THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



AsriDiuM. 449 



flowers. A. rubra (the Red Milk-weed) 

 is a distinct tall-growing plant with long 

 bright green foliage, and large umbels of 

 purple-red flowers. A. tuberosa (the 

 Butterfly Silk-weed) is the prettiest 

 species, with its clusters of showy bright 

 orange-red flowers in the autumn. Good 

 flowering plants may be obtained from 

 seed in three years, but it is mostly 

 increased by dividing the tubers. This 

 species likes sandy soil and a warm 

 situation. A. variegata (Variegated Milk- 

 weed) has dense umbels of handsome 

 white flowers with a reddish centre. The 

 downy stems reach a height of 2 to 4 ft., 

 and are mottled with purple. 



ASIMINA ( Virginian Papaw). — A 

 North American shrub, or low tree of the 

 Custard Apple family. A. triloba forms a 

 small tree, with dull purple flowers, about 



2 in. across. It bears fruits eaten by the 

 inhabitants of the Southern States ; hence 

 the name. Sometimes grown against 

 a wall in this country, but hardy as a 

 standard, at least about London. 



ASPARAGUS.— Herbaceous plants or 

 climbers of the Lily Order, of fine habit 

 with elegant leaves. ThevigorousandtalW. 

 Broussonefi is quite hardy in warm sandy 

 soil and so are A. tenuifolius and others, 



The common Asparagus is as good as any, 

 and a tuft or group of it is graceful in a 

 border of flowers or a bed of fine-leaved 

 plants. 



ASPERULA {Sweet Woodruff).— A. 

 odorata, which belongs to the same family 

 as the Coffee Plant, is abundant in many 

 parts of Britain, and worthy of the garden 

 or shrubbery, especially in districts where 

 it does not occur wild. Its stems and 

 leaves give off a fragrant hay-like odour 

 when dried ; and in May the small white 

 flowers, dotted over the tufts of whorled 

 leaves, are pretty. It is sometimes used 

 as an edging to beds in cottage gardens, 

 and it goes prettily with some of the 

 smaller Ivies, in forming edgings about 

 rocky banks and borders. A. asurea 

 setosa {A. orientalis) is a pretty hardy 

 blue annual, flowering in April and 

 May. Sow seed in the previous autumn. 

 A. cynanchica is a rosy-red perennial, and 

 a good bank or rough rock-plant. A. 

 hexaphylla is a tall slender white-flowered 

 species. 



ASPHODELINE.— Plants nearly allied 

 to the following, but the stems of Aspho- 

 delus are leafless, while in Asphodeline 

 the leaves are produced on erect stems. 

 About six kinds are in cultivation, the 

 best-known being A. lutea, which grows 

 about 3 ft. high, with yellow flowers in 

 dense clustered spikes. A. taiirica has 

 white flowers, on stems i to 2 ft. high. 

 A. liburnica {A. cretica) and A. tenuior 

 have yellow flowers in loose racemes. 

 A. daniascena has white blossoms in 

 dense racemes, and A. brevicaulis has 

 yellow flowers in loose racemes. These 

 all thrive in any common garden soil, 

 and may be used in bold masses with 

 good effect among other tall plants. 



ASPHODELUS(yii^/;o^/6'/).— Tuberous 

 plants of the Lily order, with spiked 

 flowers and not of a high order of beauty, 

 thriving in any free garden soil. The 

 best-known is the bold A. raniosiis, a 

 South European species, familiar in 

 most old herbaceous plant borders, but 

 better fitted for the shrubbery. Other 

 kinds are A. fisttdosits and tenuifolius, 

 with white flowers, the plant growing 

 from i^ to 3 ft. high. The last-named 

 kind has delicate feathery foliage. A. 

 cretiaes, the Cretan Asphodel, has yellow 

 flowers, and is an easily cultivated border 

 plant. 



ASPIDIUM {S/iield or Wood Fern).— 

 This family now embraces the Poly- 

 stichum and some species of Lastrea. 

 There are numerous hardy kinds, among 

 them the Male Fern {A. Filix-mas) and 

 the Prickly Shield Fern. These thrive 

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