NATIVE PLANTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2006, 4 August 1892, Page 5

NATIVE PLANTS.

(Continued.)

As an addendum to my previous notes I send this supplementary list of herbaceous and other plants which are very ornamental in foliage or flower, and suitable for the borders of tho flower garden or shrubbery. The majority of these varieties are now in commerce in the old country, and are thought highly of by plant growers.

Aciphylla Squarrosa and A. Lyalli (speargriss) — well known plants, look well amongst a collection of plants.

Anthericum Hookeri. — A showy herbaceous plant, with spikes of yellow flowers.

Anthropodium Cirrhatum. — A plant with long glossy leaves and white flowers. Requires a sheltered position. Largely used in England and elsewhere as a greenhouse plant. Arundo Conspicua (Toi-tois of the Natives). — A very ornamental grass, with tall spikes of inflorescence resembling the pampas grass.

Astelia Grandiflora and A. Nervosa. — Two fine-foliaged plants, the leaves being from 3ft to 6ft long and about 2in broad. Calceolaria Sinclairi. — A very pretty plant, having yellow flowers spotted with purple. Here it is cut down by the frost, but comes up from the root iv the spring and grows luxuriantly. Does well as a pot plant. Celmisias (perennial — aster-like herbs). — A most beautiful genus, abundant in New Zealand, and easily cultivated. Mr Matthews, in his catalogue of native plants, enumerated 30 varieties, but I shall only describe a few of the best flowering, which I have cultivated here. C. Holocericea. — Leaves 6in to 9in long, l£in to 2in broad, with large white daisy-looking lowers.

C. Verbascifolia. — A very free flowering and grand plant. C. Lyalli. — A beautiful plant with long, narrow, sharp-pointed leaves and white flowers. This variety rras greatly admired when in flower duriug the past summer. C. Coriacea.— Very large leaves, silvery on both sides. A magnificent species, plentiful from Nelson to Dusky Bay, said also to have been found on the Australian Alps.

C. Lindsayi. — A very distinct and floriferous species, found growing about the mouth of the Clutha river and the Nuggets. Clematis Indivisa. — A beautiful climber with large white flowers, seen in the spring festooning the trees, especially on the skirts of forests, good for covering a trellis or verandah. Fuchsia Frocumbens (or kirkii, as it is generally called).— A grand plant for a hanging basket or on rockwork, with a trailing habit of growth, and covered during autumn and winter with a profusion of large scarlet berries. Gentiana Saxoso. — A. dwarf-growing plant with white flowers. Very pretty.

Libertia Ixioides. — A grass-like plant with pure white flowers, succeeded by yellow berries.

Myosotodium Nobile (commonly called Chatham Island lily). — A splendid plant with glossy green leaves, and pale blue flowers resembling a gigantic forget-me-not. Introduced from the Chatham Islands many years ago by the late Mr J. H. Harris. Has always been rather scarce, although it seeds and grows freely. Ozothamnus microphyllus. — A very dwarf and close-growing shrub. The (foliage is green, mottled with white. A very pretty little plant. Ourisia Macrophylla. — An alpine plant, with white flowers.

Phormium Tenax. — This and the variegated varieties are all handsome foliage plants which should be largely grown. They look well dotted about the front of plantations or shrubbery borders, Ranunculis Lyalli. — A plant with large saucer-shaped leaves, and waxy-white flowers witti yellow stamens. This is the most noble species of the genus. They grow best in a moist, heavy soil. I see in a Dutch catalogue that they are priced at 25s each, and described as magnificent plants, and justly so. They are well worth the cultivators trouble.

R. Insignis. — This is another good variety with yellow flowers about an inch an a-half in diameter.

Itaoulia. — The varieties of this are small, moss-like plants with white foliage suitable for rockwork.

Cotula Trailli. — A bronze-coloured foliage plant with dwarf creeping habit of growth. Good for rockwork.

The above-named are the best of those cultivated here suitable for gardeu decoration. Wo have many besides these, but as they are of botanical interest only, they are not suitable for these notes, and would be of little interest to readers of the Witness.

J. Gebbie, jun.

Public Gardens, Oamaru.