GARDEN FLOWERS. 347 



Spraguea. [Portulacaceae.] A very beautiful little plant, 

 of recent introduction. Rich loamy soil. Propagated by 

 seeds. 



6". tunbellata (umbelled) ; 9 inches ; flowers white and purple ; 

 CaHfornia ; 1862. 



Spruce Fir. See Abies. 



Squill. See Scilla. 



Stachys. Hedge-nettle. [Labiatae.] Herbaceous plants, 

 hardy and tender, and annuals. Many of the greenhouse 

 species are desirable. The annuals are worthless. Of the 

 perennials, S. Corsica, grandiflora, lanata, strida, and setifera 

 are hardy. Light loamy soil. Increased by division. 



Staff-Tree. See Celastrus. 



Staphylea. Bladder-7iut. [Sapindaceae.] Hardy de- 

 ciduous shrubs, with showy foliage and white flowers. Light 

 garden soil. Propagated by cuttings, layers, or by seeds, 

 which vegetate slowly. The hardy species are — 



vS". pmnata (pinnate) ; hardy shrub ; 6 feet ; flowers white, in 

 June ; England. S. trifoliata (three-leaved) ; hardy shrub ; 6 

 feet; flowers white, in May ; North America ; 1640. 



Star of Bethlehem. See Ornithogalum. 



Starwort. See Aster. 



Statice. Sea Lavender. [Plumbaginaceae.] Fine hardy 

 or half-hardy perennials, growing vigorously in ordinary 

 flower-borders, of good light loamy soil, where they throw 

 up their widely-branching flower-stems with hundreds of 

 small blooms, forming a complete feather of diminutive blos- 

 soms, for the most part white or blue. These perennials 

 only require planting out, and, with watering in dry weather, 

 they will increase in size, and flower season after season, 

 until they may be taken up, and parted to multiply them. 

 When the roots are taken up, they are divided so as to give 

 at least one good heart to each piece of root ; the roots 



