RUELLIA CILIOSA. 



ivory spines and hooks. Such are R. parvus (dwarf and prostrate, 

 with a large fruit — an eccentricity in an Australasian Rubus), 

 schmideloeides, and australis — this last being the only one 

 that has effected a home in English gardens, where its chief merit 

 is that it is not quite hardy, so that in time you may be relieved from 

 the inhospitable massed mess that it forms of spider}- -thin and almost 

 Leafless branchage, accumulating into an inextricable inoimd of white 

 wiry whipcord, armed with insatiable little teeth as numerous, vicious, 

 and ivorine as those of sharks, though not so large. There is practically 

 no foliage, and neither flower nor fruit would be worth contemplation 

 even if they ever condescended to appear. This should be planted 

 in a cold dank place (if you want it to die) ; if, however, the giver of it 

 lives near, and pays you frequent visits, you will have to assign it a 

 warm sheltered and sunny place in the foreground, hi light and well- 

 drained soil — under no other pressure of circumstances to be so wasted. 



Ruellia ciliosa is an Acanthad from North America, which is 

 hardy, but must have a dry sumiy place in light and well-drained soil 

 if it is to be happy. It attains 2 feet, and is hairy, with oval leaves 

 and blue flowers, either solitary or in clusters, from June on into the 

 autumn. R. strepens is yard -high and more beautiful, blooming 

 from May to July, no less blue than the last, but preferring a damper 

 and more shady comer. Seed. 



Ruscus. — Of the Butcher's-brooms, the garden in its out-of-the- 

 way and shady slopes, otherwise useless, may be glad of R. Injpo- 

 phyllus and R. hypoglossals, neat little evergreens of a foot high, 

 neater than our own R. aculeatus, and with big crimson berries like 

 jewels seeming to adhere to the under-sides of the leaves. 



Ruta. — All the Rues have most aromatic foliage, fine and fat and 

 blue-grey, but as a rule rather large in development for the rock- 

 garden, where they require the very hardest and driest place that it 

 affords. The only one that in any way needs admittance is R. 

 patavina, which makes neat little shoots about 8 inches long, clad in 

 narrow grey leaves and leaflets, and set with numbers of ample cream- 

 yellow stars of blossom from May to September, making a pleasant effect 

 as it flops over a sunny rock. 



s 



Sagina. — All these are precious carpeting plants for any open 



ad place, valuable for the sheets of minute moss in which they 



clothe the ground and sheathe the base of any choice bulb that may 



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