January S, 1910 



HORTICULTURE, 



37 



Plant Novelties from China 



Chiuo-Thibet; 



For the waterside and wood- 

 land the Senecio family is full oT 

 good things. This family is ow 

 of the largest in the vegetable king- 

 dom and in China alone is repre- 

 sented by over a hundred distinct 

 species. The majority of these 

 are weeds pure and simple, and of 

 no ornamental value whatsoever. 

 On the contrary others such as 

 Senecio clivorum, S. Veitchianus 

 and S. Wilsonianus are of extreme 

 beauty. These three plants have 

 bold, reniform-cordate leaves, a foot 

 or more across, but are dissimilar in 

 other respects. S. clivorum has a 

 much-branched, corymbose inflores- 

 cence, IV2 to 3 ft. across, with 

 flowers, aster-like, 3 to 5 inches di- 

 ameter, of a peculiarly rich golden- 

 jellow color, in shade unlike any 

 other plant in cultivation. Senecio 

 Veitchianus and S. Wilsonianus 

 have erect spikes of flowers 5 to 6 ft. or more tall. In 

 the first-named the spike is simple and the flowers clear 

 yellow. In S. Wilsonianus the spike is cylindrical, like 

 an enormously elongated thryse, branching at the base 

 with golden-yellow flowers. In both species the actual 

 length of the spike clothed with flowers is 2 to 3 ft. 

 Strong clumps of these three Senecios will produce half- 

 a-dozen or more flowering spikes bearing hundreds of 

 flowers and in August and September are extremely 

 attractive. 



Quite different to the above but equally beautiful is 

 Senecio tanguticus. This herb grows 4 to 5 ft. high, 

 has finely cut foliage and pyramidal panicles of clear 

 yellow flowers, 8 inches to a foot long. The individual 

 flowers are small and the whole plant suggests a glori- 

 fied golden-rod (Solidago). Another fine species but 

 not yet in commerce is S. nelumbifolius with huge 

 Lotus-like leaves, 2 ft. or more across, and a large flat- 

 lieaded inflorescence composed of innumerable small, 

 yellow flowers. These Senecios are readily raised from 

 seeds which are freely produced, grow rapidly and soon 

 make strong flowering plants. S. tanguticus is apt to 

 make itself too much at home and the cultivator must 

 •watch out or it will usurp the whole waterside unto 

 itself. 



Rodgersia aesculifolia, R. pinnata, and R. pinnata 

 alba are a trio of new plants fitted for planting along- 

 side the above Senecios ; their white and pink flowers 

 forming a pleasing contrast. These new Rodgersias are 

 strong-gi'owing plants, with broad thyrsoid panicle of 

 fragrant flowers, a foot to eighteen inches long, borne 

 ■well above the foliage on spikes 3 to 5 ft. tall. The leaves 

 in form resemble those of the Horse-chestnut (Aescu- 

 lus.) In R. pinnata the flowers are a delicate rose-pink, in 

 the; other two the purest white. Two other Rodgersias 

 not yet in commerce are R. . sambucifolia, with truly 

 pinnate leaves, and R. tabularis with rounded, peltate 

 leaves. Rodgersias are easily raised from seeds but they 

 grow slowly; the rontstock is a very stout rhizome and 

 it is best to start off with strong established roots. 



Few plants are more popular for pot-forcing for 

 ■winter work than Astilbe (Spiraea) japonica and A. 

 astilboides, both old but indispensable plants. Their 

 newly discovered relatives, A. Davidi and A. grandis, 



RllEUM ALEXANDR.i. 

 au borderland, Alt. 12,000 ft. Flowers, cowslip yellow. 



are not useful for this purpose but for the waterside 

 and moist border they possess much higher claims than 

 our old friends. A. Davidi was the first of the two 

 known and created a sensation when exhibited. The 

 flowers are of a peculiar shade of red, found only in the 

 Loosestrife (Ly thrum salicaria) heretofore, with blue 

 anthers. The flowering stems are 6 ft. tall with the 

 flowers densely crowded on much-branched panicles 2 to 

 2y2 ft. long, with the lateral branches ascending. Par- 

 tial shade suits the plant best .since in strong sun the 

 flowers bleach. A. grandis is similar in habit and vigor 

 of growth but with pure white flowers. The individual 

 flowers are the largest in the genus and the axillary 

 branches of the flower panicle are horizontally spreading. 

 The leaves of both species resemble those of A. japonica 

 but are much larger and of gi-eater substance. If some 

 hybridist would take up these two plants in the way that 

 certain continental nurserymen have taken up the pink 

 flowered A. chinensis some remarkable results might be 

 obtained. 



Similar to the Astilbes but belonging to a very differ- 

 ent family is Artemisia lactifolia. This new wormwood 

 has finely divided, chrysanthemum-like, aromatic leaves 

 and large panicles of milk-white, fragrant flowers, borne 

 on flower-spike 3 to 4 ft. tall. In the heart of China 

 this is a weed of cultivation and the writer little thought 

 when sending it home that it would so quickly develop 

 into such a charming plant. This Artemisia and the 

 Astilbes are readily raised from seeds and soon propa- 

 gated by division of the root-stock. 



The Rhubarb family is well-known but whilst this 

 bold foliage and tall flower-spikes make them noble sub- 

 jects in a way they can scarcely be classed as choice 

 herbs. Very unlike an ordinary Rhubarb is the new 

 Rheum alexandrae. This plant "has neat, ovate-cordate, 

 sliining leaves, a foot or more long, and an erect,. pyra- 

 midal, tower-like inflorescence, a yard or more high. 

 The sliowy part of the inflorescence consists of large, 

 rounded, cowslip-yellow bracts, arranged tile-like 

 one above another. It is native, of the alpine-meadows 

 and moorlands of the Chiho-Thibetan borderland where 

 its peculiar and rich colored inflorescence makes it a con- 

 spicuous object in the distance and compels attention. 

 It grows well in any good, rich, moist garden soil, is 



