k 
AN ENCYCLOPÆDIA 
OF HORTICULTURE. 537 
Syringa—continued. 
rather obtuse, glabrous above, ea on the principal nerves 
beneath. h. 3ft. to 6ft. North China, 1880. 
S. vulgaris (common).* Common Lilac; Pipe-tree, fl. red, blue, 
or white; corolla limb slightly concave. May. l. cordate or 
ovate-cordate, highly glabrous. h. 8ft. to 20ft. or more. Persia, 
Hungary, &c., 1597. Many beautiful varieties, of which the 
following are a selection, are referred to this species. 
S. v. alba (white).* fl. white; thyrse ample, clustered. Branches 
and buds greenish. h. 12ft. to 15ft. There are two sub-varieties : 
major, with larger, and plena, with double, flowers. 
S. v. czerulea (blue). fl. slightly rosy, at length becoming blue ; 
thyrse sparingly clustered. h. 12ft. A sub-variety has the leaves 
imperfectly variegated. 
S. v. grandiflora (large-flowered). fi. red, large. 
S, v. purpurea (purple). 7. violet-purple ; thyrse ample, crowded. 
Branches and buds purplish. ee 
S, v. violacea (violet). Scotch Lilac. fl. of a beautiful violet or 
lilac ; thyrse sparingly clustered. Branches and buds purplish. 
h. 10ft. (B. M. 183.) 
GARDEN VARIETIES. A select list of garden varieties 
is given below: 
ALBA GRANDIFLORA, flowers white, large, one of the best; ALBA 
MAGNA, one of the finest whites; ALBA VIRGINALIS, flowers 
snowy-white, trusses large, good for forcing; ALPHONSE | 
—LaVALLEE, flowers sky-blue, shaded with violet, double, in very | 
large trusses’; CHARLES X., flowers deep purplish-lilac when 
grown outside, white when forced, very large trusses, extra 
fine, one of the best for forcing ; DR. LINDLEY, flowers reddish- 
lilac, in extremely large clusters; LE GAULOIS, flowers dark~ 
Eee colons, with light centres, very double, in large, close 
russes; LEMOINEI, flowers pale ashy-lilac, double; MATHIEU 
— DE DOMBASLE;“flowers reddish-mauve, double, trusses nearl 
~ lft. long; MICHEL BUCHNER, flowers pale lilac, ET | 
double, in fine, erect, pyramidal trusses; RANUNCULIFLORA, ~) 
flowers dark red, becoming lilac, double; RENONCULE, flowers 
azure-mauye, strongly perfumed, double, very full; RUBELLA 
PLENA, flowers vinous-red, changing to rosy-violet, double. 
SYRINGA, MOCK. A common name for Phila- 
delphus coronarius (which see). 
SYRINGODEA (from syriggodes, fistular; in refer- 
ence to the slender perianth tube). ORD. Iridew. A — 
small, South African genus (three species) of pretty, dwarf, | 
greenhouse herbs. Flower solitary in the spathe, sub- | 
sessile or shortly pedicellate; perianth salver or funnel- | 
shaped, with a long and very slender tube and sub-equal, | 
spreading lobes; stamens affixed to the throat; spathes | 
sub-sessile within the leaves, narrow, hyaline. Leaves 
filiform. Only the typical species, S. pulchella, has been 
introduced. For culture, see Ixia. 
S. pulchella (rather pretty). fl., perianth tube cylindrical, 1łin. 
to 2in. long, thickened above; limb pale purple, the segments 
Syringodea—continued. i i ` 
obovate-cuneate, deeply emarginate; spathe valves lanceolate, 
żin, to fin. long. Autumn. J. four to six, speu, Sow ae 
labrous, Jin. to 4in. long. Bulb globose, thick, one-flowered. 
a Africa, 1873. A very pretty plant. (B. M. 6072; F. d. 8. 
SYRINGODEA (of Don). Included under Erica. 
SYRPHUS. A genus of two-winged flies (Diptera) 
popularly known as “ Hawkflies,” because of their rapid, 
darting flight. They are partial to settling on flowers; 
and most of them are conspicuous because of the bright 
spots of yellow, and the metallic greens and other hues, 
that they bear. They mostly vary in size between a 
common Housefly and a Bluebottle Fly; and some of them 
are a good deal the same shape as the latter insect. 
Hawkflies are mostly smooth-bodied; but, in several genera — 
allied closely to Syrphus (e.g., Volucella), the species are 
hairy, and some look much like small Humble-bees. There | 
are numerous species in the genus Syrphus, a good many 
of which are British. The larve are of much assistance 
to gardeners, by destroying the Aphides, or Green-flies, 
The larve of the various species are much alike; all of — 
them are fleshy, and taper from the hinder end to the 
pointed anterior part, in which is situated the mouth. 
The body is ringed, and the larva moves very much as 
a leech does, by contracting and lengthening its body. 
The female fly lays her eggs on twigs infested by 
Aphides. The larvæ, so soon as hatched, begin to feed 
on these insects, seizing them one by one, holding each 
in the air till sucked dry, and then seizing and sucking 
another. When full-fed, the larve fix themselves by the 
tails, by means of a cement, to twigs of the plants, and, 
usually in a few days, the flies emerge. They should ~ 
not be injured by gardeners, but should be protected as — 
far as possible. 
SYSTREPHIA. A synonym of Ceropegia (which 
see). é 
SYZYGIUM. Included under Eugenia (which 
see). 
SZOWITZIA (named after M. Szovitz, a Hungarian 
botanist and traveller, who died in 1831). Orp. Umbelli- | 
fere. A monotypic genus. The species is a of, 
hardy, glabrous, annual herb, native of the South Caucasus 
region. It has slender, compound umbels of white flowers, 
and ternate, dissected leaves. Having little beauty, it is 
probably lost to cultivation. 
END OF. VOLUME IJI. 
