AN ENCYCLOPADIA 
OF HORTICULTURE. 
491 
Starch—continued. 
There is much doubt as to the exact part played by 
chlorophyl; most botanists believe that it forms the 
Starch granules, but others follow Pringsheim in think- 
ing that the chlorophyl is only a shield against ex- 
posure to too intense light of the protoplasm, which 
they regard as the actual agent in the production of 
Starch. Whichever view is correct, the Starch is 
largely built up from the Carbon and Oxygen of Carbonic 
Acid gas in the atmosphere. The granules are not 
soluble in water, so, when there is need to convey 
Starch from one part of the plant to another, it is 
changed into a sugar, which is soluble, and, in this 
form, passes along to where it is to be used in building 
up new cell-walls, or where it must be stored up for a 
time. In the latter case, the Starch granules are again 
formed by the action of small pieces of protoplasm, 
named Starch-generators, which are fixed to the part of 
each granule farthest from the hilum. 
STARFISH FLOWER. See Stapelia Asterias. 
STAR FLOWER. A common name for several 
species of Aster, Sternbergia, Triteleia, and Trientalis. 
STAR HYACINTH. See Scilla amena. 
STARKEA. A synonym of Liabum (which see). 
STAR OF BETHLEHEM. See Ornithogalum 
umbellatum. The name is also applied to other 
species. 
STAR OF NIGHT. A common name for Clusia 
rosea, 
STARRY. Arranged in rays like the points of a star. 
STAR, SEA. A popular name for Aster tripolium. 
STARWORT. A common name for Aster and 
Stellaria (which see). 
STATICE (the Greek name, used by Pliny for some 
astringent herb ; from statikos, astringent). Sea Lavender. 
Syn. Tazanthema. ORD. Plumbaginee. A large genus 
(upwards of 120 species have been described) of green- 
house, half-hardy, or hardy herbs, sub-shrubs, or shrubs, 
chiefly inhabiting saline districts and shores of temperate 
seas, most commonly found in Western Asia. Flowers 
one or two in the bracts, or often in few-flowered, many- 
bracted spikelets; calyx usually funnel-shaped, with a 
scarious, spreading limb; petals connate with the stamens 
in a ring towards the base, or free to the base; bracts 
subtending the spikelets, small. scale-like; peduncles 
or scapes leafless, often branched, cymose, corymbose, or 
paniculate. Leaves in the stemless species radical and 
rosulate, in the tufted sub-shrubs clustered, in the small 
shrubs somewhat scattered at the sides of the branches, 
alternate, flat, sometimes entire, linear, spathulate, oblong, 
or obovate, sometimes sinuately pinnatifid or dissected. 
S. auriculefolia, S. bellidifolia, and S. Limonium, are 
included in the British Flora. The hardy species thrive 
in sandy soil, in the open border, or on rockwork. Their 
flowers are excellent for cutting, and for intermixing with 
other flowers in glasses, &c.; they are also well adapted 
for drying like everlastings. Annual and biennial species 
may be propagated from seeds, sown in early spring, in a 
frame, the young plants being put out into their perma- 
nent ‘places when large enough. The perennials may 
also be raised from seeds when any are procurable, or 
increased by means of careful division. Greenhouse 
Statices are very useful and ornamental plants, nearly 
always more or less in flower. They succeed in good, 
turfy loam, with a little charcoal or sand intermixed, 
and may be increased by cuttings, inserted in small 
ne pots, during early spring, and placed under a bell 
glass. ' : 
A selection of the most popular species, from a horti- 
cultural standpoint, is given below. Except where other- 
wise stated, the plants are herbaceous p . 
Statice— continued. 
S. eegyptiaca (Egyptian). A synonym of S. Thoumi. 
S. arborescens (tree-like).* jl. blue; spikelets two-flowered, 
few, in short, secund, rather loose spikes ; floral branches very 
short; scape tall, branched above, ien fe and sub-corymbosely 
panicled. July. l. ample, ovate-oblong, petiolate, obtuse, 
mucronate, attenuated at base. Stem branched above, at length 
leafy. h. 2ft. Teneriffe, 1829. Greenhouse shrub. (B. 47; B. M. 
3776; B. R. xxv. 6 and P. M. B., iv. 217, under name of S. arborea.) 
S. Bonduelli (Bonduelle’s). f. yellow, sessile, in terminal 
corymbs ; peduncles repeatedly dichotomous, clavate; bracts 
scarious, June. l. radical, lyrate, attenuated to the petioles, 
dilated at apex, terminating in a subulate mucro, pilose above, 
villous beneath. Stems tufted, branched, hairy at ETR h. 1ft. 
North Africa, 1859. Greenhouse. (B. M, 5158; F. d. S. 2129; 
R. G. 318; R. H. 1885, p. 276.) 
S. Bourgæi (Bourgeav’s). fl. purple and white; spikelets one or 
two-flowered, two or three in fascicles at the extremities of the 
branchlets ; lower bracts slightly reddish ; scape compressed, 6in. 
to 12in. high, corymbosely paniculate above. August. l. ample, 
petiolate, stellate-puberulous, oblong, attenuated at base, slightly 
sinuate or often lyrate, the terminal lobe ovate, obtuse, mu- 
cronate. eg? Islands, 1859. Greenhouse sub-shrub. (B. M. 
5153; F. d. 8. 2.) 
S. brassicæfolia (Brassica-leaved). . /l. purple; spikelets two- 
flowered, two or three fasciculate at the tips of the branchlets ; 
lower bracts rufous, puberulous; scape angled, paniculately 
corymbose above. August. l. few, slightly ciliated on the 
margins, petiolate, lyrate; terminal lobe large, roundish-ovate 
often irregularly lobed, very obtuse, cuspidate, sub-cordate at 
base ; lateral ones two to four, ear-like, small, alternate, often 
confluent at base. h. 15ft. Canary Islands, 1859. Greenhouse 
sub-shrub. (B. M. 5162.) 
S. callicoma (beautiful-haired).* jl. pink ; spikelets two-flowered, 
in short, rather broad, distichous spikes; scape dwarf; panicle 
ovate-triangular, sub-secund, the branches triquetrous. July. 
l. oblong and oblong-lanceolate, attenuated into the petioles, mu- 
cronate, white-tubercled, puberulous or glabrous. A. lft. Russia, 
1804. Half-hardy. (R. G. 1063; B. M. 1629, under name of 
S. conspicua.) 
Fig. 526, STATICE ELATA. 
i tall).*. fl. blue; spikelets two-flowered, in ovate, di- 
S oe oe ps obeita spikes; bracts ovate, white- 
margined; scape 2ft. high, elongated-paniculate above, the 
branches hairy, triquetrous. July. J. obovate, very obtuse, often 
retuse and shortly mucronate at apex, rather long-attenuated 
into the petioles. “Southern Russia, 1820. Hardy. ‘steele sa 
eximia oice), fl. lilac, rose ; spikelets about four-flowered, 
pp esee D dense, scorpioid-capitate, much-imbricated 
spikes; bracts pubescent; scape tall, paniculate or branched 
above, terete, pubescent. August. l. oblong or obovate, obtuse, 
shortly petiolate, narrowed, slightly crisped on the margins, 
long-attenuated into the petioles. h. 1ft. Songoria, 1844. Hardy. 
(B. R. 1847, 2.) ` A 
fioribun bundle-flowered).* fl. violet-blue, produced in 
gee son eB. A handsome plant, much resembling 
S. profusa. 3 
S. Fortunei (Fortune’s). A synonym of S. sinensis. 
cans (shrubby). . blue; spikelets one or two-flowered, 
gird a in pom oli ag imbricated spikes ; lower bracts 
ciliate-margined; scape 4in. to 6in. high, corymbose-paniculate 
or branched above, puberulous, closely compressed, Summer. 
l. near the base of the scape, ovate, ljin. to 2in. long, ob- 
