ALOCASIA

(from a, without, and Colocasia ). Allied to Colocasia. O RD. Aroideæ. Stove plants of great beauty, often with large and handsomely variegated, usually peltate, leaves, and shortly petiolate glaucous spathes. They are not difficult to grow, with a strong moist heat, and an abundant supply of water to the roots. The soil should consist of fibrous peat, with a little light fibry loam, in large lumps; to this add a good proportion of sphagnum and lumps of charcoal, with plenty of silver sand. Keep the bulbs and soil raised well above the rim of the pots, and finish off with a surfacing of either sphagnum or cocoa-nut fibre. The latter will soon encourage new rootlets. Crock the pot quite two-thirds up with clean, broken potsherds. Water freely when in good growth, and give liquid manure once or twice a week through the growing season. Shade during bright sunshine in the spring and summer months. Increased by seeds and division of the stems or rhizome. Winter temperature, 60deg. to 65deg.; summer, 75deg. to 85deg. See also Caladium and Colocasia.