A very curious hybrid production, raised by Mr.
Smith, in the collection of the Earl of Liverpool, at
Coombe Wood, from a seed of P. fulgidum that was
fertilized with the pollen of P. radula, and it is, as
near as possible, intermediate between the two. It is
rather more difficult of cultivation than most of its
relatives, its leaves being very apt to canker and turn
brown if exposed to too much sun, or if watered over
the leaves. It thrives best in autumn and winter with
us; the flowers also are much finer in autumn, as its
anthers are only perfect at that season, and the
flowers are double the size they are at other times,
such as are represented in our figure, which was the
most perfect state of the plant. It succeeds best in an
equal mixture of turfy loam, peat, and sand; and
cuttings strike root readily, if planted in pots in the
same kind of soil, and placed on a shelf in the greenhouse.
