. high at the base of the leaf-blade. inally placed under Stachyo phoTbe. No such ridge is developed from the The name Cladandra was proposed in vita of cataracta1'U111. The leaf blade as NHM for October 1943, p. 148. The a whole shows a marked difference in female inflorescence of CladQ.lldra is pattern and proportion, larger in Ore­ simple, as often occurs in Vadia , and ophila but relatively short a nd broad, further parallels are presen~d by the about 70 cm. long and 50 cm. wide, short-joi nted creeping rootstock, open while the leaf blade of catamctarum is leaf-sheaths, and spreading lanceolate about 50 cm. long and 25 cm. wide, pinnae with three prominent veins. Yet with 22 or 23 pinnae on a side, and the structure of the fl owers and other these relatively narow and short, like contrasting features leaves little doubt the pinnae of Vadia. that the several resemblances are only Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 31

F1:g. 10. Ma '~wanthe palllLs, both sexes. superficial, though not without interest inches. Oersted's natural-size drawing .as examples of parallel evolution . shows the rachis about 5 inches long, The leaf-sheaths of Clada1'ld-ra are the pinnae 5 to 6 inches, with only one described by Wendland as 4 inches prominent vein on each side, not in the long and the petioles as only 1 Y; usual submarginal position as in Vadia 32 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan .. 1947 but nearly as rel1lote from the margin Cladandra is uncertain, whether Chia­ as from tIle, illidtib . . The terminal pin­ pas or Colombia. nae are not redllced.: but somewhat A Pal1n Like Vadia in Oaxaca wider than th~ bt l~ ers, i~early an inch in the middle, while two or three pin­ The special interest and activity of nae at the base· Df the leaf-blade are Mrs. Ynes Mexia in collecting palms less than half an inch wide. The draw­ was recognized in relation to "A New inC)" shows the petiole as deeply grooved b . Commercial Oil Palm in Ecuador," to near the upper end, thus confinmng found by Mrs. Mexia in 1934 and de­ the indication of the petiole being spe­ scribed under the name Y llesa colenda cially reduced. in the NHM for April 1942. The last . The male flowers of Vadia are not at collection by Mrs. Mexia was made in all of the pattern of Cla.dandra, either southern Mexico in 1938. and included in structure or arrangement. The flow­ two new genera of the Chamaedorea ers of Cladandm stand rather far apart group, one of them described under the with narrow erect petals, instead of the nam'e Lophothele in the NHM for Oc­ floral chambers being flattened and the tober 1943, pp. 142 and 149. The speci­ flowers set close together to cover the mens of Lophothele were collected in branches as a continuous pavement. the IVlontana de Santa Maria in the Also the filaments and the pistillodes of Choapam district, in the " understory" Cladan.dm are slender and erect, sup­ of virgin forest, at an altitude of about ported with the . petals on a staminal 1.500 meters. ::\1rs. Mexia noted a cushion, the str.ucture that in N eanthe short trunk. 1.52 m. to the first leaf, is notably enlarged to fill the lower half length of leaf 45 cm., pinnae 11 pairs. of the globular floral cavity and support Both sexes were obtained, the male the relatively short, robust, apically ex­ specimen No. 9278, the female 9279. panded pistilltode characteristic of N e­ The other genus is represented by a a,n.the. In conlparison with Vadia the male specimen of a small palm very floral structure of Clada'ndm appears similar to V ad ia in structure and prob­ very primitive, ,with a basic resem­ ably in habits as well, although this blance to N ea.nthe but notably less spe­ individual is said to have grown under cialized. "shade in a coffee plantation." The lo­ The narrow, short spathes of Cla ­ cality given by Mrs. Mexia is Yaveo in dandm, not extending beyond the the district of Choapam " near the Ar­ lower branches of the inflorescence, royo de las Culebras" at an altitude of may be taken to indicate an early emer­ about 450 meters, No. 9132, March 12, gence of the floral buds as in N eanthe, 1938. Yaveo is only a few miles south rather than a late emergence which in of an area rather famous among bot­ Vadia is made possible by the rapid anists under an early name Chiantla, elongatiDn of the terminal portion of which furnished many plants not found the peduncle. The lack of chlorophyll in collections from other parts of Mex­ in the peduncle and axis may be con­ ico. Confusion has arisen with Chinau­ nected with the power of rapid exten­ tla and several similar names in other sion of the male inflorescence in V adia. districts. A special pal)er on "The Wendland states that the sepals and Meaning and Usage of the Mexican petals of both sexes are green in Cla­ place name Chiantla" by Richard Ev­ dandra, as is the. case of N eanthe, un­ ans Schultes has appeared in Botanical til the stag<:! of maturity i.s reached, and Museum Leaflets, Harvard University, th,e flowers' turn yellow. The habitat of Vol. 9, No. 6, ::\tIarch 14, 1941. Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 33

The discovery of palms in the Chi­ circular cupules, not extruded at an­

faces somewhat more finely and closely Edanthe as related to Vadia by tes­ striate than in Vadia. Peti-ole 10 cm. selate flowers, succulent foliage and long, the rachis about 25 cm., slender, prominent venation, page 28. the vi-tta well developed. Pinnae about Encheila, new genus, E. transversa 15 on a side, in fom1 and attachment type species, from Yaveo, Choapam much as in Vadia, and with three district of Oaxaca, distinguished by tlw promipent veins underneath, the outer extant calyx, imbricate corolla, qnd veins somewhat stronger than in Vadia transverse labriform superior petal in­ and rtlOre remote from the margins. cluded between the others, the minute Also the three prominent veins appear concealed stamens and hemispheric to be more flattened than in Vadia, and anther-cells, figure 9, page 32. often are minutely denticulate along the Lobia as specialized foliage pattern edge -of the flange. The lower vein contrasting with Vadia. Pinnae more often appears thicker than the mid­ remote, more divergent, more unequal, vein, near the base of the pinnae, while more abruptly attenuate, the distal the midvein is thicker ill Vad'ia. Re­ margins erose, the basal angles auricu­ ferring to the small natural-size photo­ late, the rach1s and adjacent veins and graph in the upper middle of figure 9, margins minutely hispid-rugose or ca­ the section of a pinna shows the promi­ runculate, :figure 4, page 20. nent veins less distinct than in some of Lophothele from Choapam district the pinnae of the reduced photograph Oaxaca, page 32. at the left, but the grooving of the sur­ face between the veins in the natural­ M mwanthe lunatal, from eastern Gua­ size photograph is normal. As in Va­ temala' example of normal trunk for­ dia, the terminal pinnae of the leaves of mation, figure 10, page 14. Encheila are not notably reduced, one 01'11,anthe, orientation of calyx-lobes, of them being slightly wider than the page 26. subterminal pinnae. Stachyophorbe, compared with Va­ The spathes of Encheila appear to be dia , page 28. somewhat more compact and possibly Vadl:a new genus, V . jotolana, type of thinner and firmer texture than in species from Chiapas, between Ocosing Vadia. The basal spathe is relatively and El SaIto. Trunk reduced to a hori­ longer, about 2.5 cm., the second spathe zontal repent rhizome, pinnae linear, 4.5 cm., with the first and second joints 3-veined. Staminate inflorescences mod­ -of the peduncle extremely short, 2 mm. erately ramose, the flowers oval-oblong or less. Third spathe 4.5 cm . long; the tesselate, with regular orientation in fourth 10 cm., shown with the inflores­ four rows, the superior petal trans­ cence emerging well below the apex, verse, the lateral petals approximate in in the reduced photograph. the median line, filaments robust, an­ thers oval oblong, pistillodes remote Summa'ry and Index from stamens, erect, tripartite. Figures Cladandm, compared with Va.dia, 1-3, 5-8, page 14. Vadia atrovi1~e ns . page 30. (Marti us) page 26 . . .,. Rooting Rex Begonia Cuttings by Hydroponics *

GEORG.E B.FuRNISS

When it came to rooting the leaves However, a nutrient added to the ·or foliage-cuttings of the Rex Bego­ water hastens root formation and vigor l1ias, the writer was a failure without of growth . Such a solution may be any ameliorating adjectives. What made by dissolving a level teaspoonful seemed so simple for others, that is to of a garden ferti li ze r, known as a bal­ Toot such cuttings in sand or in some anced mixture, in a quart bottle of or­ rooting compost, I just could not get dinary water. Shake well and use this the knack persistently as I tried. Thus as the rooting medium. Should potas­ I became forced to accept defeat not­ sium permanganate be available, add w ithstanding a long experience in gar­ about .0 of a quarter-size measuring den, hothouse and lathhouse practice. spoon to the solution. This suppresses There is a midpoint between being the formation of green algae which is 100 dry and too wet which is difficult not harmful but for appearance sake ·to keep-or so proved with me-and only. yet such is a very necessary moisture­ Those who are having difficulty in balance in sand to prevent damping off. rooting soft-wood cuttings will find Finally and definitely frustrated, I this method helpful, such as with fuch­ went completely wet-to 100'10 water. sias, geraniums, chrysanthemums, Af­ When excess of water was my rican violets (sauntpaulia). trouble and then going all out with the Figure I-Rex Begonia leaf and cut­ offender seems like jumping from the tings are rooting in chemically prepared frying pan. It is understandable that water. The glass container is kept this damping off is due to an excess of filled to within a half-inch of the top. water which keeps the air crowded out Mature leaves are used as those ready from between the soil particles. Like­ to be discarded because of browning ' wise this air is just as necessary in edges and losing vigor. June through water as in soil for root development. September is a favorable period for The procedure then is to submerge rooting or any season under warmth. the base of the cutting somewhat be­ A desirable situation is a sunny win­ low the surface as that area is the best dow with strong line but shielded from ~erated - air decreases with depth. direct sun. The leaf rests upon or Rooting in water may not be orthodox. hooks over the brim of the glass. Leaf or professional, but like the rose with cuttings are supported by hair-pin wire .another name, the word "hydroponics" placed across the glass and strung so came to the rescue by giving a scien­ as to allow about an inch of the leaf­ tific vestage. Water alone is sufficient base to hang . below the surface of the and does not make weak plants as com­ nutrient solution. monly believed unless the cuttings are Figure 2-This leaf cutting, wedge 1eft immersed too long-the same as shaped, is developing roots; it is two cuttings become flabby if left in sand months old and now ready for potting until the roots are over developed. in a 2.0-inch pot. By making a circu­ lar cut in the original leaf on the re­ *In this writing material has been borrowed :from an article by the author, published in the verse side just below where the large Flower Grower, September 1946, a nd u sed throug h -the courtesy and permission of its publishers. veins fork, there will be enough leaf [35] 36 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947

.. Fig. 1. Re.,; Bego'N.ia leaves 1'ootillg in 'Wat er. Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL :\1AGAZINE 37

George B. Tllrlliss Fig. 2. TIVedge-shaped Rex Begollia leaf cuttillg rooting ill water. Two embryo plants, 1'/'/ore coming. Two months old alld ready for potting. 38 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947

Geo rge B. Fnrniss < Fig. 3. R ex B egonia leaf stem. Husk), plant at base w ith clusters of e'/1lbryon·ic plants along the stelll. T w o mOllths old alld ready f01' pottillg. Jan., 1947 THE NA TIO~AL HORTICULTURAL :\IIAGAZINE 39

George B. Fnmiss Fig. 4. Rex Begonia leaf Cltttillg rooted in water alld trallsfened to soil at 17.1.!0 11/Olllhs of age. flow fOltr lII ollths old w ith several shoots and 11wre C011l­ ing. When fi"all'jI separa.led this will 11Iake le.n plants. 40 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947 tissue left to make several wedges like garden loam, sifted. Good drainage is this one. Also there is enough tissue essential such as by gravel or char­ left to make a "toad-stool" top to the coal (embers raked from the garden stem. A strong plant usually develops fire)-about half inch in the bottom of fron;) the center eye in thi s top. The the pot. stem is cut off square about 2 inches The compost should be slightly moist below tbe leaf. for potting purposes. A safe way is to It is interesting to 'watch the prog­ water indirectly. Insert the pots in a ress of rooting, the many variations fl at of garden soil. leaving the brim and formations - and the differences. about half-inch above the soil surface. perhaps due to particular varieties. Keep this surrounding soil damp. not Figure 3 - A husky little plant is wet. The pots will absorb sufficient starting from the base of the stem and moisture for root development until a t he clusters along the stem are embryo root system is establi shed. Larger sized plants. Now two months old and ready pots wi th soil instead of a flat is more for potting. The embryo plants will de­ convenient fo r a few plants. velop roots and later may be separated The Rex Begonia. well grown. IS w hen repotting. These embryo plants majestic and outstanding in appeal are induced, with exceptions due to va­ among potted ornamentals. The eye is riety, by two methods. F irst by a quick to spot it among a mixed collec­ straight shallow-cut with a sharp knife tion of plants and i ~ accents such a downward along the stem at the base. group as does maidenhair fern in a cutting about one-sixteenth inch deep. fl oral arrangement. R ex seed does not Secondly by making cross cuts about come true from its parents so that the one-quarter of the stem's diameter deep ohly way to perpetuate a particular va­ and one-half inch apart. Only one root riety is by division of the rhizome has developed but more will come later. whi ch may be unsafe, or by leaf cut­ Figure 4--Plants are developing in ti ng. A collection of Rexes alone a 20-inch pot-seven shoots and three is a fascinating enjoyment . . . so coming; now four months old . In about many variations. As to this: Lil­ two months more, these shoots may be li an Ashe led a group of San Fran­ separated with a sharp knife and each cisco members of the American Be­ snoot planted alone, with its roots at­ gonia Society to its annual Convention tached, in a 20-inch pot, making 10 and Flower Show held at San Diego. 'new plants. She wri tes : "A il! The Rexes! Vve have Compost suggesti ons : 2 parts well never seen such a lavish variety of dif­ decomposed leafmold such as may be ferent specimens, many of them being found under trees after raking off the entirely new to us. Nature certainly top dry leaves (or decayed "rotted" old outdid herself in richness of color. mul­ wood, or peatmoss, if leafmold is not tiformity and diversity of pattern. No obtainable) , screen tl1rough % inch artist can imitate her." mesh; 2 parts coarse sand; 0 part Oakland, Cali fornia Rock Garden Notes

ROBERT C. MONCURE, Editor

Pri'lJl.ulas for shaded areas border plant, that is the Polyanthus, is The article by L oui se Ihlder in the not generally recognized as a Primula. July issue of this Journal has arrested although it is derived from a natural my attention because I find no refer­ hybrid between the Engli sh primrose ence to the genus Primula in her li st (Prim,ula acau.!is ) and the cowsli p ()f shade-tolerant plants, My experi­ (Pril1lu.la officinalis ) , It mi ght also be ence in growing primulas. during the noted that the above mentioned sixty­ 1ast twenty years, in the San Francisco nine species should be expected to be Bay area, has shown that most of them hardy since their native habitats are are not merely tolerant of shade but de­ are located either in sea level regions mand it and I have been compelled to whose climate is temperate or in moun­ supply it by constructi ng small lath tainous regions whose elevations are hOtlses si nce my city lot does not afford sufficiently hi gh to in sure long and natural shade. This is in accord with severe winters. the experience of others in this vicinity, Successes in growing a number .of Here our sunshines during the spring these species. at widely separated lo­ and summer months is tempered for calities in the U nited States and Can­ several hours of the day by light high­ ada, are on record. The thirty pages fl oating clouds and both Our daily av­ devoted to them in Mrs. \/'hlder's -erage and daily maximum temperatures Adventures in my Garden and Rock are much below those of New York. Garden gi ve some information on this Chicago. and \I\Tashington, matter. I have reviewed the files of Additional characteristics w h i c h Horticulture (Boston ) . The Garden make the species of Primula desirable Magazine (New York), Gardeners' border plants are the wide diversity in Chronicle of America (New York). their habits of growth and time of fl ow­ Quarterly of the American Primrose ering, the beauty and profusion of their Society (Portland. Oregon). and this flowers, and with certain exceptions. Journal for the past twenty years and their ease of culture, As to their hardi­ fi nd brief accounts of the experiences ness I would cite the fact that a 1938 of amateur growers with many of these seed catalogue of an English firm li sts species. There are reports of successes seventy-four species of which sixty­ from nearly all the New England and nine are rated as hardy perenni,3,ls, The Middle Atlantic States as well as contents of British horticultural maga­ Michigan, M innesota, Illinois, Ohio, zines for the past twenty years show V irginia. West Virginia, and especiall y that nearly all of these sixty-nine spe­ O regon and \I\Tas hington. A Temark­ cies are grown with success out-of­ able interest in primulas has arisen doors in Great Brittain, It is unfortu­ during the last five years in these two nate that in the United States the name last named states. T hi s in terest is Primula has become associated with closely linked with the formation of the two of the very few greenhouse species A merican P rimrose ociet)' in Port­ only, namely, P1"i1'1l,ula obcollica and land, which now has a membershi p in P 1-i11J11,ula 'malaco'ides, The one hardy excess of seven hundred, stages an an­ species, which is widely grown as a nual Primula ho\-v, and publishe a [-11] 42 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947 quarterly magazine. A further conse­ species. Much information on these­ quence has been the establishment of a subjects is to be found in Bailey's En­ number of small nurseries which sup­ cycl opedia of Horticulture. It will, ply plants and seed of many of the however, li st certain species which I spe<:ies. have grown in California and found Here in California the conditions are pleasing, which are generally rated as· somewhat less favorable than in O re­ easy to grow and of which plants or gon and Washington. Certain species seeds can be obtained either in the­ mi ss the long cold winters of their nat­ U nited States or England. The li st in­ ural habitats and, owing to a rather cludes: t he auricula, especially the al­ high winter temperature and heavy pine strain, P. alpicola var. violacea., P. pre<:ipitation, are subj ect to decay of Beesia.l7a, P. Bulleana, P . bur111anica~ their root systems unless especial at­ the Bullesiana Hybrids, P. cortusoides, tention is given to drainage. Weare P. de n.tic u./ata , P. Fo-rresti·i, P. f,'on­ also obliged to exercise constant vigi­ dosa, P. Flori·ndae, P . japonica, the lance to maintain the abundant water Juliana Hybrids, P. hchiangel1sis, P. supply which they need during the Moo1'eana, P. officinal·is, P. pulveru­ growing season. lenta, P. roseal, P. sikki1'nel1sis, P. S ie­ boldi, P. Ve1'tc hii, and P. vargongel1sis ~ It is not the purpose of this article to describe the beauties or outline the pe­ usually known under the name of P. culiar cultural needs of the different Wa:rdii. \'\T ALTER C . BLASDALE.

Rhododendron Notes

CLEMENT GRAY BOWERS, Editor

Double Azaleas appearance. These effects give rise to N ursery catalogs and popular hor­ decidedly different esthetic values in ticultural works, when describing aza­ the gardener's eye. They also serve as lea fl owers, are full of indiscriminate a method of identifying some of the and confusing use of such terms as named hybrids. According to S. F. "hose - in - hose," "double," "semi­ Blake, senior botanist, Division of Plant double," and "fully double." Exploration and Introduction, U. S. Little difficulty arises in using "sin­ D. A., hi s profession would designate gle" to describe the most common aza­ any such transformation of sepals or lea fl ower fo rm with its calyx of five stamens to petals as petalody of the green sepals (or more accurately five calyx or stamens. and any increase of calyx lobes since they are usually fused petals without or in addition to trans­ at the base into a tube), its corolla of formation to petals of other fl ower five colored petals o·r corolla lobes, and parts as a form of chorisis. Botanists finally its five to ten stamens and single can hardly expect the laymen to take pistil. Sometimes the sepals are quite these hurdles gracefully. minute and inconspicuous. But with These "-doubling" effects in azaleas the increase of petals through the usually take one of four general forms: transformation of sepals or stamens or First, the sepals, but not the stamens. both various doubling effects occur are full y transformed to petals. If the that corr~spondingly vary the fl ower's transformed sepals look the same as the Jan., 1947 THE NA'TIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 43

petals and the calyx and corolla have For azalea flowers with fully trans­ the appearance of two cycles of petals. formed stamens, but t rue sepals, there one growing within the other, thereby seems to be no distinctive name. B. Y. giving a double-decker effect, then the Morrison, editor of THE NATIONAL flow er is hose-i.n-hose. This type of HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE, and Clem­ fl ower is common among azaleas. Ex­ ent G. Bowers, author of Rhododen­ amples are Kurumes Coral Bells and drons and Azaleas, would not use the Ho Oden, Pericat hybrids Hampton term "petaloid stamens" but would re­ Rose and Morning Glow, Gable hy­ strict that term to partially transformed brids Chinook and Mary Dalton, and stamens where the character of the Rutherfordiana hybrids Dorothy Gish stamen is still apparent. Morrison sug­ and Salmon Glow. The sepals of a gests " semi-double" for this type of hose-in-hose flower are "petaloid" sep­ flower, but Alfred Rehder, one of the als. Thus the flower wi 11 have five petals authors of Rhododendron Species and and five petaloid sepals or for the less of A Monograph of Azaleas, and W. discriminate but still accurate, ten H. Camp,l assistant curator, New "tepals." The lay gardener will con­ York Botanical Garden, restrict "semi­ tent himself with saying the flower has double" either to flow ers where only ten petals. In general the nurseryman some of the stamens are transformed to uses the designation, hose-in-hose, for petals or to flowers where the trans­ flowers in this group, but occasionally fo rmed stamens are not changed to full he designates them as double. fledged petals, respectively. To the Sometimes the sepals are only par­ nurseryman these flowers are double. tially metamorphosed into petals. In However, the amorphous term "double" Pericat hybrid Hampton Beauty and tells little, for it may mean merely an Glenn Dale hybrid PI 141788, and increase in the number of petals with­ Kurume Christmas Cheer. the trans­ out change in the stamens, or a trans­ formed sepals are smaller and narrower fortnation of sepals to petals as in a than the petals or are contorted. Such hose-in-hose fl owers. or a replacement fl owers are not hose-in-hose. In Ku­ of disc florets with strap or ray fl orets rume Debutante only some of the sepals as in the Compositae. may change to small, contorted petals. Further, there are fl owers with un­ Some nurserymen also call these fl ow­ changed sepals but changed stamens in ers hose-in-hose. Their appearance is which the stamens, or some of them, more nearly that of a single fl ower. are only patrially and not fully trans­ Second, in another form of doubling, formed to petals. Such petals are either the stamens, but not the sepals, are small and narrow or contorted or else fully changed to petals. This results in the filament or anther of the stamen or filling in at least, in part, the space oc­ both remain visible. Gable hybrid 38-G. cupied by stamens in single flowers. and occasional flowers on (]!~~strina, ex­ The pistil is usually but not always re­ hibit this trait. tained. Among azaleas such fl owers Third. \"'hen yo u consider azalea are much rarer than the hose-in-hose fl owers that have both the sepals fully type and the center petals created by transformed to petals and the stamens the transformed stamens are usually partially transformed to petals, the sit- smaller than the regular petals. Azalea lCa mp points o ut that tra ns for med or petaloid examples are Kurume Shi shu and Ga­ stamens are called by the botani st s taminodia, i.e., ble hybrids La Premiere and Louise abortive or s terile s tame ns, hut s taminody usually refers to the reverse change from other parts of a Gable. fl ower in to stamens. 44 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL 'MAGAZINE Jan., 1947 uation is worse. Some nurserymen which Fujimanyo is assigned. Poukar call these flowers "fully double." Their ne11se Y odogawa and the Indian azalea. partially open buds frequently resem­ William Bull, present a similar situa­ ble a rose or camellia bud. Pericat hy­ tion. A breaking up of the tissues of brids Harmony, Glory, Splendor, Rich­ the pistil may account for the extra esse, and Rival and i7'ldicum Sweet petals not attributable to transformed (macrantha) Warai-gishi, are examples stamens. Similarly two tiny petal-like of hose-in-hose with stamens partiall y appendage.s are occasionally found at transformed to petals. the base of the filament of the stamen Fourth. A final class apparently in­ in the flowers of some azaleas. I have volves an increase of petals irrespective observed no azalea where in addition of, or in addition to, a transformation to the abnormal increase in petals the of sepals or stamens to petals. The cen­ sepals have been transformed to petals ter of the corolla is quite filled in. In so as to give, for instance, a hose-in­ azalea 1%UC7' onata f. plena (Fujimanyo) hose effect with an entirely filled in the sepals are retained but all the sta­ corolla. mens are transformed or partially Other unsual fl owers are Ruther­ transformed to petals. Frequently fordiana hybrids Crimson Glory. which what appear to be small green rudimen­ has five sepals and fi ve petals but about tary leaves show in the center of the 15 to 20 stamens either partially pet­ fl ower and some of the partially pet­ aloid or unchanged, and Alaska, which aloid stamens show green or fringed has five sepals and five stamens but ten tips. However, the 30 or so petals are petals. Ordinary observation would not a larger number than can be account­ determine whether these five extra pet­ ed for by transformation of the ten als in A laska are transformed stamens stamens of the species 1nUC1' onatum to in a ten-stamen flower or are duplicate

l3Iak e Rowers Camp M orrison R ehder L (a) Fully trans- Petaloid H ose-in- Hose-in- H ose-in- H ose-in- formed sepals sepals hose2 hose or hose2 or hose or petaloid petaloid petaloid sepals sepal sepals ( b) Partially ------.------transformed ------sepals 2. (a) Fully trans- Petaloid Semi- Petaloid Semi-double Double if fo rmed stamens double stamens or number stamens staminooia increased ( b) Partially ------P etaloid ------P etaloid ------transformed stamens stamens stamens ( c) Only some ------stamens ------transformed 3. Both sepals and P etaloid D ouble H ose-in- D ouh le Double with stamens sepals and hose with petaloid transformed stamens petaloid sepals stamens or staminodi a 4. Increase of petals Pleiotaxy Double Duplicate D ouble Double without of petals petals transforma- tion of sepals or stamens

20nldY jf sepa ls fulI y trans formed to pe tals a nd fll.sed so that calyx a nd corolIa have sam e a ppear. ance an look like t wo cycles of petal§ OIle ~ r O Wlng Inside the o ther. Ja n., 1947 'rHE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE

petals in a five -sta men fl ower. About Examples: Gable hybrid 38-G, I ndian the best the nurseryman has been able W illi am Bull, 11~ $bC 1' onatU1n f. plena to devise fo r fl owers with a large in­ (Fujimanyo) , and R utherIor'ciiana hv- crease in number of petals is "double," bri d Crimson Glory. . "very double," or "quite double." Class III. Double types ': '"". F lowers Views as to appropri ate designations with true (or only partially trans­ fo r various types of doubling in azaleas fo rmed) sepals, true petals, but all sta­ were obtained from five experts whose mens fully transformed to petals. In names have been above menti oned. The addition there may be extra petals of si milar appearance not accounted for views expressed are roughl y summar­ by transformation of stamens. Exam­ ized in the chart on opposite page. pies: Shishu, Gable hybrids La P re­ U nder the circumstances no one can miere and Loui se Gable, and i11di cu11'! blame the nurseryman or popu}ar hor­ Sweet vars. n;)ac rantha PI 78380 and ticultural writer fo r making indiscrim­ Beni-kirishima. tv, '"' .~.J inate use of such terms as double, semi­ Class IV . Hose-in-hose ty'pes: F low- do uble, and fully double, or even occa­ ers with sepals fully transformed to sionally misusing hose-in-hose. A clas­ petals and fused to a tube so that calyx sificati on of azalea fl ower types along and co rolla look alike and appear to be with lines provided for peoni es by the two cycl es of petals, one growing with­ American P eony Society might be use­ in the other. A hose-i n-hose fl ower ful. Groupings that take accoun t of may be a single hose-in-hose, semi­ obvious differences in appearance, dC'llIb le hose-in-hose, or double hose-in­ rather than groupings botani call y ex­ hose. Examples: si ngle hose-in-hose, act, would be most helpful. A tentative K urume Co ral Bells; semi-double hose­ suggestion is- in-hose, Pericat hybrids Harmony, Class 1. Single types: F lowers with Glory. Splendor. R ichesse and R ival true (or only partially transformed ) and 1:ndicum Sweet (macrantha) sepals, true petals, and nort11al sta­ \ Varai-gishi . I have ll Ot yet observed a mens. The conspicuous stamens and fl ower that could be described as a pistil give this type its distinctive ap­ double hose-in-hose within these defi ­ pearance. E xamples: K urumes, H in ode­ ni tions. gid, Debutante, and Christmas Cheer, It shoul d be noted that occasionally the species Kaempferi, Pericat hybrid an azalea may display fl ow'ers of more Hampton Beauty, and Glenn Dale hy­ than one class at the same time or its brid PI 141788. fl owers 'may vary in class in different Class II. Semi- double types: F low­ years. ers with true (or only partially trans­ FREDERIC P. LEE. fo rmed ) sepals, true petals, but all or Azalea, G. L. Taber (See page 46) most of the stamens partially trans­ formed to petals, i.e., the transformed A mong the many so-called Indian stamens are smaller than the true pet­ azaleas, that the wri ter purchased in als or contorted or t he anther or fi la­ the course of the last two years for ment of the stamen remain evident. study and use in hybridization work I n addition there may be extra petals of was the plant named above, li sted as a similar appearance not accounted for hybrid prod uced at the Glen St. Mary by transformation of. stamens. T here N ursery in F lorida. At a fi rst quick may be a few normal stamens or a few look. as it arrived in the autumn one stamens fully transformed to petals. might we ll think that it had more or 46 THE NATIONAL HOH.TICULTUH.AL MAGAZINE Jan .. 1947

[See page 4.) J Azalea, G. L. Taber .Ian., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL \lfA GAZlNE 47

Robert L. Taylor [See page 48) RhododC'lIdroll scabnflll -1 8 tHE NATIONAL BORTICULTURAL MAGAZtNF.. Jan., 1947 less the habit of the clone known as the poor stuff that is sold in the Ku­ Omurasaki, with maybe a touch of old rW11e section! "indica al·ba" which as all know is real­ Rhododendyon Scab1'U11'£ G. Don. (See ly Rhododend1'0'/'£ '11'luC'I'Onatu1n, a de­ page 47) pendable azalea for these parts and be­ The inflorescence illustrated in the loved for many years. The parentage figure was by no means the largest pro­ has never been disclosed as far as we duced from the plants in question, two have found ou t. purchased from the Glen St. Mary Coming in the autumn, it was placed Nursery Company. It is quite large in the cold pit house along with all the enough, however, to show how the other dones, passed the winter with no flowers pile up into a head almost of sign of difficulty and in mid-April was the same character as that found in the literally smothered in bloom. The illus­ Catawbiense rhodendrons. It shows tration gives a good idea of the size and also the size of the bloom, the waved style of the fl owers but it does not fully margins of the corolla lobes, the pat­ catch the pattern of tender co loring. ' tern of spotting in the upper blotch. The ground color, of course, is white. the carriage of the ten rather short but It ~ s s6 covered with a wash of ten­ stamens, and suggests to the knowing der pink that onl y the irregular mar­ the intensity of its red color, which al­ gins show white. The blotch on the most exactly matches in degree the upper lobes is almost crimson. Prac­ green of the somewhat leathery green tically every visitor who came was de­ leaves. lighted with the fl ower but the best The habit of the bush is well de­ news came with and trom a visitor, who scribed by Wilson's phrase, "laxly remarked, "Well, I see you have old branching." \l\1hether or not in the Taber. I have had that outside here northern garden where it is lifted each for about ten years!" It seems that the winter to be carried through in an un­ plant is ~inter harely here and has been through enough of the vicissitudes at heated pit, it will ever be abie to "make our changeable winters to merit the a bush" is doubtful. It takes the winter general term "hardy." temperatures well, shows no shock on My own plant has now been left out transplanting and seems tolerant of the of doors to see how it may behave in treatment, but apparently will need a the company of many clones of known sunnier location for summer if it is to hardiness. Others will fo llow it to li ve make good flower buds for the fo11ow­ or to die as they may for there seems to l11g season. be n1.uch confusion about the relative It was purchased, of cou rse, pri­ hardiness to cold, on the part of these marily to see the species and to have Southerners surviving from the early pollen for hybridizing. In 1946 it ac­ days. From evidence that we now have cepted pollen from rather widely di­ here, it is probable that more are resis­ verse clones and its pollen was fertile tant to cold than one might now suspect on many more. \l\1hat the outcome of and reports will be added in this section these crossings will be remains to be as the data accumulate. Meantime, it seen. The only clones now owned remains one of the mysteries of horti­ which are not entirely hardy to cold culture, why this most lovely sort is not here ale several given the writer by the planted while people continue to waste late William Judd of the Arnold Ar­ money and time and space on some of boretum, all with Kurume varieties as Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 49 seed parents. The fl owers are no bet­ vi duals wi ll be found from the large ter than those of other clones in which populations that will be cold hardy and both parents are cold hardy and none wiIl carry .over the fine red of the par­ approached the wonderful scarlet red ent, as weIl as something of the heavy of the scabrum parent. In the crosses texture of the leaves which are almost made here, it is hoped that some in di- like those of a "true" rhododendron.

Narcissus Notes

B. Y. MORRISON. Editor

Daffodil Notes fro1n 0 klaho'/ll'la flower. Kandahar, Robert Sydenham In 1935 I was fortunate in seeing a and Golden Harvest are other giants. large spring fl ower show with daffodil The widely spreading trumpets. displays and fine displays in private Giant Perfection, Advance Guard and gardens. My serious daffodil growing Goldbeater do not bloom before King began then. My collection has been Alfred. W hen the widely spreading added to every year si nce then until it trumpets are seen front view only the comprises over 300 varieties. tips of the petals are visible. I am not particularly fond oE yellow Lord Antrim and the later blooming trumpets, but because they give early Bulwark have t rumpets with flaring bloom and the garden visitors love edges. Principal is only medium sized. them I· try to keep a representative col­ Some of the petals are pinched back lection. until the sides touch. Royalist is valu­ The rock garden varieties Minor va­ able fo r its late blooming quality. riety 711,inim,us and Mino1' variety 1W11'US Forerunner is the earli est of the are delightful. Minimus is smaller than light yeIlow trumpets. It has a fla t na-nus and much earlier. Min.i111us has perianth with overlapping petals held burst through the snow just after a at right angles to the trumpet. The February storm. Its tiny stem is only trumpet is straight and slightly deeper three inches talI and its blossom one than the perianth. The soft yellow color inch long. of H oney Boy is particularly pleasing "Magnificence although listed as very to those who do not like too much early usually opens with King Alfred. bright yellow. Greenish-yellow Moon­ King Alfred has not been a good per­ gold is the last of the yellow trumpets Eormer in this locality although it has to bloom. done well in my garden. Hebron's Roxane is the first of the white trum­ blooming habits are more reliable and P€lts to bloom. It is fo llowed by Beer­ it is sometimes earlier. Its petals are sheba, which has a fine smooth white wider than t hose of King Alfred and perianth and a long. slim . cream trum­ more overlapping and the trumpet is pet that fades to wh ite. The neck is a more refined. Godolphin sometimes bit weak. but this fault may be cor­ opens as early as King Alfred. It is rected when phosphates are available. larger, but not superior. It has been slow to increase. Diotima, although half again as large Eskimo has increa.sed rapidly and as King Alfred, does not appear coarse. blooms prolifically. Its behavior and The petals overlap nicely and its tall reasonable price will probably make it stem is in proportion to the size of the the standard white trumpet for this 10- so THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947 cality. China Clay is small; the petal:; rapidly. In two gardens it has been barely overlap and are quite pointed. rarely more than deep yellow. When It is a slim, refined flower-not for the cup does achieve its normal color those who like·buxom blossoms. it is very brilliant as if making up for Kantara is pure white. The trumpet past deficiencies. It is a fine, smooth of Mrs. E. H . Krelage opens a lemon flower and worth having even when the yellow, but fades to creamy white. In color is not up to standard. some situations it has been slow to in­ Carlton is rather large and coarse. crease. but the admirers of buxom blossoms Effective is the earliest of the bi­ like it. Havelock is similar in shape color trumpets to bloom and my choice to Fortune, but is a trifle smaller. It of varieties in this class. Immense is a does not have the orange cup of For­ medium-sized flower. The trumpet of tune, but is an acceptable substitute in Jack Spratt is very small where it joins localities where Fortune does not color the perianth, giving it a wasp-waisted properly. Whitely Gem is not as bril­ effect. The petals of all of these are liant as Fortune and the petals fade to stained with tl1e color of the perianth. white on the tips. Copper Bowl, like I have no sales resistance where its ancestor Fortune. is very frequently pink-cupped varieties are concerned. I poorly colored. couldn't resist Rosary in spite of un­ St. Egwin is a large flower borne on satisfactory reports from other locali­ fine, tall stems. It blooms prolifically ties. It has increased nicely, but has and is a reliable performer. Porthilly not bloomed although three years old. is similar in coloring to Odessa, with A soil test revealed a low phosphorus Odessa given preference in my garden and potash content, which may be re­ becaue of a better perianth. Cocarde has sponsible for the lack of bloom. Love­ a very flat cup. Knighton is a very nest increases rapidly. Its apricot striking color. crown usually develops the typical col­ Damson tries to hide the beautiful or. The trumpet of Rosabella becomes coloring of its cup by ducking its head. a very luscious pink with age, but it Aristocrat has a poor neck and the pet­ has a poor neck and perianth. als pinch. The perianth of Truan is Carnlough has a very pale pink rim most peculiar. Three petals are pinched which fades as the flower ages. Pinkeen to each side so that the perianth ap­ has the best perianth of any of the so­ pears to be divided in half. The petals called pinks, but the cup is never pink of Jubilant twist and some of them tip in this climate. Mrs. R. O. Back­ forward. house is the pinkest of the pink cups. Coverack Perfection is the most stun­ but the perianth is poor and the cup ning of the bicolor in-comps. It has a pinches at the (md. It is a consistent buff cup with a salmon edge. John performer and a good multiplier. True Evelyn is a dependable, modest priced Charm has a widely reflexed cup which flower. Seraglio has an attractive scal- has a pink tone to the body of the cup. loped cup. . but remains yellow on the reflexed Market Merry is not as early here as edge. Both the cup and the perianth it is reputed to be in other localities. are poor. The cup is never solid red. Because it Helios blooms with the early trum­ is very slow to increase, it could not be pets. It gives good bloom and multi­ used for a market flower. Twinkle is a plies rapidly. Fortune has been a con­ tiny Hower of unusual color, but not of sistent bloomer, bu.t has not increased outstanding form . . It has a very red, Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HOHTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 51

R()bert L. Taylor [See page 53] Frolll- top to botto"lll: C"('('rio. Carbin('er. Fair':.' J\.iug Jan., 1947 52 THE NATIONAL HO'RTICULTURAL MAGAZINE short cup and a pinkish toned, poor The flower of Her Grace is pleasing, perianth. It is suited to the rock but the stem is too short for the size of garden. the flower. Hades is about the size and coloring Laughing \iVaters, although classed of Forfar although FOl·far is listed as as a short-cupped Leedsi, resembles a a bi-color Barrii. It does not hold the freshly opened fl ower of Tunis. The cup color so well as Forfar. Hades has fades to white as it ages. Mrs. Nette given no increase in five years. For­ O'Melvany is a very satisfactory inex­ far is the first of the bi-color Barriis to pensive fl ower. It gives good bloom bloom. Over half of the cup is a very and multiplies rapidly. White Lady is red-orange. It has a better neck than the most satisfactory variety I have. It Hades and holds its red color better. It is a free bloomer and a very rapid mul­ is a better performer than Hades. tiplier-a "must" for every garden that Foriar has the brightest red cup of any grows inexpensive daffodils. daffodil grown in the garden. YIystic is valuable for its late bloom­ The red edge on the cup of Firetail ing habit. It has been low to increase. fades badly unless it is grown in partial Similar, but maller, is Fairy Circle. shade. It is quite late and a reliable It is suitable for the rock garden. performer. Queen of Spain has a bad habit of Galata has an unusual scalloped yel­ coming up too early and getting frost low cup vvith a narrow orange edge. bitten. The blossom of Viscountess The perianth reflexes-not too prettily. )Jorthcliffe is too large for so short a Brunswick, which usually blooms stem. The blossom always nods - a with King Alfred, is the earliest of the trait inherited from its triandus parent. large cupped Leedsiis. The pointed Coyness is not becoming to so large a petals appear thin, but have consider­ fl ower. able substatnce. The fresh, pale yel­ YIoonshine has a wider, longer cup low cup fades to cream white with a than Thalia, but is not so pleasing in pale yellow edge. proportion. Neither has a good peri­ Tunis is a very attractive color when anth. \ Vhite \"·itch is smaller than it performs its best, but the primrose either and inferior to both. cup usually fades to pure white. Only February Gold rarely blooms in Feb­ occasionall y does the honey-colored ruary here if planted in an open situa­ frill on the edge of the cup dnelop. tion. Two- thirds of the bulbs from three The jonquil hybrid, General Persh­ plantings have died. In the fourth ing, has the appearance of a medium­ planting in soil made almost entirely of sized trumpet. It is a very deep yel­ coarse sand, limestone chips and leaf low. Orange Q ueen is a very prolific mold eleven out of twelve bulbs have bloomer. The true -variety was difficult survived and multiplied. to acquire. It has a long blooming sea­ Still \Vaters has a small, very pure, son. Lanarth has considerable dignity frosty white fl ower. Inclined to duck for a flower that is not large. It has its head a bit on first opening, it SOon not borne more than one fl ower to a overcomes this fault. The large fl ower stem. of Daisy Schaffer is always popular. Lady Hillingdon sometimes bears as The first two plantings died-the third many as three fl owers to a stem. Tul­ has lived through two seasons. The Ius Hostilius has a smaller flower than cup of Truth is so long that a casual Lady Hillingdon with a longer cup. It observer would class it as a trumpet. increases more rapidly and blooms Jan., 1947 TH E NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE S3

more prolificall y. W hite Wedge wood C allahCL£iatus lacks the grace of the is about the size and shape of Lady other small species. HjIlingdon, but bears only one or two ELEANOR HILL. fl owers to a stem. All three are good T ulsa, Okla. fo r naturali zing and make good ar­ T hree Orange cupped N a:I'C'issus (See rangements. page 51) The cups of the poetaz van etles. Scarlet Gem and Glorious, have hetter Even before the advent of Fortune, color if grown in partial shade. fo r use by breeders, there was a con­ certed effort to breed red and orange Of the poets Actea is the earliest and cupped daffodils that woul d be of good best of the establi shed Yari eties. Di nton fo rm and carry cups in which the color Red has a poor perianth. Recurvus is wo ul d not fade. Since nearly all breed­ kept in large quanti ties because of its ers were concerned with it, the num­ very late blooming habit. ber produced was legion and many of Doubles have never been satisfac­ the good fl owers that were presented in tory. The blossom of Twink frequently the late 1930s have never come into blasts and the color is always too pale. general cul tivation, some perhaps with Van Sion comes green. It is kept so reason, others not. The uppermost that I may have fo li age fo r pi-eki ng. fl ower, Cheerio, has never been a prime Chee rfulness has been grown only two favorite here, as the perianth is not as seasons. It does not blast and is val­ smooth as we enjoy, but the wide bowl­ uable for its late bloo m. shaped cup of deep yellow nicely . All of the small species are suited stained in from the margin with intense fo r the rock garden. Bulbocodinln red orange is a pleasant variation from 7"1w ·nophyllus sometimes blooms so ear­ the more smooth cups of many varie­ ly that it is malformed as a result of ties. The fl owering stems are long freezing weather. B ulbocodiu /1'1 citrill us and strong so that it is fi ne for cutting. has multiplied very rapidly. The left hand fl ower, Carbineer, is Neither T 1'1'a ll dus albLf.s nor T . wla­ beautifully smoo th in all its parts and thinus has been permanent. The last the slightly refl exed carriage of the plantings look happier than fo rmer perianth gives the bl oom a jaunty look. ones. Cycla111/.ineus usually lasts only The peri anth is a good even yellow and one season. the slightly frilled cup is deeper with l uncifolius asks only to be planted. an orange red margin. It too is long It comes up in early fall, but cold does stemmed and fin e fo r cutting. not damage the foliage enough to keep F airy K ing, the lowermost fl ower, it from blooming. It has the longest has in tense and even clear yellow in blooming period of any variety in the the perianth and a smooth cup wi th al­ garden. most no frilling. It is deep orange red, T enuoir was transplanted fo ur tim es almost uniform in hue from edge to before I fo und out that it was supposed base. It looks paler in the engraving to be difficult to grow. It has given than it is, for in the garden the contrast no difficulty. It has a very long dor­ is strong and striki ng. I t is less tall mant season so perhaps likes our long, than the other two, but not a weakling hot summers. An occasional clump or dwarf. has been destroyed because it had de­ T he point in grouping the three, veloped mosaic, but it multiplies so rap­ which were all photographed on March idly that I now have a large stock in 28, 1946. is to show that now we can spite of that fact. ha\'e many kinds of red-cupped flow- 54 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947 ers early in the season and to illustrate broad overlapping segments in Cheerio as well the points made about the char­ are all that could be asked for save that acter .of cup and perianth, which are they are not smooth. The segments in often mentioned in texts and not al­ Carbineer are about perfect, those of ways understood by amateurs when Fairy King a little narrow, if one they begin to study judging. The wishes to be severe.

Cacti and Succulents

VV. T AYL OR MARSHAL L, E ditOT Dh'ectOT . Desert Bota:niral Garden, Phoenix, ATizOI1(1

ThTee Interesting Succulents boulders from which they can hardly Sometimes succulent plants are trea­ be distinguished. sured for the large and attracti ve fl ow­ F ortunately the species grows easily ers produced but occasionally we give fr om seed as export of the plants is a prominent place to a plant with in­ prohibi ted. O nly seedlings are avail­ significant fl owers because of the un­ able but these are in fai rly plentiful usual form of the plant. The species supply. here described belong to the group The plant illustrated is a female and valued f.o r unusual form and color it is necessary to have plants of both which makes them noteworthy even sexes to produce fe rtile seeds. when not in fl ower. E u,pho'rbia, Bergeri N. E. Brown was Eupho'rbia, obesa, Hook. f. is a small , considered a fo rm of E uphorbia, capu t­ globe shaped or short cyli ndrical, di oe­ J1I/,edusae until 1907 when it was recog­ cious plant which comes from the ni zed as a distinct species and named Graaff R einet District of Cape P rov­ in honor of Alwin Berger, Curator of ince, Union of South Africa. The the Hanbury Botanical Garden at La plants are usually 8 angled, as is the Mortola, who published a small hand­ one shown on page 55 but i11 ay have 7 book "Sukkulente Euphorbien" in to 10 angles, gray-green with numerous 1906. In thi s book Berger listed our transverse dull purple bands fo rmed of plant as E . capllt-7ne dll sa,e var. 1ninoT. fin e lines, and th e surface marked with E, Be?'ge1'1' is a dwarf succulent narrow grooves, which cross the purple whose main stem is an extension of the bands obliquely. Circular fl owering thick main root; the branches are fr0111 eyes are arranged in rows down the 3 to 9 inches long, spreading in all di­ center of each angle. rections in a manner strongly reminis­ The general appearance of a young. cent of Medusa's head wi th its hair of gl.obose plant is that of a baseball cov­ serpents except that our Medusa head ered with a plaid material. White and attracts rather than repels. S.loa l;; in :'The Succulen t E uphor­ In the plant pictured the main root ?Iaea mentIO n that the first specimen has p roduced two main stems, each Imported sold in Califo rnia fo r $27.50. with numerous branche, and in the Only a few coloni es of the plant are center ca n be seen one branch that has known in its habitat where they are crested. making the specimen even found either uncler shrubs or amid more valuable to its fo rtunate owner. Jan., 1947 TH E N ATIONAL H ORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE S5

Eupho1' bia obesa

The place of origin and territory of the epidermis of the old leaves remains distribution of E . Be1'ge1'i is unknown. at the base of the new ones. It may have originated in South Af­ The leaves have an upper fl at face, rica but it is more likely a garden hy­ the lower face rounded and keeled ; the brid. It is frequently fo und in collec­ epidermis is slightly uneven, gray-green tions and can be fo und in the stocks of tinted with brown and thickly spotted larger dealers. in cl ark green. The large, bright yellow Pleiospilos Bolusii N . E . Brown is fl owers arise from between the leaves one of the mimicry fi g marigolds which and open at -or near nOOI1 and close in hails from the Graaff Reinet and Aber­ the afternoon. deen Districts of Cape P rovince. The marked resemblance to the rocks The plant consists ot two or four amid which it lives is the sole protec­ greatl y swoll en leaves to each growth tion of this and other species of the but a number of growths may ari se mimicry mesembryanthema and it is from one root in older plants. O nce a only when in .flower that the plant can year a new pair of leaves ari ses fr0111 be easily located in its habitat. the juncture of the old leaves and at A very si milar species. Ple'io spilos right angles to them ; graduall y the new N el-ii Schwant., differs principall y in leaves ahsorb the fi rst pair until only its coppery-apri cot co lored fl ower while 56 THE NATIO~AL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947

Euphorbia Bergcri

Pleiospilos si'lllu/alls ;-.r. E. Browll has absorbing interest not even remotely longer, narrower 1eayes and yello-...y connected with war. flowers. The French journal "Cactus" C0111- menced publication with the l'vlay 1946 Ino'eased Interest 1'/"l- Europe. issue. a 16 page magazin e on good Almost immediately fo llovvin g cessa­ coated paper and well illustrated. Each tion of hostilities in Europe interest in succee ding issue ha been better than succulent plants became manifest and the preceding one. societies, suppressed during the war. In Switzerland the Schweizerischen and new groups of Cactophiles began Kakteen-Gesellschaft has published a publication of J ournals. Andre Ber­ fou r-page journal since January 1945. trand, President of L' Association Fran­ and possibly before that, and in June caise des Amateurs de Cactees et of this year published "Sukkulenten," Plantes' Grasses, explained that this a yearbook of 24 pages on fine coated interest was a defense mechan ism to paper. well illustrated, and containing take the mi nd from the hardships of the the publication of five new species and postwar period by concentrating on an three new varieties of cactus. Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 57

Pleispilos BollI s'ii

The Swiss Cactus Society has eleven which is numbered Vol. 8, No.3. The branches, each of whidl meets monthly format is identical with the prewar to di scuss phases of the hobby. The makeup, consisting of 28 pages includ­ French Society has no branches as yet ing four pages of illustrations. but is affiliated with Societe des Amis In August 1945 the Yorkshire Cac­ des Cactees et Plantes Grasses de tus Society was organi zed and plans -:\I10 11aco. In May the French Society for a J ournal formulated; thi s resulted held an exhibition at the Museum in the issuance of The Yorkshire Cac­ cl'Histoire Naturelle at which a large tus Journal as a quarterly magazine in collection of mature, well grown plants March, 1946, when a 16-page pamphlet were shown to a considerable atten­ on fine glossy paper, well illustrated, dance. made its first appearance. By July, In England the Cactus and Succu­ when the second number was issued, lent Society of Great Britain, an af­ the Society had seven branches filiate of the Royal Horticultural So­ throughout England and Northern Ire­ ciety, commenced the publication of land and it was decided that the name " The Cactus J oumal" in September of the organization be changed to "Na­ 1932 and continued it as a quarterly tional Cactus and Succul ent Society" publication until December 1939 when and the third number of the magazine war conditions made its continuance wa rechristened "The National Cac­ impossible. This Society has resumed tus and Succulent J ournal. " In addi­ publication with the July, 1946. issue tion to the J oumal :t )Jews Letter of 58 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947 four pages is issued eight times a year of The Cactus J Durnal, "Cacti" by to full members. Prof. J. Borg, late of the University of In Czechoslovakia two societies Malta, and "Succulent Plants" by H. were active before the war, each is­ Jacobsen, Curator of the Botanic Gar­ suing a magazine named respectively den, Kiel, translated by Vera Higgins, "Kaktusar" and "Kaktusarske Listy" M.A. and both groups are again active and From France we learn that a new plan to revive their magazines. edition of "Les Plantes Grasses" by In a letter just received from Mr. Emile Jahandiez, President de la So­ Shurly, Editor of "The Cactus J our­ ciete d'Histoire Naturelle de Toulon, nal," we are advised of the formation which was first printed in 1935, is of a Cactus Society in Holland that planned for the immediate future, as is plans continuing the Dutch magazine also a new and revised edition of "Les "Succulenta" at an early date. Cactees Cultivees" by A. Guillamin, Perhaps the olclest of the European Professeur de Cultures du Museum Cactus groups is the Deutschen Kak­ d'Histoire N aturelle, Paris. This re­ teen-Gesellschaft whi·ch has published vised edition of Professor Guillamin's a magazine monthly since 1891 under book was prepared in 1939 and was the names "Monatsschrift fur Kakteen­ ready to print when the war started. kunde" 1891 to 1929, "lVlonatsschrift Unfortunately the system devisec;l by de Deutschen Gesell schaft: 1929 to Curt Backeberg based on Britton and 1933 and "Kakteenkund" 1933 to the Rose's classification was used in this end of the war. We now learn that as revision. late as September 1944 publication of A French edition of your editor's the German Cactus Societies Yearbook, book "Cactaceae" is planned to be is­ "Cactaceae," was issued on :fine gLoss sued in Paris coincidentally with the paper with numerous fine illustrations. second revised edition in English. Pre­ 'lYe have had no word of the plans liminary publications leading to the re­ of the German Society for the future visions are now being published in both but we do know that two of the best of Paris and Pasadena. the German botanists interested in Three Intf"J:('stiJlg Ech e ~'erias succulent plants have survi ved the war. Dr. Eric von Werdermann of the Very few species of the genus Eche­ Botanical Garden and Museum of Dal­ veria DC. are found in cultivation but hem who has described many new spe­ the simplicity of the cultural require­ cies of succulents is reported as on the ments and the triking color of both job and Dr. Fr. Buxbaum of A ustria plants and fl owers would suggest a is preparing translatirons of several of more extensive use of them. his excellent articles on physiological The Echeverias are succulent plants aspects of succul ents for publication in either stemless or with short stems America. topped by a rosette of thickened, Further proof of European interest is highly colored leaves. and bear very at­ reflected by the announcement by sev­ tractive ft.owerst in shades of yellow, eral publishers in England of revised orange, pink, coral or red on a simple editions of some of the more informa­ spike or raceme, or sometimes in pani­ tive books which were unobtainable cles. The inflorescence is long-lived during the war years. These include and -they make excell ent cut fl owers. new editi.ons of "The Study of Cacti" The leaves of the rosettes are usually by Vera Higgins, M.A., former editor Rat. the margins smooth or crenulated. Jan., 1947 THE ?\TATIONAL HORTICULTURAL 'NI AGAZI N£ 59 often te rl11in ating in a short po int. They vary in color from gray to reddish. through purples to powdered or waxy and in some species are covered with velvety hairs. The distribution of the genus is from T exas, where one species occurs. through Mexico. Central America and into the northern parts of South Amer­ ica. There are about 80 species of Echeverias and innumerable hybrid but taxonomic information is not avail­ able in monograph form although we are promised a work on the genus by Echeveria 'rosea g1'a11.de Eric Walther in the near future. Brit­ ton and Rose described 58 species in grown in our garden. This plant is North A merican Flora Vol. 22, part 1. eighteen inches in di ameter, the leaves published by the New York' Botanical fo rming the rosette are deeply chan­ Garden in 1905, and Berger in Engler, neled and shiny, reddish-bronze in part 18a, 1930, keys 77 species without color, and the beginning of several description. A non-technical work, Suc­ fl ower stalks are seen on which will culents fo r the Amateur, Pasadena later be borne the attractive pink 1939, describes and pi ctures some of fl owers. the more popular species. Many of the plants of this genus hy­ bridize very readily and many fine hy­ brids are available. For this discussion two of the older hybrids and a new va­ riety of an ·old favorite were selected. Figure 1 shows a large plant of the very beauttiful EcheveTia rosea g'rande Hort., a garden hybrid of exceptional merit. This plant is more than twenty­ two inches across and seven fl ower stalks had started at the time the pic­ ture was taken. The bright red mark­ ings which outline the fresh green, deeply crenulated leaves mark this as a Echeve·ria jla71ll,m.ea. most desirable species. The many, red flowers which nod on the two-foot Both this and the preceding species stems add to its attraction and make attain their best color when .grown in interesting and valuable cut fl owers. full sun. Both are satisfactory for pot Sometimes E. rosea grande is con­ growth or fo r bedding outdoors. fused with E. crenu,lata Rose and fre­ Figure 3 shows a potted plant of quently the latter name is applied to the Echeveria Runyonii Rose, variety M ac­ former but E. crenulata is a very dif­ abeana Walther, a ¥ari ety described in ferent plant. 1935 in honor of the MacCabe N urs­ Figure 2 shows a plant of Echeveria eries that first distributed the plant. jlamm,ea, another garden hybrid, as The leaves are deep grape-green but so GO THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947

Displa.ying Succ-"dents ·in Flower Shows Many of the spring flower shows throughout the country will have sec­ tions for cactus and the other succu­ lents, offering special ribbons for these classes. The biennial convention of the Cactus and Succulen t Society of Amer­ ica will include a cactus show to be

stao'edI::> in the Irwin M. Krohn Con- se n 'atory, Eden Park, Cincinnati, on June 28th. Since many months of preparation should be given to plants proposed for entrv in such exhibits, a few words of advi~e to expectant entrants would not be ami ss. Cactus and other succulents, to be showworthy, should be: 1. Mature plants or, in the case of very large species, large seedlings. or well establi shed cuttings. 2. Clean and healthy plants in every Echeveria Rt£l'IyoJl·ii var. lvJacabea Jl a respect. Spine mealy bugs, scale. red spider or any other infesta­ tion or any di sease disqualify the heavily overlaid with bl oom as to ap­ entry. pear bluish-white. The fl owers are 3. Containers must be clean but not coral red. contrasting with the lea \'es ornate. Many entries are dis­ in a most at~racti\ie nnnner. co un ted because of too gaudy pots Echeverias can be easily propagated or bowls. either by cuttings or from leaves. Cut­ 4. Exhibits must be properly staged. tings should be made by removing the 5. All entries must be accurately top of the main shoot or side shoot . identified. which then are placed in pots without It is not too early to prepare now for soil , the base of the stem resting on dry spring and summer showing. Select moss with the leaves supported by the your plants, repot them if necessary rim of the pot. \iVh en roots form the and assemble them where they can be cutting can be potted in soi l. watched. Spray them at the first sign Individual leaves can be removed by oE infestation. Supply needed fertilizer, a gentle twisting motion so that they water and sunlight in proper proportion separate from the stem without injur­ for each species. It is advisable that ing the dormant bud. Place the leaves yo u select more plants for grooming ·on soil which has been grooved to re­ than you intend to display so that a ceive them, putting the base of the leaf substitute may be available for any in the groove. The -new plant will fo rm specimen not in top co ndition at show at the base of the old leaf and gradually tiH1e. absorb it. N ext, make certain that you know H . G. RUSH . the pr0per name of your plants and Jan., 1947 T HE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL ~rA GAZ I NE 61

A well-staged exhibit. prepare your labels. Some exhibitors against a wall plan to put the tallest use a wooden plant label while others plants in back, the medium height prefer a card, but if a card is used it plants in the middle row and low should be 3x5 inches or less. growing species in front so that all are The ideal label should indicate the visible. If your space is open from plant family to which each specimen two sides the taller plants should be in belongs, its generic and specific name the center and the lower growing ones including the name of the botanist who near the edges. If all of the plants are so assigned it, its habitat and, if one is about equal in height, blocks or shelves known, its common name. For exam­ should be prepared to elevate those in ple, if I were preparing a label for the the center of your exhibit. first species mentioned in the article As an example of a well staged ex­ "'Three Interesting Succulents." it hibit we show a photograph of the en­ would be something like this : try of the Michael-Donnelly Cactus Family: Euphorbiaceae (The Garden, The Emporium, in the San Spurges) Francisco F lower Show in the rotunda Genus: Euphorbia Linnaeus of the City Hall, August 21 and 22, Species: obesa Hook. f. 1946. In every respect, except labeling, Home: Graaff Reinet District, Cape this entry is commendable and the Province, Union of South Africa. judges awarded it a first place. The (Female Plant) labels could be improved by the addi­ The manner in which your plants tion of the name of the describing bot­ will be staged should be planned in ad­ anist. Note the use of clay pots for yance. If your show space is to be 111 0st of the plants but where glazed 62 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947

pots or bowls are used the containers p)ants of the state, permitting the ob­ are restrained and in a color to har­ servation of the entire native flora by monize with the plant housed. a short walk. Succulent plants are judged under Ornamentals, food plants, fibre the standards of the Cactus and Suc­ plants and those with medicinal prop­ culent Society of America as reported erties are all available for intense study in "Handbook of Flower Show J udg­ under most favorable conditions. ing" published by the N atiol1al Council Dominating the garden is an admin­ of State Garden Clubs. 1942. as fol­ istration building of modified Indian lows: architecture which blends with its sur­ Points roundings and accents them. An as­ Maturity and Condition of plants __ 30 sembly hall of ample proportions, dec­ N umber of Species in Collection.___ 30 orated and furnished in bright colors, S tagi ng ______15 provides the setting for lectures, classes Rari ty of Plan ts ______15 and various social activities of the spon­ Correct Labeling ______10 soring group, the Arizona Cactus and Native Flora Society. iDesert Bota.nical Garden Opening from it are the President's Within a few minutes' drive from office, the director's office and quarters, the heart of Phoenix, Arizona, one can a large and well equipped kitchen and come to a desert section where weird pantry, two guest bedrooms for the use rock formations arise from the plain of visititng scientists and various utility and giant saguaro cacti tower over the rooms. lower growing barrel cacti, hedgehog The only formal planting in the gar­ cacti, prickley pears and desert trees den centers around the administration and shrubs. This is Papago Park where building, where rare Mexican and natural conditions prevail except for South American Cacti are grouped ar­ the auto roads, bridle paths, picnic fa­ tistically along walks to permit obser­ cilities and fish ponds installed for the vation of each species in detail. Here, accomodation of visitors. plants from regions of greater rainfall In the center of Papago Park one receive irrigation and attain to their finds the most unique botanical garden top perfection; elsewere in the 306 of them all, the only desert botanical acres the plants are given no irrigation garden in the world, where nati ve and but grow under natural conditions. exotic desert plants are grown under The Arizona Cactus and Native natural conditions and can be observed Flora Society was organized in 1933 without the necessity of extensive by the late Gustav Stark for the pur­ travel. pose that has so nearly been attained. Cacti from both the Ameri.cas, cactus It has been fortunate in having for its like spurges from the African deserts. president and benefactor Mrs. Gertrude Yuccas and Century Plants, Aloes and G. Webster of Phoenix and Vermont, desert. milk weeds, creosote bush and for it is due to her foresight and gen­ joint fir, pLants from every continent, erosity that so much progress has been live together in harmony and apparent made. content. The first director of the Desert Bo­ Plants are grouped by sections for tanical was Mr. George Lindsay, - a convenience; the Arizona section con­ young and energetic botanist, who tains all of the species of cacti, yuccas, headed several expeditions into our agaves and most of the other desert south west deserts, Lower California Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTUUAL MAGAZI NE 63

work was well done and will last but when he received the well-k~own greetings from hi s U ncle Sam and the government established a prisoner of war camp in Papago Park, it became necessary to close the garden to visi­ tors for the duration. M rs. vVebster informs us that the Desert Botanical Garden will be re­ opened about November first when lectures and study courses will be re­ sumed by a new di rector whose name has not, as yet, been disclosed. Plans include publi cation of the results of ex­ periments and observati ons of plants at the garden and in the field and possibly an extension course of lectures in the closed seaSOn from May first to N 0- vember first which will extend to other states. An extensive and intensive drive for memberships amongst Arizonians and for associate memberships throu,,"hout • Co the world wIll be undertaken in order that the scope of the work of the ""ar- • Co den may be mcreased. HOMER G. RUSH. N e'W Di-rect01' f01' Des!'rt Botanical Garde?1 Mrs. Gertrude Webster, P resident of the Arizona Cadus and Native Flora Society, announces the appointment of W. Taylor Marshall F.eS.S. as Di­ Home1'Rush rector of the Desert Botanical Garden. Fig. 1. Ad111,inist-ration Building, Des­ Mr. Marshall is President Emeritus !,?,t Botanical Garden, viewed from th(' of the Cactus and Succulent Society of A-rizona Natural P lanting. America, Honorary Vice P resident of Fig. 2 E'1trance to auditoriu111, f1'01'/'l the American Horticultural Society, the Patio. Member of Honor of L'Association Francaise des Amateurs de Cactees et Fig. 3. Plantil1;g of exotic cacti and Plantes Grasses, Pari s, and of the Na­ othe-r succulent plants near Ad1ni·l1'istra - tional Cactus and Succulent Society of tion Building. Yorkshire, England, member of the and the Mexican mainland under M rs. American Society of Plant Taxono­ \Vebster's direction and with the co­ mists, Cactus and Succulent Society of operation of the Mexican government Great Britain, London, Cactus and to assemble more than 10,000 plants at Succulent Society of Los Angeles and the garden. The choice of Mr. Lindsay Associate Editor of NATIONAL HORTI­ as director was a happy one and his CULTURAL MAGAZI NE, \Vash., D. e 64 TH E NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947

He was granted a Fellowship of the and numerous articles 111 magazines Cactus and Succulent Society of Amer­ both here and abroad. ican in recognition of hi s writings :.1r. Marshall has led botanical expe­ which include: Glossary of Succulent ditions to Lower California, the main­ land of Mexico, the Vi est Indies and Plant Terms, Marshall and Woods, on our ow n deserts which resulted in 1938; Contribution to a Better Under­ the publication of a number of new spe­ standing of Succulent P lants, 1940 ; cies of cactus. A revised and enlarged Cactaceae, with botanical illustrations edition of hi s book, Cactaceae, is now by Thor Bock, 1941 ; Succulent P lants, in preparation and wi ll be released the first botanical work ill ustrated by simultaneously 111 America and a th ree-dimensional color pictures. 1946. French edition in Paris.

A Book or Two

ill/aile You,r Own lvIerry Christlllas. space." The reviewer would quar rel Anne Wertsner. lVI. Barrows and with the word "sketchily." It is not so! Co., Inc., New York, N . Y., 1946. \ i\T hatever you might like to know 112 pages, illustrated. $2.00. about in dealing with camellias is there. This is a very jolly book, one in sometimes briefly enough but usually which the spi ri t of the author has come in considerable detail, even at times to over into the printed word with more the borders of being repetitious. than usual success. Noone could pos­ Coming at a time when' there is a sibly read it without feeling the Christ­ terrific revival in camellia collecting mas Spirit that is embodied in the fe s­ and growing and when there is a newly tivities of the occasion. formed American Camellia Society, it P rimarily it has to do with decora­ should do much to offset the possible tions of every conceivable sort from dangers of a revival, since all revivals the most simple to the most fa ntastic have their own peculiar dangers. Per­ but praise be, nothing of the bizarre. haps it will be the steadying hand to Finally it includes a chapter of recipes keep from excess! which just to read will set one sniffing If you can steal that much money in anticipation. Need one say more ? from the plant budget, buy it by all means. The reviewer did so; he pre­ Camellias in Ame1'ica. H. Harold scribes nothing that he has' not expe­ Hume. J. Horace McFarland Co., rienced ! He, fortunately, lives beyond Harrisburg, Pa., 1946. 350 pages. the acknowledged limits of camellia illustrated in color, black and white growing, wh ich wi ll save him money. and line. $25.50. T hi s is a sumptuous book. It weighs in this day. when plants have reached prices that are phenomenal. plenty and is somewhat difficult to han­ dle except on a table, but it is worth it S ha de and Ornall/ elltal T1'ees for all. One always reads what Dr. Hume South F lorida and Cuba., by David has to say with respect and attention Sturrock and Edwin A. Menninger. and this work is no excepti on, even if Published by Stuart Daily News, the author modestly 1;legins hi s preface Inc., Stuart, Florida, 1946. Pf:l. 172. with "This volume, Call1,ellias in, Am,e'r­ Bound. ica, sketchily covers much time and Short descriptions of about 1,000 Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 6S trees arranged alphabetically by fam­ popular discussion carefully arranged ily, genus and species. Common names over a framework of facts, and with a given only where general usage in neat straddling of the geographic fence. southern Florida has required their in­ The Californians can look upon all clusion. The publication is of especial this as shrub material winning the ad­ significance because no tree has been miration of the tourist and the derision included that has not been actuall y ob­ of the " learned," but none-the-less a served growing either in southern marvellous lot of material for the col­ Florida or Cuba by the authors. who lector. with which he can indulge his are plantsmen of some experience. Of fancy in a great variety of ways. equal importance is the preliminary discussion, about 45 pages long. w hi ch BotallY: P1'ill ciples and Problems. Ed­ gives various li sts of trees to meet spe­ mund W. Sinnott. McGraw-Hill, cial planting problems such as dry or Yew York, 1946. 726 pages, illus. wet soils, salt in the soil or air, exces­ $-+.50 . sive winds, as well as li sts of selected "Plants are far more than interesting trees for foliage or flower in landscape playthings. They are a conspicuous effects. and inescapable part of the world we c. O. E. in habit. They make lit e possible for us by providing food, clothing, fuel, shel­ Notes on the Nlallgo, by David Stur­ ter and many other necessities. More rock. Published by Stuart Daily important still, they are alive and thus News, Inc., Stuart, Florida ; in co­ endowed with those remarkable quali­ operation with the Atkins Institution ties which have always made all li ving of the Arnold Arboretum, 1944. Pp. things eagerly studied by man, not 122, paper cover. only for their own sakes but for the Mr. Sturrock has extracted pertinent light which they may throw on many material from some sixty publications human problems. If education is in­ which discuss the mango in various deed an understanding of our surround­ parts of the world's tropics. The notes i ngs, surely no one should pretend to have been arranged by subject matter be educated well who is unfamiliar fo cover the history of the mango, its with plants and their activities." With propagation, cultivation, diseases, mar­ these words Sinnott invites the student keting and harvestitng, the whole in­ to study hi s textbook of botany with an terspersed with remarks of the author attitude, "the trul y scientific attitude from the standpoint of southern Flor­ ( that) is both critical and inquisitive. " ida where the mango is of increasing That Professor Sinnott has written a importance. Short descriptions of some readable and effective text is attested of the better known varieties are given. by the fact that we are noticing here supplemented by outline sketches of the fo~£ rth edition. Only one other text their fruits in longitudinal cross-section. in its fi eld in this country has reached C. O. E. that mark. Though much new matter has been added, including antibiotics. Geraniun~. P elwrgo11iu1PI-S for TlVi ll­ plant tissue culture, allometric growth. dows and Gardens. Helen Van Pelt yiruses, and the use of tagged atoms. Wilson. M. Barwws & Company. among other topics the book shows its Inc., New York, 1946. 248 pages, old fa miliar face, only having put on a illustrated. $2.75. little weight since 1935. Printed in This is a very useful handbook of large open type and ill ustratecl by many 66 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL :MAGAZI NE J a ~ , 1947

photographs and line drawings, the yIiffiin Company, Boston, Mass. horticultural reader will find in this 1946. -'1- 8 pages. $2.00. book a d ~a r. concise explanati on of the This is an amazingly compact book fundamental principles of plant science. with really an astonishing amount of J OSEPH E WAN. information packed in between the gay color pictures. No beginninr could G r ee l ~ h. o U SI' Gardening for Everyo1'll'. miss the point and the old hand will be Ernest Chabot. H. Barrows and delighted' with the emphasis laid where Company, Inc., New York, 1946. it belongs. 266 pages, ill ustrated. $3.00. There are a few minor matters that This most interesting small book is one might quibble about but they are an amateur's testament of his ow n mi nor . The reviewer fo r one is still pleasure and success in having and not convinced that any amateur could keeping a small greenhouse. The fir st bring into simultaneous bloom some of 76 pages are the meat of the matter the combinations that fl owered fo r the for the amateur who is already a gar­ \iVood's brush. dener and needs to know most about . the greenhouse itself. The balance is Garde J/ iJ/ g with. S hrubs aJ/ d S11W.ll the primer of and for the plants that Flowering Trees. Mary Deputy the beginner wi ll certainly want to try. Lamson, M . Barrows and Company. The one thing that is mi ssing and Inc, New York, 1946. 295 pages. which we would like to have from M r. ill ustrated. $2.75. Chabot, is how one learns to manage T his is one of the best small books the constant procession of things com­ that the reviewer has seen. It is writ­ ing on and going off. This is some­ ten by a practicing landscape arch itect thing like learning to have a dinner all who does not suffe r from any of the cooked at the moment so that it can influences that have made the great be served in the proper time ! fl ower shows, although there are a few illustrations of overstuffed plantings. I t is Eas\! to G,'OW Herbs. Bunny and For the beginner, there are the most P hil F oster. P ri vately printed. Lau­ excellent discussions of the plant as a rel Hill H erb Farm. Fall s Village. unit in. design. T hi s is hard to do save Conn. 32 pages, illus. $.50. fo r fellow members of the craft and This is a small paper-covered book­ thi s is well done. let with the emphasis put simply on T he plant materials that come in for the way to grow herbs from seed and somewhat detail ed di scussions are less on the more familiar herbs themselves. regional than in niost books, though It finishes with directions for drying they are somewhat so, with stress on the harvested herb plants, and some the A tlantic Seaboard and parts of the recipes that spur one on to the ki tchen! ' M iddle W est. Most amateurs won't A very pleasant book, and one that mind this as one choses hi s own plants would lure any beginner to hastening in spite of all professional help, some­ hi s way. times in spite of co mmon sense, but if he knows how to handle them, the re­ The Picture Prim,el' of Indool' Ga;rden­ sult is often superi or. This will de­ ing. Margaret O. Goldsmith. Illus­ light old timers and should be invalu­ trated by H arrit: W oo d. Houghton able to beginners. The Gardener's Pocketbook

Lapeyrousia crueJl.ta a. 1Id cruenta. alba Like Freesia the cruenta often fl o \o\'­ California and South Africa have er the first year after planting, so it much in common climatically and thu takes only a small start to establish the many Cape bulbs have found their way plants. The corms normally grow some here where they often thrive as well a three or four inches deep and can stand in their native land. Just when the lit­ considerable frost. A friend in London tle Irid Lape)wousia cru.el1.ta. arrived is reports that they are as hardy as "Old unknown, but this " Flame Freesia," as 0J ick" when grown 1n the open, so pre­ it is called by some Green-Thumbers. sumably Portland, Oregon, should rep­ is not exactly rare, nor is it overly resent the northern range of this plant. common. However, no one seems to knoyv of it Its similarity to Freesia in growth there. and habits is particularly striking. If Several winters back Major Pam of the corms or unflowered plants of the R.H.S. Council sent· the writer either were placed side by side even the some seed of Lape)l1'ousia crue'/1,ta alba. experts would be at a loss as to which Perhaps it was the coddling given this were which. However, the flowers of material as only a few seed germinated. L. cruel1ta are well named as the bright Nevertheless the small white flowers red coloration is so di stinct that they that formed were really quite attractive cannot be overlooked when in flower, and the bulbs were carefully replanted. small as they are. Usually too the bulbs In turn the old potting mix was do best. with Freesia culture, demand­ dumped and used for other purposes. ing some shade and a little moisture. This was a technical error as every Flowering occurs during Mayor early dormant seed spr.outed the following June, and seed sets with no effort at all. year, and now most every pot in the In the writer's garden, which is in­ writer's small glass house bears the land from San Francisco, several small evidence, but it is a pleasant pest and plantings were made some 10 years ago. not ·objectionable. The bulbs that were placed in too sun­ In keeping with a procedure that ny a location soon vanished, but under should become more universal, L. Cr'bt­ several trees or along the east side of enta alba bulb lets have been turned the house the present number of bulbs over to the Baily Hortorium at Cornell must run into the hundreds, for the University where they will be grown neo-lect during the war years has been under natural condititons, and mount­ to °their favor. The bulbs in the light ed specimens can be made as a perma­ sandy soil have done best, but the heavy nent record. adobe soil seemingly presents no prob­ L. S. HANNIBAL. lem. Seemingly roo the seed can lie on Daphne tangutica the ground all summer without harm, for a little rain or watering in late Oc­ While collecting for the Arnold Ar­ tober or November will promptly cause boretum in 1925-26 Dr. J oseph Rock it to sprout. Neither is it a problem to sent seeds of many interesting shrubs start the seed in the greenhouse pro­ from Western Kansu and thanks to the vided one uses the fall starting period. late Professor Sargent quite a few of However, it is a painful waste of effort these have been tested in Manitoba. to try to germinate the same seed in Many, of course, have not proved en­ the spring. It just isn't done. tirely hardy in our cold, dry climtate, [67J 68 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947

give both these daphnes the protection of a light covering of evergreen boughs to protect them from alternate freezing and thawing. D. tang,£tica grows readily from seed and can also be raised from soft wood cuttings started un?er glass in July. The young plants may be expected to start flowering when three to four years old. This is the choicest of all broad leaved evergreens that have so far proved hardy in this climate and does not seem to be particular about soil ; it does, however, like a sunny spot that is not too much exposed to the winds of winter. D. Girald·i is one of the few daphnes that have yellow fl owers. It grows from eighteen to twenty-four inches high and resembles D. M ezereU?11. in habit of growth and size of flowers. Flowering in June, after the leaves are full grown. it is not so effective in bloom as D. NI ezereU7n, neither are the flowers as fragrant. It does, however. produce its bright orange berries very but a few have and outstanding among freely and in August, when these are these are two Daphnes, D. ta.nglllica ripe, D. Giraldi is quite ornamental. It and D. Giraldi. grows readily from seed and the young plants start flowering when three or D . ta.ngutica is an evergreen shrub four years old. growing, with us, to a height of twelve F. L. SKINNER. to fifteen lnches, with glossy dark green Dropmore. l\Ianitoba leaves about half an inch wide and from one to one and a haH inches long. The Callor'y Island Date Palm The flower buds are formed in autumn :Members of the palm genus Phoenix and the pure white flowers start to are yery frequently cultivated in the open towards the end of May, about U nited States, both for ornament, and, the same time as those of D. cneo nllli. as in the case of P. dactylijera, for Sometimes the fl ower buds are slightl y commercial purposes. In Florida and tinged with pale purple but the fl ower California, one of the most stately and are white when full)'. open and as fra­ beautiful species is P. conorie'l1Sis, the grant as those of D, cneor·um. subject of this brief note. The largest Like D(})phne cneonml-, D. tang~£h'ca member of this genus of abou,t a dozen likes a good covering of snow in win­ species, the Canary Island Date Palm ter and is likely to lose its leaves if it is a rapid-growing tree which soon at­ is exposed to severe weather without tains majestic proportions. It is ex­ that protection: if the winter snow is cellent for use as a standard tree or late in coming I find it advisable to 111 group planting, as shown in the Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 69 photograph, and also as an avenue tree. It stands trimming well , and is not at all messy in habit, as are some of the other species. a Phoe71i.F cana1'1'ensis is amonb the hardiest of this group, and it appar- ently will stand temperatures far be­ low fr eez ing for' a considerabl e period. It is found very commonly in all the islands of the Canary group, off the north African coast. P lant obtained directl y from the Canaries are of this species, but the faci li ty with which it hybridizes with the other members of " the genus often results in hybrids be­ in g bought or sold under this name. The accompanying photograph was taken by the writer in Golden Gate Park, San F rancisco, and shows well how this beautitful palm adapts itself to the chill climate of that Californian city. The great mass of roots borne above ground is particularly evident, especially in the grouping of three trees. very sharp yellow sp111es toward the Others are growing at the edge of the base of the frond. Amphitheater in front of the DeYoung As in other species of the genus, Mueum in the Park. Phoe1'lix ca na 7-ie /'lsis has both male and female plants, and the beautiful clus­ In the Canaries, this tree is grown ters of bright yell ow fruits will natu­ not only for its beautiful appearance and edible fruits, but also for the rally not be produced unless the tree leaves, which are used to make brooms. is a female one, and there are males baskets, and other household imple­ nearby to effect pollination. The fruit­ ments. The fruits have a pleasant fl a­ clusters often contain several hundred vor when full y ripened, but the fl eshy rather large dates, and weigh many layer is very scant and scarcely worth pounds. the effort of extensive gathering for This palm nee ds no introduction to culinary purposes. inhabitants of the southern states, since it is already well known there. It is This massive Phoenix attains a one of the most satisfactory of all sub­ height of thirty or more feet under op­ tropical forms and its continued plant­ timum conditions, and the leaf-crown ing in the area is positively assured. is often twenty-five feet in diameter, A LEX D. HAWKES. with a hundred or so huge leaves fifteen M iami, Florida feet long. As may be seen in the pic­ ture, these fronds arch gracefully out The dentate lavell der from the center, fo rming a nicely roun d­ To an unscientific gardener Lava l/­ ed head. The beautifully smooth green ciula d entata has been a pleasant puzzle. leaves, shading to yellowish on the mi d­ My first plant had gray leaves and a rib, are composed of dozens of folded, later one narrow green. Miss Rohde rather stiff leaflet s, which form rigid and ~1r s . Clarkson write of dentata's 70 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947

dark green leaves, never mentioning gray but it grows somewhat differently. gray, while Hortus and the Cyclopedia The gray is upright while the stem of of H orticulture say only that the leaves the green curves down sweeping the are pubescent. Mr. Beston speaks de­ ground. . lightfully of L. del'ltata but mentions no In the Herbarist for 1935 are given color. botanical drawings taken from Histoire Help came from the Curtis Botanical Naturelles des Lavandes by Baron Magazine in which plate 400 shows a Gengins de Lassarez published 1823 good portrait of the gray form. But I and here we find the two forms. No wonder if Curtis was not puzzled too, text is given and I have no access to for he says "Miller (Miller's Diction­ the ,book but judging from the manner ary) has given a very good account of of growth shown in the drawing I think this plant which we cannot do better the green form must be L. dentata var. than copy, observing that he describes vulgaris and gray, L. dentata var. B. the leaves as of a grayish colour, which Balearica, they can scarcely be said to be, espe­ A nother puzzle was: Why should the cially if contrasted with those of L. common name for dentata in Califor­ p'innata -fi gured in the present number nia be French Lavender when all the and which he had never seen." books speak of Stoechas as French Now L. pinnata grows in my garden Lavender? The answer is that until the and matching its leaves side by side time of Linnaeus this plant was classi­ with L. dentata gray form the grayness fied with Stoechas. Gerard calls it seems identical in both. Stoechas: fo li o serrata, T oothed Stick­ Perhaps as L. de17tata may not be adoue. known to everyone I cannot do better For California L. dentata is very than quote Miller too : "The dentata useful in the garden as it keeps neat grows naturally in Andalusia in Spain, and trim and blooms the greater part of and also about Mercia; thi s has a lig­ the year while the English lavender neous stalk, which rises two or three blooms but a short time in mid-sum­ fee t high, furnished with branches on mer. every side, which are four-cornered, LA URA M, SIKES. and garnished with leaves placed op­ La J olla, Calif. posite by pairs, indented regularly on both sides, almost to the midrib, in form Chrysanthe1N,UIn Show, Portland of winged leaves; they are of a grayish Ch1'ysa.n.them.. U1!J1, Society colour, have a pleasant aromatic odour, The Portland Chrysanthemum So­ and biting warm taste. The fl owers are ciety's eighth annual show was one of produced in scaly spikes at the end of the most outstanding displays to date, the branches, standing upon long naked with approximately 1,350 entries com­ foo t-stalks, they are fo ur-cornered peting for top honors in the specimen hairy, and about an inch lon o' t e rmi~ and arrangement sections. I:ated by a few purplish l eave~', in the The two-day show, held November lIke manner as the other sorts which 2nd and 3rd in the sunken ball room of incline me to keep it joined to tl1em; it the Masonic Temple, had a record fl owers great part of the Summer, but b.reaking attendance of over 25,000 per­ the. seeds very rarely ripen in England. sons by actual count, from the time the It IS propagated by slips or cuttings." show opened at noon Saturday until The green form has narrower leaves closing time Sunday night. The thou­ which are otherwise like those of the sands of visitors passed admiringly Jan., 1947 TH E NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 71

H erb Alden General view, Po'rtla'l1d Show through the aisles between tables la den name of the grower. The entire ar­ with specimen blooms. It is hard to rangement was in tiers with the highest imagine a more appropriate place for a peak of the black background accented ·chrysanthemum display than this by three huge golden discs before sunken ball room, since one may stand which were bouquets of the green ·on the ambulatory above the ball room chrysanthemums, Major Green and and gaze down .o n the density of blooms Nightingale, in tall black metal con­ and dainty colors and reali ze each color tainers. The whole effect was decidedly means a perfect bloom, and all this eye-catching. The sweepstakes bloom means a real thrill to a chrysanthemum held place of honor and was shown 10ver. alone on the top tier, with the other The show was artistically staged special first award winners on a sec­ with an open square formation as cen­ ond tier and runners-up for first hon­ ter feature of the lower fl oor. The ta­ ors on a lower level. bles radi.ated fmm this square folloOwing At the opposite end of the hall, the the formation' of the sides of the fine collection of blooms from the Port­ square, each table filled with a perfect land Chrysanthem um Society's test rainbow of blooms. gardens were shown. This was a huge The hi ghest scoring blooms were display of many kin ds and colors, with shown on a black velvet draped stage, the central motif a large basket of .each bloom named and bearing the bronze to yellow blooms. The general 72 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947

Herb Alden lVIr. Hllllter R. Gref11in9, P1'esidel1t of the P01'tla11d ChrYSa11the11l um Society, shmc's prize jlowe1's to Dr. a11d M rs. 111[ organ S. Odell. tier effect was followed here also, with visor who was assisted by the members baskets and boquets of the gorgeous who had time to go to the garden and fl owers grouped according to color. give a few hours to fertilizing, disbud­ \Vhile these 1)loo111s had been grown ding, and doi ng all the other necessary originally for display purposes to ad­ work to produce prize winning exhibi­ vertise the show, they were quite lovely tion blooms. A blackboard was used as enough to cause the visitor to take a bulletin board where notes were left 1110re than a second look. on what had been done to each plot. The test garden is unique with the This experiment, which will be car­ Portland Chrysanthemum Society. A ried on more extensively next year. was plot of ground was donated by Lewis a successful venture, as the type of and Clarke College for. use by the So­ blooms grown proved. All the green ciety as a proving ground fo r va rious chrysanthemums displayed at the show kinds of chrysanthemums. The water for deco rati ons were grown at the test necessary for use was also furnished garden. by the College, but the hard work was The show was opened to the public provided by the Society members. who at twelve noon, with the Governor of started from scratch and cleared the the State of Oregon, Hon. Earl Snell, ground, planted and cared for the cutting the ribbon that officially openecI plants. Each plot had its own super- the exhibit. The city Mayor, Hon. Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 73

Herb A lden Prize blo01'Ns: Estrel-itG!, Angelo , Ea.rly 1\1[ onarch

Earl Riley, was also present, as were Many of the arrangements entered other dignitaries including Dr. Morgan used autumn leaves with the red, Odell, President of Lewis and Clarke bronze, yellow and deep yellow chry­ College. Dean Colli ns, editor of Gar­ santhemums. Other arrangements used ,den of the Oregon J o~trna l , acted as miniature cattails, painted to blend. Master of Ceremonies. The arrangerl1ents entered by indi­ The ambulatory was given over to viduals included such divisions as all the garden dub and individual arrange­ white, Thanksgiving table, occasional ment entries. Twenty-six garden clubs t3.ble, twin containers, arrangements participated in the competitive arrange­ shoJling restraint and not using more ments. Some very striking arrange­ than five blooms, miniature arrange­ ments were achieved, particularly the ments, arrangements using fruits as ac­ first award winner which was entered cessories. arrangements of tints and by Congenial Gardeners. The enti re tones of one co lor, and corsages. T he ,effect was .of gold and yellow. Yellow co rsages were shown in a class alone, to bronze ,chrysanthemums were shown and smaller types of chrysanthemums in a brown iridescent container that were used, so me all white with soft picked up the gold coloring of the mat green bows, others in bronze and red that held the arrangement. A utumn shades with matching red and bronze leaves of reds and soft greens blended ribbons, and some were even shown \We ll . with silver ribbons all equally effective. 74 THE ~!\TIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947

Herb Alden The Best Garden Club EXJ71'b-it

Of course all the chrysanthemums they have more than one plant in their shown were grown out of doors, which garden in Bethesda, Maryland, which is the first rule of the Society, with no proves the theory. In this case, the other protection than a covering against note treats of the Carolina Jasmine. rain which must meet certain require­ Gelse111iu.1'Iq, se1·npervirel1s. Mr. Free­ ments. No flower grown under glass is man collected the plant on April 30. eligible to compete in shows of the 1933, about 10 miles west of Williams­ Portland Chrysanthemum Society. burg, Va., and brought it to his own JEAN HALLOWELL. garden, where it was planted on the south wall of the garage. It slowly made itself at home and each year has be­ Ca.rolina Yellow] a.s11J/.1:ne (See frontis­ come more vigorous so that now, it has piece) climbed up some ten feet and tumbled The principle that plants taken from down over a neighboring sweet-shrub their northernmost geographical range in the canopy-like growth that is so fa­ are those most likely to survive when miliar to travellers in the South, but taken still further north is one that with a vigor and abandon that speak has been known for a long time but it well for the soil and situation chosen is not too often acted upon. here. To Mr. and Mrs. Oliver M. Free­ The illustration that accompanies man, the principle is a familiar one and this note was taken from sprays cut Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 7S

last April 18, and shows quite well the branch and sky. In smaller size the beautiful arrangement of the fl owers stem color would pass for an off-white and their formation and size. The dark form of the common white birch. evergreen leaves, unfortunately, ap­ While this tree is found native aLong pear almost as silhouettes. If one looks the watercourses, on the rich flood­ closely he can make out the details of plains, it will adapt readily to other the structure of calyx, stamens ai1d pis­ conditions and can be used in any gar­ til. Nothing, however, not even words. den. It is an excellent shade tree and can convey the delightful fragrance of can be used for streets, or for lawns the fl owers. It is rich and heavy but and general la ndscape effects. The fo­ does not fill a room, even as much as do liage alone is attractive enough to con­ hyacinths or roses. Outside it comes sider this for the garden but the peel­ and goes lightly in the air. ing patches of vari-colored bark set this Whether or not plants from this off as an excell ent winter-color item fo r plant could be carried even further the dreary landscape. north is a question but certainly the My manuals tell me that sycamore local gardener who wearies of the fa­ fo r this tree should be discarded. How­ miliar vine might well consider this ever, I cannot think all the li terature one, which has been sent from the and all the vernacular will discard this Freeman garden to others nearby with common name so that there might be no success. It is easily propagated by or confusion with a tropical Ficus from rather from the little plants that form Egypt. C0111mon names will be deter­ when the branches touch the so il , fo r mined by the common people that use they root at the nodes in the same fash­ them, not by the exhortations of the ion as does the pestilential J apanese cloistered scholars. honeysuckle! ELDRED E. GREEN.

From, the M1:dwest S 01'b1JS a:uc~£p(J;r1: a Horticultural S ociet'j' The Mountain-Ash is the subject of some controversy among garden cir­ Platanus occ£dentahs cles. Some would relegate this to the The fall season with the pass1l1g of list of undesirables because of its rela­ the heavy summer foliage highlights tively short life in 111 0st cases. Along the trees and shrubs with bright or di s­ thi s same line birch, peach, and most tinctive stems. Such a one is the syca­ kinds of willows and poplars would be more, or plane-tree. During the sum­ dropped. Fortunately the public doesn't mer the large lobed bright green leaves seem to mind replacing an enjoyable clothe the plant and cast an excellent specimen once or twice in a lifetime, shade both in small plants and in tall especially if they p rod uce a good show trees. in a few years. During the fall and winter the taper­ The Mountain-ash is clearly a lawn ing trunk with patches of li ght tan, al- tree. It is too small to develop much 1110St white, and brown bark stands out shade, and its attractive pinnate leaves, with pleasing clarity among the dark umbels of white spring fl owers, and stems of the other trees. Generally a clusters of bright red tiny apples tall tree, the co ntrast is frequently no­ hould be enjoyed from a near view. ticed in the higher level of branches. The culture for thi s plant is like Often, too, are the seed balls or buttons that of apples or crabapples. A good that form an intriguing pattern again t open situation. mediu11l rich soil. and 76 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947 that is about all. As the plant grows CoYnjlov:.'er or Bachelor's Butto11s (See up it is subject to borers, and blight page 77 ) which may cause it to die out. In off­ These are but two of the many com­ setting thi s is the ea rly development or mon names of an old and well-loved flowers and fruits. so that replacement garden annual, Cen.tau1'ea cyanus, a is on.ly a matter of four or fi ve years. winter annual for most of us. Native Used as a specimen fo r lawns or as to southern EUf'ope where it is a weed, a component of a border, this plant is it has long been familiar in the banal attractive spring, summer, and fall. It combination with red field poppies and is a good home garden plant and un­ the common daisy. der some condi tions may prove to out­ last many sturdier plants. The plant of the wild, however, is a frail creature as compared with the ELDRED E. GREEN. buxom clevelopment of the moclern seedsman, who now offers chiefly Liliu111 pit III ill( IlL "double" flowers. whi ch in this family The beautiful Coral lily is one of my means fl owerheads with se~era l to favorites. A small plant that usually is many rows of "ray fl owers" and fewer only a foot or eighteen inches high, the disk fl owers. elegant flowers seem almost to be sus­ This increase in itself is no loss. If pended in air. The stems are slender one were to regret anything, it is the and the foliage very fine, and glossy relative disappearance of the "blue green which sets off the brilliant blos­ forms" before the whites, pinks, roses SOms. and maroon purples. A ll of these hues This lily has the perianth recurYec1 and more were known to old gardens, as in the Turk's cap. The colors are wh.ere the plant had self-sown for years, a flanling scarlet or a bright clear or­ and frequently were pulled up with the a nge depending on the variety. first sign of color. One can and indeed A. small bulb, which should be plant­ must do the same thing today, if rogues ed about four inches deep. is shaped like appear in a sowing that is meant to be a tiny pointed heart, usuall y small er blue. than an oni on set. These bulbs can be produced from seed in two years' ti me F or this part or the world it is not and often tend to disappear after a year true that the plant 'fl owers all summer ; or two. If planted in clumps some will here it has finished its span by July, no persist indefinitely. matter how carefully one tends it. The Because of its small size this lih­ best flower is always the first, which lends itself well to intimate gardens o~­ tops the main axial growth; the next between larger plants along a path. For best are those that terminate the main its ease of culture this lil y haS never branches; all the succeeding are slight­ commanded the low prices of some of ly less good. If you gather your flow­ its relatives. However, afew bulbs and ers, and if there are many undeveloped some saved seed will SOo n build up a buds. putting the fl owers deeply into a stock in most gardens. General lily pail of water as you cut them usually culture will suffice. A good loamy gar­ prevents the wilting of stems that carry den soil, and some summer shade are buds and spares one the \:",ait for re­ about all that are needed, provided the vival. drainage is good. There is no special trick to seed sow­ ELDRED E. GREEK. ing, nor any special depth that is best. J an., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZI NE 77

Robert L. T aylor [See page 76 ] Cornflowers

but about half a n inch in good soil but they do not like it. Sun and more shoul d answer all requirements. Sow sun fo r good vigor a nd good soil as in­ thinly and thin rigorously if you want evitable requirements. There once were good bushes. T hey can be transplanted off ered European strains of dwarf 78 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947

W ild Crlosia !yf f.

stature, but now one finds here a nd seed each year or presently you will there only the normal height of three have from the self-town plants too feet or less. many "off " colors and fewer and fe wer If you want good color, buy good blues a nd doubles unless you are care- Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 79

" Chi11ese" woolfiowe1" ful in saving seed pollinated by band . weather; if you sow in spring, sow as If you sow in the autumn, sow early early as may be possible, in order that enough that the plant may make a good a good plant may fo rm before hot rosette of leaves hefore freezing weather overtakes it! so THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947

P lu1lle Celosia

C ocksco'lllbs (See pages 78-81) head or whether one must co nsider thi s Whether or not one needs to be con­ as merely a fo rm under C. a'rgelltea L. cerned with the technical name of the is a problem that the gardener rna} cockscomb and save Celosia cristata L. leave to the taxonomist. In these days, for the familiar plant with its fasciated however, when labor for seed saving Jan., 1947 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE 81

RO '~J'al Velvet has been limited and when there may types have come some plants with tiny ha ve been accidents of cross fertiliza­ cockscombs at the tip of the inflores­ tion in the fie ld. it is interesting to re­ cences. These were reminiscent of some cord that from seed of the feathered of the wild celosias that have been 82 THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE Jan., 1947 grown from seed out of India and removing some of the leaves and al­ Turkey. ways remembering that they drink There are those who will sniff at heavily. Don't go "Japanesque" with cockscombs no matter what their pedi­ them or put them in a flat dish . . Cut an gree or provenance. And there are armful, make a bouquet like a sheaf, re­ those or have been those who make a member Rubens and Titian and don't cult of their growing, with the ideal of give a fig for Whistler and Davies. a very dwarf plant with perfect foliage And if you want to make your would­ be esthete squirm, set the whole bou­ and an enormous head. quet low, on the floor if you will, where Your present reporter refuses to sniff a flood .of light can shine on it, and if and refuses to lavish extreme care on you (and they) aren't converted to specimens. Three packets of seed were Royal Velvet, there's no blood in you. bought, Royal Velvet for the cocks­ For the Chinese woolflower (C comb type, Childsii and plumosa. Childsii) this reporter makes no From the latter came the greatest claims. Its magenta pink may look variation in type ,of inflorescence but a silvery in s·ome lights, but its head is very poor color range with none of the always towsled and our reporter was yellows, lemon to copper, or the rose­ "reared" to shun towsled heads! tinted forms, just the good old plumes .culture? The simplest. In this terri­ of deep glowing crimson that set all the tory, near Washington, D. C , one can elite a twitter if the flower happens to sow the small shjny black seeds out of be a rose and not a cockscomb! Among doors in May and have a garden full the not-true-to-name forms was the of bloom in August. Remember that very interesting flower shown on page the plant comes from a family rich in 78, in which the gardener can see all weeds and that if the seeed are fresh the familiar earmarks of the Amaranta­ they will all germinate. They trans­ ceae to which these plants belong. If plant reasonably well although they the sniffers were erudite, they would stand still for a week or so afterwards, insist that one cannot expect much of a which is just as well if you do not want family which includes so many of the plants five feet high. The plants to weeds that plague us. The knowing make cockscombs should be kept grow­ '"o'ardener , however , will recall that ing steadily; the other sorts can be weeds are lusty things, greedy of topped early in life to make for branch­ good soil if it is to be had, but making ing, though this is hardly necessary as shift under adversity which may mean they usually branch well enough heat, drought and poorish soil, bloom­ though sometimes high on the stem. In ing despite them all. good soil, if they are grown for cutting, As for the celosias, they like good the plants can be six inches apart each soil and even moisture. Heat apparently way, though twelve as a ml111mum is is no problem. If the soil is poor or better. the water scanty, they make small Location? Any place with good plants but flower they will, even at sunshine, good soil, just as if you were three inches. As plants go, they are growing tomatoes-that is if you want coarse, but when well grown they are an abundance of flowers for cutting. handsome. For cutting while fresh, Company? Anything else that is they are superb, providing you cut equally riotous and that flowers in Au­ enough of them at a time, judiciously gust. SOCIETIES AFFILIATED WITH THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY (Continued from page i) The San Francisco Garden Oub, Washington Garden Oub, Room 133, Fairmont Hotel, Mrs. Stacy Noland, Pres., San Francisco 6, Calif. 3616 N. Albemarle St., The Valley Garden Center, Arlington, Va. Mrs. Ned Creighton, Woman's Dept. Club, Garden Dept., P. O. Box 3876, 802 Margaret Place, Phoenix, Ariz. Shreveport, La. The Trowel Club. Woodlawn Garden Club, Mrs. ] . Douglas Rollow, Mrs. A. F. Schwichtenberg, Sec'y, 4524 Cathedral St., N. W. 4845 N. 16th St., Washington, D. C Arlington, Va. Tulsa Garden Club. Woodridge Garden Club, Mrs. Allen Henry, Pres., Ur. George Targett, Pres., 1301 South Yale, 2948 Carlton Ave., N. E., Tulsa 4, Okla. Washington. D. C Victoria Horticultural Society, Worcester County Horticultural Society, Mr. D. D. McTavish, Secy., 30 Elm Street. Victoria, B. C, Canada Worcester, Mass.

The American Horticultural Society

I NVITES to membership all persons who are interested in the develop­ ment of a great national society that shall serve as an ever growing center for the dissemination of the common knowledge of the members. There is no requirement for membership other than this and no reward beyond a share in the development of the organization. For its members the society publishes THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL MAGAZINE, at the present time a quarterly of increasing importance among the horticultural publications of the day and destined to fill an even larger role as the society grows. It is published during the months of January, April, July and October and is written by and for members. Under the present organization of the society with special committees appointed for the furthering of special plant projects the members will receive advance mate­ rial on narcissus, tulips, lilies, rock garden plants, conifers, nuts, and rhodo­ dendrons. Membership in the society, therefore, brings one the advantages of membership in many societies. In addition to these special projects, the usual garden subjects are covered and particutar attention is paid to new or little known plants that are not commonly described elsewhere. The American Horticultural Society invites not only personal member­ ships but affiliations with horticultural societies and clubs. To such it offers some special inducements in memberships. Memberships are by the calen­ dar year. The Annual Meeting of the Society is held in Washington, D. c., and members are invited to attend the special lectures that are given at that time. These are announced to the membership at the time of balloting. The annual dues are three dollars the year, payable in advance; life membership is one hundred dollars; inquiry as to affiliation should be ad­ dressed to the Secretary, 821 Washington Loan and Trust Building.