258 PLUMBAGINACE.E. 



dark green and smooth. The flower-stems are a foot or more 

 high, surmounted by a compact spherical head of rosy-crimson 

 flowers. It flowers very freely from May or June throughout 

 the summer. Native of the Mediterranean. 



A. plantaginea {Pla?itam-leaved Thrift). — This is near in 

 character to Cephalotes. It has the broad leaves and taller 

 flower-scapes of that sort, but is not so decidedly effective in 

 colour, and is usually more restricted in growth. The flowers 

 are deep rose-red, in compact heads. Native of the south of 

 Europe. There is an important white-flowered variety named 

 kucajitha, which is accounted a fairly distinct species for a 

 Thrift in some works. It is very ornamental, and furnishes' an 

 excellent variation of colour in this, in that respect, rather 

 deficient group — the flowers being beautiful clear white. 



A. vulgaris {Cojnmon Thrift). — A well-known plant, to be 

 met with in nearly every cottage garden in the country. There 

 are several varieties — the best is the rose or red one, and there 

 is a tolerably good white and a pale lilac — all are useful pretty 

 plants. Besides the very common use of edging to which it is 

 put, it may also be employed in bare rocky ground and dry banks, 

 for clothing such places, as it has considerable tenacity of life 

 once it is established, and does not easily succumb to the 

 influence of drought. 



Acantholimon glumaceum, syn. Statice ararati. — This is a 

 beautiful little plant, growing in prostrate fashion, with numerous 

 matted stems, clothed with linear, hard, dark-green bristle or 

 spine-pointed leaves. The flowers are rose-coloured, in nume- 

 rous short one-sided spikes. They begin to appear in April, 

 and continue in great profusion for a month or two. It is 

 best adapted for culture on rockwork, and prefers a light 

 sandy soil and sunny position. In well-drained light soil it 

 succeeds very well in the open border ; it is quite hardy, but 

 liable to suffer from continued damp in winter, therefore it is 

 not well adapted for cold wet localities and soils ; and in such, 

 extra precautions, by draining well under the plant and plant- 

 ing it on raised hillocks, if it is grown in borders, must be taken. 

 It is one of those plants that are worthy of a place in every gar- 

 den, and is especially commendable for amateur and other 

 small gardens. Propagate by seed, cuttings, and division, and 

 the latter is the least troublesome means once stock is estab- 

 lished, but the divisions should not be too minute. Native of 

 Armenia. 



Statice {Sea Lavender). — This is a large genus, but in the 

 hardy section there is a good deal of sameness in the colour of 

 the flowers, blue being the most common. There is, however, 



