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TJie Horticulturist and Journal 



Ornamental Grasses. 



MANY garden folk are very fond of culti- 

 vating plants of this class, as many of 

 them are very grand, stately, and graceful in 

 their habit of growth ; others are remarkable 

 for the great beauty and delicacy of their in- 

 florescence ; and all are of easy cultivation, 

 thriving in any ordinary well-manured soil. 



For the information of such of our readers 

 as may not yet have attempted their cultiva- 

 tion, we append notices of some of the most 

 desirable sorts. Apart from their use as gar- 

 den decorations, their flower heads make, 

 when properly dried, very beautiful mantel 

 ornaments, unequaled by any other class of 

 plants for the elegance and airiness of their 

 forms. We particularly recommend them to 

 those whose higher artistic cultivation has 

 taught them to appreciate the beautiful in 

 form rather than in color. 



The Gynerium argenteum,0Y Pampas Grass, 

 of South America, is the largest grass grown. 

 It forms large tufts of leaves about three feet 

 long, which recurve very gracefully, and are 

 of a glaucous green color ; the flower stems 

 are from five to ten feet high, furnished with 

 leaves for a portion of their length, and ter- 

 minated by silvery, silky, branching panicles 

 of flowers, the panicles being from twelve to 

 twenty inches in length. The plant is dioeci- 

 ous — that is, some plants produce male flowers 

 and others female flowers ; the first are much 

 less beautiful than the latter. There are 

 some eight or nine varieties now grown in 

 Europe, three of which have variegated leaves, 

 one has light rose-colored, and another has 

 pale violet-colored plumes ; but these have 

 not been introduced into this country that we 

 are aware of. The plant is not quite hardy 

 in this latitude, and should be grown in a large 

 tub ^a half-barrel, for instance), or, if planted 

 out, should be taken up in the autumn and 

 kept in a warm cellar ; at the south it is quite 

 hardy. 



Erianthus i-amutia', or Kavenna Grass, is 



a native of Italy. It is similar in appearance 

 to the Pampas Grass, difi"ering, however, in 

 the form of the plumes. It has long, grace- 

 ful foliage, throwing up flower stems six or 

 seven feet high, terminated by graceful, droop- 

 ing, feathery-like plumes from fifteen to eigh- 

 teen inches long ; these have a silky appear- 

 ance, and are of a silvery white color. The 

 plant is hardy in this latitude, but northward 

 would require to be protected with leaves. 



Agrostis iiebiilosa is a very beautiful annual 

 grass, with stems from twelve to fifteen inches 

 high, with from five to ten whorls of long 

 hair-like branches terminated by the flowers, 

 the whole forming a graceful, airy, feathery 

 panicle. These panicles, cut before the seeds 

 are ripe and dried in the shade, can be pre- 

 served for a long time, and either in their 

 natural state or dyed arc used by milliners 

 and artificial flower makers. 



Briza maxima, or Quaking Grass, an an- 

 nual with flower stems from twelve to twenty- 

 four inches high, with large calycine scales, 

 which form close, flat, rather long, heart- 

 shaped pendent objects, with delicate, flexible 

 footstalks, that allow them to move with the 

 slightest movement of the wind. Another 

 species, B. gracilis, is similar to the above, 

 only differing in being dwarfer and more deli- 

 cate in habit. 



Aira "pulcliMa, in some of the seedmen's 

 catalogues inserted as Agrostis 'pulchella. 

 This very elegant and graceful grass is an 

 annual, growing from eight to ten inches high, 

 producing ninnerous thread-like flower stems, 

 terminated by erect, delicate, graceful panicles. 

 These being cut, and dried in the shade, can 

 be kept for along time, and, like the Agrostis, 

 are used by milliners and artificial flower 

 makers. 



Lagurus ovat.us, or Hare's-tail Grass, is 

 pretty dwarf-growing species, whose flower 

 stems are terminated by upright, soft and 

 velvety heads of flowers, which, being cut 

 before their complete maturity, are readily 

 preserved for wmter bouquets, and are also 

 used for the coiff"ures of ladies. 



Panimim capillaceitvi is the Eragrostis ele- 

 gans, or Love Grass, of some of the seeds- 



