432 
THE DICTIONARY 
OF GARDENING, 
 Siegesbeckia—continued. ‘ 
usually annual herbs; one (including several so-called 
species propounded by various authors) is broadly dis- 
persed over tropical and sub-tropical regions; the other 
is a native of Peru. Flower-heads yellow or white, 
small, paniculate, sub-radiate; involucral bracts few, 
herbaceous ; receptacle small; achenes glabrous. Leaves 
opposite, often broad, toothed. Only S. orientalis calls 
for description here. Seeds should be sown on a hot- 
bed, in spring, and the seedlings, when strong enough, 
planted in the open border, at the end of May. 
S. orientalis (Eastern). /.-heads yellow ; outer involucral scales 
three or four times longer than the inner ones. August. l. ovate- 
triangular, cuneate at e, acuminate at apex, deeply toothed. 
: h, 2ft. Tropics, widely dispersed, 1824. (B. R. 1061; S. B. F.G. 
203, under name of S. droseroides.) 
SIEVERSIA. Included under Geum (which see). 
SIEVES. ‘These are in frequent demand for sifting 
soils intended for potting, seed-sowing, &c., also for 
screening cinders and gravel. What may be termed a 
handy set, would be one of each with țin., żin., țin., and 
. ` lin. wire meshes respectively. For covering very minute 
seeds a small-meshed Sieve should be used, but the fin. 
size is fine enough for the major portion of seeds, if it 
is properly and carefully handled. Sieves for cleaning 
different sizes. 
SIGILLARIA. A synonym of Smilacina (which see). 
SIGMATOSTALYX (from sigma, sigmatos, S-shaped, 
and staliz, a stake). ORD. Orchidew. A genus com- 
prising abont seven species of dwarf, stove orchids, 
natives of tropical America. Flowers mediocre or rather 
small, shortly pedicellate, scattered, racemose ; claw of 
the lip long, two-keeled; peduncles axillary under the 
one-leaved psendo-bulbs. Few of the species are yet in 
cultivation. For culture, see Oncidium. 
S. malleifera (hammer-bearing). 
S. radicans (rooting). jl. yellow, greenish, and violet-purple, in 
an elongated raceme; sepals and petals Guncate- oblige, conte: 
; igen Bape Ed ee ee Seige one to three-lobulate ; 
calli in es, l. cuneate, linear-ligulate, acute, twin. 
-Pseudo-bulbs oblong-ligulate. Rhizome radicant. Brazil. g 
SIGMOID. Somewhat resembling in form the letter S. 
_ SILAUS (an old Latin name, used by Pliny to 
repre some bomsgaen aii plant). Orp. Umbellifere. 
=~ A genus comprising only a couple of species of hardy, 
_ perennial, glabrous herbs, found in rt and i 
‘Asia. Flowers yellowish or greenish-yellow, in compound 
umbels; bracts two or none. Leaves pinnately decom- 
pound ; Segments slender. S. pratensis (Meadow or Pepper 
_ ‘Saxifrage) is a British plant. The species are of no 
value from a garden standpoint. 
SILENE (said to be derived from sialon, saliva: 
alluding to the. viscid exudation on the stems and 
 calyces of many of the species; the English name 
x Catehfly poeg Se ee sang peculiarity). Campion ; 
Catehfly. D. Caryophylleew. A very lar, us (400 
have been described as species, but, fi Gi at Pag > be 
and Hooker, few more than 200 are entitled to specific 
rank) of greenhouse or hardy, erect, tufted, decum- 
bent, or diffuse-climbing, annual, biennial, or perennial 
herbs ; they are mostly natives of South Europe, North 
Africa, and extra-tropical Asia, about a dozen are South 
African, searcely eighteen are found in North America. 
and eight are included in the British Flora. Flowers 
solitary or variously cymose, often in unilateral spikes, 
forming a terminal thyrse or panicle; calyx variously 
tubular, five-toothed or five-cleft, usnally ten-nerved ; 
petals five, with a narrow claw and an entire, bifid, or 
rarely laciniate lamina, often having two scales at base: 
, Tipe seeds are specially made for that purpose in . 
Silene—continued. 
stamens ten; disk usually columnar. Leaves opposite, 
entire. Amongst Silenes there are a few beautiful sub- 
jects for planting on rockwork, and in the open border, 
and none are difficult to cultivate. They succeed in 
almost any light, loamy soil, and may be readily propa- 
gated by one or more of the following methods—seeds, 
cuttings, or divisions. S. pendula, and its compact variety, 
are plants grown extensively for spring flower gardening, 
a purpose for which they are admirably adapted. The 
seed should be sown early in the previous autumn. The 
species best-known to cultivation are described below. 
All are hardy, except where otherwise indicated. 
S. acaulis (stemless).* Cushion Pink ; Moss Campion. fl. pink, 
rarely white, in. in diameter; calyx tubular, with obtuse 
teeth ; petals notched. June to August. J. jin. to żin. long, 
linear-subulate, close-set; channelled above, keeled below, 
ciliated. h. 2in. Europe am, &e. A densely-tufted peren- 
nial AA F FP TNE C. 568; Sy. En. B. 205.) alba is a 
white-flowered form. 
| S. alpestris (alpine).* fl. white, shining, rather large, panicled ; 
| mee campanulately-clavate; petals with a four-toothed border 
| and two-parted appendages. May to July. l. almost all radical, 
lanceolate, rather blunt. Stem simple, few-leaved. Ah. bin. 
Austrian Alps, 1774. Perennial. (S. B. F. G. 111.) 
FIG. 484. UPPER PORTION OF PLANT AND DETACHED FLOWER 
: OF SILENE COMPACTA, 
S. anglica (English). /l in leafy, racemose cymes; calyx 4in. 
long, membranous, with pubescent ribs, the teeth setaceous; 
peice seales small, entire or slightly bifid. June to October. 
_ variable; lower ones spathulate. A. lft. to 2ft. Europe 
(Britain), &c. An erect or diffusely-branched annual, 
is a form with white or pink flowers and bifid petals; S. 
quinque- 
vulnera, another variety, has enti hite with 
spot. (Sy. En. B. B02) e sats chau 
S. Armeria (Armeria). Sweetwilliam Catchfiy. fi. pink, in 
corymbose panicles; calyx long, clavate; petals obcordate, 
crowned. July to September. /. ovate-lanceolate, rather cordate 
at base. Stem branched. h. 1ft. to 1sft. France and Switzer- 
Boa) (naturalised in Britain). A smooth annual. (Sy. En. B. 
S. gallica 
S. Atocion (Atocion).* fl. pink, in fastigiate, trichotomous 
panicles; calyx long, imat. ; petals boordata; “abt with 
an acute tooth on each side at the base, two 
crowned by 
