•256 GLENNYS HANDBOOK 



autumn. The flowers of most of these have the singular 

 property of smelling like carrion, which smell attracts the 

 flies, so that the blooms often become eaten by maggots. 

 They are grown as curiosities, their flowers being \ery extra- 

 ordinary, almost artificial-like. They grow best iu a mixture 

 of sandy loam and brick rubbish or broken pots, with a very 

 liberal drainage. They should at all times be sparingly 

 watered, and in winter time ^hey hardly require any. They 

 require stove culture, or a warm close greenhouse, while 

 growing in the early part of summer, and afterwards may be 

 ripened and kept in a greenhouse ; but, as they bloom chiefly 

 in autumn, warmth »is desirable to enable them to expand 

 their flowers. They are increased readily by cuttings, which, 

 as they are very succulent, should be allowed to dry a week 

 after they are taken otf, when they may at once be put singly 

 into pots, for they will strike iu their own pots without any 

 bell-glass or other covering. There are upwards of a hundred 

 kinds. 



STAR OF BETHLEHEM. See ORNiTHOGALUii. 



STARWORT. See Aster. 



STATICE. Sea Lavender. [Plumbaginaceae.] Pine 

 hardy or half-hardy perennials, growing vigorously in ordinaiy 

 flower-borders of good light loamy soil, Avhere they throw up 

 their widely-branching flower-stems, with hundreds of small 

 blooms covering them, and forming a complete feather of 

 diminutive blossoms, for the most part white or blue. These 

 perennials only require planting out, and, with watering iu dry 

 weather, they will increase in size and flower season after 

 season, until they may be taken up and parted to multiply 

 them, when they set to work and soon spread again, and 

 become conspicuous. 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 being rather coarse. All the hardy kinds want 

 the same treatment. The half-hardy kinds may be kept with 

 the protection of a frame, and are best grown in pots ; or at 

 least a store of plants should be kept in pots if those in the 

 borders are annually abandoned. The genus also contains a 

 few warm greenhouse evergreens which are very ornamental, 

 and should be grow^n in a compost of equal parts of light 

 turfy loam and turfy peat. The drainage must be very good, 



