Two species. Stove evergreen shrubs. Cuttings of previous year's shoots, slightly dried. Rich sandy loam. Of these plants the most beautiful is P. pulcherrina. On the cultivation of this we have the following directions from Mr. W. Tillery, the gardener at Welbeck: -

"Raise the plants from single eyes, (like vines,) from the hard ripened wood of last year, and re-pot them in sandy loam and leaf-mould; keeping them in a cucumber-frame, and then in a low stove, as near the glass as possible. They do pretty near the glass and not drawn, and then put into the stove in September, watering freely when in flower. Old plants that have been cut down, never have the floral leaves as large as a young plant raised from eyes or cuttings with one stem".

The following additional instructions are given by Mr. D. Beaton, gardener to Sir W. Middleton, at Shrubland: -

"As an additional means of improving the size of the flowers, a strong healthy plant, not less than two years old, should be kept to propagate from by eyes. This plant should be kept in the stove all summer, encouraged during its growth by all safe stimuli, and have only two or three of its strongest shoots allowed to remain. When these shoots have nearly done growing, cut off* their tops, that the plant may throw all the strength of its vital energies into those eyes destined for your next year's plants.

"When the young wood ripens, allow the plant to go gradually to rest, and when you cease watering it, place it in a dry part of the stove; should it offer to vegetate too soon in spring, remove it to a dry place in the greenhouse to keep it back. About the beginning or middle of April will be quite time enough to begin to propagate it. At that time take the most prominent eyes from the ripest portion of the branches.

"Cut the old plant down to the former year's wood, shake off all the soil from its roots, cut away all decayed roots, and shorten the strongest ones; repot it in as small a pot as you can put its roots into, and place it in bottom heat; treat it with due care as in the former season, and for the same purpose." - Gard. Chron.

Aphelandra cristata maybe managed the same way, and no plant will more amply repay the care and attention bestowed on it.