CARYOPHYLLACE.E. 



79 



with ascending, not erect, rather stragghng, but not ungraceful 

 stems, which are brownish, shghtly hairy, and clamrny, and 

 clothed with lance-shaped leaves. The flowers are numerous, 

 in gracefully- spreading panicles, calyx not inflated, corolla 

 large, brilliant purplish scarlet, the petals deeply notched in two. 

 A most ornamental species, best fitted for culture in the mixed 

 border. Flowers appear from midsummer till autumn. Pro- 

 pagate by division and seed. Native of North America. 



Spergula {Sparry). — This is a small genus of very diminutive 

 plants, which I hardly dare introduce here but for the fact that 

 one of the species, S. pi/ if era, was introduced ten or twelve 

 years ago as a fit and proper substitute for grass in the forma- 

 tion of lawns, and for verges and every other purpose for which 

 we thought nothing was better than good grass. There was a 

 good deal of controversy over it at the time, and some of the 

 advocates of the innovation said very strong things in support 

 of it. The necessity for mowing was for ever to be done away 

 with, scythes and mowing-machines to be consigned to anti- 

 quarian museums, and posterity would bless the nameless but 

 happy man who first drew the attention of an over-practical and 

 sceptical generation to a long-neglected good. These are some 

 of the sentiments indulged in by the advocates of the new idea; 

 and now it has become old, and experience has proven that 

 the utterances in favour of it were not facts, and that the little 

 Spurry was in no way fitted to take the place of grass where 

 grass should be. When in good health the plant looks very 

 fresh and beautifully green and carpet-like, but it has an unfor- 

 tunate habit — unfortunate at least in a plant recommended to 

 take the place of grass — of smothering itself for a month and a 

 half in summer with small starry pure-white flowers, which would 

 be simply intolerable in acres wide under a July sun. But the 

 plant is very pretty, and suitable for clothing dry banks where 

 very low herbage is desired. It grows about 2 inches high, 

 in close moss-like tufts, and rapidly spreads itself in sandy 

 soil, but is ever patchy-like in heavy loams, especially if in- 

 chned to be moist. There is no other species worthy of notice 

 for any ornam.ental purpose, and S. pilifera is surpassed in fit- 

 ness for every purpose for which it was recommended by grass 

 and other plants which we resort to for edgings, &c. Native 

 of Corsica. 



Tunica. — There is only one species, T. saxifraga, that is 

 worthy of notice here. It is a pretty, dwarf, alpine plant, with 

 wiry somewhat prostrate stems, clothed with linear, hard, bristly 

 leaves, and forming rather dense rounded tufts. The flowers, 

 individually small, are very profuse and continuous for two or 



