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On the 28th, soon after setting out on our journey, I found two splendid species of everlasting flower, of which my son Johnston had been the original discoverer; one, with golden-yellow flowers varying to white, has the flowers in heads different from anything of the sort I have seen before, and will, I think, form a new genus of Compositae; and the other with pink flowers, growing two feet high, something like Lawrencella rosea, or Rhodanthe Manglesii, but if possible finer than either.
In 1859 flowered C. Veitchii, from C. rosea, still called, as a rule, Limatodes rosea, × C. vestita. No orchid is so common as this, and none more simply beautiful. But although the success was so striking, and the way to it so easy, twenty years passed before even Messrs. Veitch raised another hybrid Calanthe. In 1878 Seden flowered C. Sedeni from C. Veitchii × C. vestita.
Of the double-flowered forms, there are several beautiful and worthy plants, the following list containing some of the best varieties of this popular shrub: H. syriacus albo-pleno. " amaranthus. " amplissima. " ardens. " caerulea plena. " carnea plena. " De la Veuve. " elegantissimum. " fastuosa. " Lady Stanley. " Leopoldii. " lilacina plena. " paeoniaeflora. " puniceus plenus. " rosea plena.
Ere we go home I may show you perhaps Hydra viridis, with long pea-green arms; and rosea, most beautiful in form and colour of all the strange family. You see that lump, just where his stalk joins his bell-head? That is a budding baby. Ignorant of the joys and cares of wedlock, he increases by gemmation. See! here is another, with a full-sized young one growing on his back.
This is of larger growth than D. rosea, with strongly reticulated leaves, that are prominently veined on the under sides, and much larger, almost white flowers. It is a distinct and worthy species. There are some beautiful varieties of this species, named Isolinae, Van Houttei, and Striata. China, 1844.
Masdevallia Tovarensis × Masdevallia bella. " Shuttleworthii × " Tovarensis. " " × " rosea. Of these, and so many more, Mr. Cookson has at this moment fifteen thousand plants. Since my object is to rouse the attention of amateurs, that they may go and do likewise, I may refer lightly to a consideration which would be out of place under other circumstances.
There are rare species of this genus which will not be found in the dealers' catalogues, and amateurs who like a novelty may be pleased to hear some names. Ph. Manni, christened in honour of Mr. Mann, Director of the Indian Forest Department, is yellow and red; Ph. cornucervi, yellow and brown; Ph. Portei, a natural hybrid, of Ph. rosea and Ph. Aphrodite, white, the lip amethyst.
Calliopsis tinctoria has three varieties, the ordinary type, a brown-flowered one and one with tubular rays. Seeds of each of these three sorts ordinarily contain a few belonging to the others. Iberis umbellata rosea often gives some white and violet examples.
There are many good varieties of this shrub, of which the following are the most popular: D. rosea arborescens grandiflora; D. rosea Lavallii, with an abundance of crimson-red flowers; D. rosea Stelzneri, with an abundance of deep red flowers; D. rosea hortensis nivea, large foliage, and large, pure-white flowers; D. rosea candida, much like the latter, but bearing pure-white flowers; and D. rosea Looymansii aurea has beautiful golden leaves.
In this respect the celebrated breeds take the names of the countries from which they come: thus in Greece we have the Thessalian breed: in Italy the Apulian from Apulia, and the Rosean from Rosea.
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