Beautiful leaved plants : being a description of the most beautiful leaved plants in cultivation in this country, to which is added an extended catalogue / by E.J. Lowe ; assisted by W. Howard ; with sixty coloured illustrations.

  • Edward Joseph Lowe
Date:
1872
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Beautiful leaved plants : being a description of the most beautiful leaved plants in cultivation in this country, to which is added an extended catalogue / by E.J. Lowe ; assisted by W. Howard ; with sixty coloured illustrations. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    4 The tribe Croton, in the natural order Spurgeworts, (Euphorbiacece, Linmeus,) 21.—Moncecia, 10.—Monadelpliia, are allied to Jatropha, from the roots of which tapioca is made. Croton is derived from the Greek Kroton, signifying a tick, in allusion to the shape of the seeds. The Crotons are nearly all stove evergreen shrubs. Croton oil, the most powerful of purgatives, is obtained from the seeds of Croton tiglium. Croton variegatum, the Variegated-leaved Croton, was introduced into this country in the year 1804. It is a native of the East Indies. A stove evergreen shrub, growing from eight to ten feet high. Summer temperature 65° to 75°, and winter temperature 55° to 60° Fahrenheit. Readily increased by cuttings taken off in March or April. The cutting-pot should be well drained, placing upon the drainage a thin layer of moss, above which a light compost of loam and sandy peat in equal parts, and above this an inch of pure silver sand. Gently water to make the sand firm, and then put in the cuttings. Place a bell- glass over the pot, and use clean sticks to keep the leaves from touching the glass. With a very sharp knife smooth the base of the cutting, and preserve the top leaves entire. Plunge the pot in bottom-heat and shade it from the sun. In six weeks the cuttings will be sufficiently rooted to pot off; after this is done shade them again until they are established. Every spring add leaf mould to the compost, but do not overpot. Water moderately, especially in winter. The habit of the plant is somewhat straggling, therefore to form a handsome low bush it is necessary to stop the leading annually, and to train out the side branches. The leaves are about six inches long, and one inch and a half wide in the centre. They are very handsome, being densely variegated, striped, and mottled with yellow on a green ground. There is no variegated plant that surpasses this in beauty when well grown and fully exposed to bring out the bright colours. The flowers are white and green. It is worthy of being grown in every stove> however small. The illustration is from a plant in the collection of Mr. James Hodge, Wadsly House, near Sheffield.
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