4.58 
THE DICTIONARY OF ‘GARDENING, 
Solidago— continued. 
S. speciosa (showy).* (/l.-heads rather large, somewhat crowded 
in numerous erect racemes, forming an ample, pyramidal or 
thyrsiform panicle; ray: florets about five, ample. October, 
l. thickish, rough, with smooth margins, oval or ovate, slightly 
serrated; lower ones 4in. to 6in. long (in the larger forms), 
contracted into a margined petiole; uppermost ones ewe 
lanceolate. Stem stout, smooth, 3ft. to 6ft. high. 1817. A hand- 
some species, 
S. Virgaurea. Common Golden Rod. /l.-heads crowded ; ray 
florets ten to twelve, spreading, July to September, J, linear- 
or lanceolate-oblong, lin. to 4in. long, obscurely toothed, obtuse 
or acute. Stem erect, sparingly branched. h. 4in. to 2ft. North 
America, Europe (Britain), &c. (Sy. En. B. 778.) The variety 
cambrica (Sy. En. B. 779) is a dwarf form, found on rocky 
mountain ledges, 
SOLITARY. Growing singly. 
SOLLYA (named after Richard Horsman Solly, 1778- 
1858, a vegetable physiologist and anatomist). ORD. 
Pittosporee. A small genus (two species) of ornamental, 
greenhouse, evergreen twiners, confined to Australia. 
Flowers blue, nodding, on slender pedicels, in terminal, 
loose, few-flowered cymes, or rarely solitary; sepals small, 
distinct; petals spreading from the base, obovate; anthers 
conniyent in a cone round the pistil. Leaves narrow. 
The species thrive in well-drained, peaty soil. Propa- 
gated by cuttings, inserted in sand, under a glass. 
S. Drummondi (Drummond’s). A synonym of S. parviflora, 
S. heterophylla (variable-leaved).* Australian Bluebell Creeper. 
Jl., petals four to five lines long ; cymes terminal or leaf-opposed, 
drooping, usually four to eight-flowered, but sometimes with 
twelve or more flowers. July. l. varying from ovate-lanceolate 
to ovate-oblong, and l4in. to 2in, or more long, to lanceolate or 
oblong-linear, and lin. to lin. long, obtuse oealightly acuminate, 
og entire, — narrowed into short petioles. A. 6ft. 1830, 
(B. M. 3523; B. R. 1466.) 
h. angustifolia (narrow-leaved). Z. narrow - lanceolate. 
Branches less twining than in the type. (B. R. 1840, 3, under 
name of S. linearis.) 
S, linearis (linear). A synonym of S. heterophijlla angustifolia. 
(small-flowered).* A. blue, small, solitary or two 
parvifiora : : 
or three in a cyme, on very tine, filiform pedicels ; petals about . 
in. long, July. fr. sin. to jin, long, tapering to both ends. 
F lanceolate or oblong-linear, the larger dda otto above lin. 
1 Laat in praeri specimens an — fin, very shortly petiolate, 
and thinner n in S. heterophylla, . SYN. ‘S. Dru i 
` (R. G. 261, f. 1). ? PT 
-S. salicifolia (Willow-leaved). Most probably a i 
We are Ata ) P y a garden variety 
SOLOMON’S SEAL. Se Polygonatum multi- 
- SOLOMON’S SEAL, FALSE. Se Smilacina. 
SOMMERFELDTIA. A synonym of Drepanocarpus. 
SONCHUS (from Sogchos, the ancient Greek name 
‘used by Theophrastus). Sow-thistle. Including Atalan- 
thus. Orn.. Composite. A genus comprising about 
twenty-four species of greenhouse or hardy, annual or 
perennial herbs sometimes shrubby at base. Flower- 
heads yellow, mediocre or rather large, irregularly corym- 
bose-paniculate or sub-umbellate, rarely solitary; invo- 
lucre conical after flowering, the bracts in many series, 
imbricated; receptacle flat, naked; florets all ligulate; 
pappus bristles copious. Leaves radical or alternate, 
the canline ones often auriculate-amplexicaul, entire, 
toothed, pinnatifid, or dissected. S. arvensis (Corn Sow- 
thistle) S. oleraceus (Hare’s Lettuce, Milk Thistle), and 
S. palustris, are included in the British Flora. 8S. oleraceus 
was formerly used as a potherb. Few of the species 
boast of any horticultural merit. The four shrubby 
species described below are sometimes grown in con- 
servatories, on account of their elegant foliage. They 
thrive in common soil, and may be increased by cuttings 
inserted in sand, under a glass, : 
sS. (gum-bearing).* /l.-heads few, in an i i 
glabrous corymb ; involucral scales blackish, slightly pares. org 
acuminate. _ Summer. l. beneath; sub-radical 
— pinnatifid, the lobes triangular, slightly toothed, acuminate, 
e terminal one lanceolate-oblong; cauline..leaves auricled, 
round amplexicanl. A. 2ft. to dit. Canafy Islands, 1861. 
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Sonchus— continued. 
S. Jacquini (Jacquin’s).* Lachuza de Pastor; Pastor’s Lettuce. 
ji.-heads deep golden-yellow, 2in. to Sin. in diameter ; involucral 
bracts appressed, slightly woolly, obtuse. March. /. crowded, 
6in. to 12in. long, 2in. to Sin. broad, spreading and recurved, 
cordate and half-amplexicaul, oblanceolate, pinnatitid to or 
beyond the middle, denticulate and ciliate: lobes triangular, 
acute. h. lft. to 2ft. Canary Islands, 1882. A stout, erect, 
slightly-branched herb, with a woody stem below, sparingly 
clothed here and there with patches of snow-white wool. 
(B. M. 6142.) 
S. pinnatus (pinnate). fl.-heads in a corymbose, branched 
panicle ; involucral scales appressed, glabrous, acuminate, linear 
or scarcely lanceolate. Summer. J. glabrous, pinnatipartite ; 
lobes linear-lanceolate, slightly toothed or entire, the terminal 
one elongated. h. 3ft. Madeira, 1777. 
S. radicatus (long-rooted). jl.-heads in a glabrous, irregular 
corymb ; involucral scales blackish, the outer ones broadly ovate, 
the inner ones linear-lanceolate. Summer. J., radical ones some- _ 
what lyrately pinnatipartite, glaucous beneath, with ovate, 
obtuse, slightly toothed lobes, the terminal one obtusely tri- 
angular ; cauline leaves auricled, rounded, amplexicaul. A. 1ft. 
Canary Islands, 1780. (B. M. 5211.) 
SONERILA (from Sootli-Soneri-ila, the Khassee name 
for one of the species). Orp. Melastomacee. A genus 
comprising about fifty-three species of stove herbs or 
small shrubs, of variable habit, glabrous, hairy, or slightly 
paleaceous, caulescent or stemless and scapigerous, natives 
of mountainous parts of the East Indies. Flowers often 
rosy, “disposed in scorpioid racemes or spikes; calyx 
glabrous or bristly, with an oblong, ‘turbinate, or cam- 
panulate tube, and a three-lobed, short, often dilated 
` limb; petals three, ovate, obovate, or oblong, acute, 
acuminate, or obtuse; stamens three, equal (very rarely 
six, the alternate ones smaller). Leaves ‘equal or di- 
morphous, frequently membranous, entire or serrulated, 
three to five-nerved. Several ornamental species have 
been introduced. They require a damp atmosphere, and 
should be allowed partial shade. A compost of fibrous 
peat, broken small, with a little chopped sphagnum, some 
sand, and small pieces of charcoal or crocks, intermixed, 
is most suitable. Propagation may be effected by seeds, 
which ripen freely; or by cuttings, inserted singly in 
small pots, during spring, and placed beneath a bell- 
glass, in a propagating house. All flower in the summer. 
. S. Bensoni (Benson’s).* fl. rose-purple ; stamens six ; anthers all 
yellow, not produced at the base; peduncle upwards and 
raceme hairy. 1873. ‘‘ This plant seems exactly S. speciosa. 
The change of habitat and forcing in rich soil in an English 
stove may have developed the three stamens usually suppressed 
in the genus (?)” (C. B. Clarke). (B. M. 6049.) 
S. elegans (elegant), of Hooker. A synonym of S, speciosa. 
srandifiora (large-flowered). /l. mauve; petals nearly jin. 
long, elliptic; racemes dense-flowered ; peduncles. short, ter- 
minal. Z. crowded on the branchlets, lin. to 2in. long, oblong 
a Bese od Png en a ee haem acute, glabrous, brani a 
s . Stems very w elow, branching round. h. lft. 
1856. (B. M. 5354.) “rept : 
„margaritacea (pearl-spotted).* jl. rose-coloured, eight to ten 
in a corymb; peduncles red, terminal, generally surrounded at 
base by a whorl of sub-sessile leaves. J. opposite, oblong- or 
ovate-lanceolate, acute or acuminate; veins oblique, parallel, 
very dark glossy-green above, with oval, white, margaritaceous 
spots, arranged in single lines or series, between them; under 
surface pale, the veins red-purple. Stems rather weak and sub- - 
procumbent, 8in, to 10in. long, rich scarlet. 1854. (B. M. 5104; 
F. d. S. 1126.) The variety argentea has leaves surfaced with 
silvery-grey ; in marmorata, they are banded with silvery-grey. 
S. w Hendersoni (Henderson’s).* ji.. bright lilac-rose, abun; 
dantly produced, with prominent, lemon-yellow, aron anp 
anthers. J. ovate, flat, dark olive-green, studded over the who 
surface with pearly-white spots. +. 6in, to 8in. 1875. A com- 
Bas aT wee plant. (F, M. n: s; 159; I. Ha p- 8. 
S. orbiculata (round-leaved). A synonym of S. speciosa. 
S. speciosa (showy), jl. mauve; petals gin. long, round-elliptic, 
acute ; raceme often sub-pani te, with eight to fourteen 
flowers, and very hairy. l. 2in, to 3in. long, ovate-elliptic, acute, 
Jabrous or nearly so, denticulated or slightly serrated ; petioles 
in. to 2in. long. Stem nearly or quite glabrous below, ending in 
a long peduncle, villous upwards. h. Qin. to 12in. 1856, (B.M. 
5026 ; F. d. S. 2442.) SYNS. S. elegans (B. M. 4978), S. orbiculata. 
stricta (erect). ft. rose-purple, small; petals obovate. l. łi 
to lin. long, lanceolate or elliptic, hanora at each end, with 
ererig a. Stem Zin. to Tin. high, erect, often 
ranched, n r less puberulo-pubescent, and also with long. 
lax, spreading hairs. 1848, (BML 4394.) 4: : 
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