The San Francisco call., 1896-04-16

great rose-colored flower, with a golden
center. The Rhipsalis paradoxi, branching
in queer. twisting, triangular serpent
like form, was also In bloom, a rare and
interesting sight, for the little snow-white
flowers were precisely like strawb berry bios
SONS. The Aloe varicosa, Its fleshy dark
green foliage studded with minute
white dots, sent a tall spike of blood-red
blossoms each oddly tipped with green.
The Antherium schertzeranum, or fla
mingo plant, streamed its brilliant scarlet
petals like a tropical bird in it's green set
ting.
There were number of rare ferns grow
ing vigorously with delicate foliage and
curious markings, and among these was
one about which DR.. Yates tells good
story on himself. Fifteen years ago he
imported this fern from New Zealand at
considerable expense, but after he had
carefully cherished it for some time he
was aghast at learning that this very
species, the Osmunda Struthiopteris,
Japonica, which he had sent across the
ocean TO secure, was also a native of North
America.
Ranking everything in diversity and
unique character was collection of plants
entered by Mr.. Gillespie of Montecito. A
rare palm from Brazil is vulgarly known
as the monkeys dinner bell, owing to the
fact that the fruit splits open with loud
report, whereupon the monkeys, which
are themselves unable to open the fruit,
always rush for the nuts to secure feast.
royal palm of Cuba included in this
exhibit, some nine feet in height, with
lpaVpc ike the Il q I'm &c uhi zo
luxuriantly that the possessor seems to
have demonstrated its successful growth
in the open air of our climate, although IL
has heretofore been regarded as a hot
house plant. The most beautiful feature
of this exhibition and one of the most be-
wiIdering sights in the pavilion, always
excepting the babies, was clarodendro, a
climber from Brazil, covered with bloom,
its curious snow-white calyx closing upon
the flower in the bud like q tiny, triangu-
lar balloon, which bursts open to form a
floating background for velvety, Grim son,
star-like flower. Mr.. Gillespie also ex-
hibited small cocoanut tree; rare sago
palm, the Encipilatos lehmanni, from
South Africa; a specimen of the divon
eduli from Mexico. with sharp cut comb
like leaflets, and numerous interesting
foreign growths, chiefly grown for orna-
mental purposes.
To the Misses Jennings and Master John
Edwards the public is indebted for the
charming collections of wild flowers which
appeared as fresh as if just brought from
their homes in canyon and on hlllsides.
Here were the Brodiaeas, Minor and Capt.
tata. the former lily like growth of deep
blue, veined with purple and nodding on a
slender stem.
Dainty golden violets lifted pansy faces,
and delicate Mariposa lilies curved their
pink-tinted petals to disclose their butter
fly markings. Many who looked through
this collection for the first time made the
acquaintance of the Platystemou Califor-
MICA, true California poppy, although it
resem bles nothing so much as wildwood
anemone of New England forest, albeit
lacking the pink flush of the latter ana
having it's fragile stem furred.
This dainty flower fairly carpets the mesas
of the channel islands in springtime.
Wild mustard and the bright yellow of
wild rape; the gay little yellow daisy,
with its white tipped petals, known as
tidy-tips; the blood-red blossomed, slen-
der-throated and star-mouthed pink. the
Silene Californica; dwarf Gillias, the royal
white blossoms of the Clematis Lasiantha
the brilliant colors of the painter brush.
sweet wild roses gorgeous spikes of lark.
spur, the magenta blossoms of the hum.
mirgbird flower, brilliant little sunflowers.
the fuschia-like red sprays of the wild
gooseberry, the homely, old-fashioned red
clover and the pure gold of the poppy
com bined to teach that our native wild
flowers, if properly cultivated and nur-
tured, would rival any flowers in the land.
Among the cut flowers, Mrs. DR.. Halt's