304 



STEPHANOTIS. 



which smell so much like carrion, 

 that flesh-flies have been known to 

 lay their eggs upon them. As these 

 plants are very succulent, they are 

 apt to drop off if they are grown in 

 rich soil, or too much watered. 

 They succeed best in sandy loam 

 mixed with lime rubbish, and they 

 are propagated by cuttings, which 

 should be laid on a shelf for two or 

 three days to shrivel before they are 

 planted. The plants from which 

 the cuttings are taken should be 

 kept quite dry for some time after- 

 wards, as they are apt to rot from 

 the wound. All the Stapelias are 

 natives of the Cape of Good Hope. 



Staphyle'a. — Celastrinece. — The 

 Bladder Nut. — Hardy shrubs, natives 

 of England and North America, that 

 ■svill grow freely in any common gar- 

 den soil. The flowers are white ; and 

 the seed, which is brown, is produced 

 in a large inflated capsule or bladder. 

 The seeds, when bored, are used in 

 Catholic countries for rosaries. 



Star of Bethlehem. — See Or- 

 nitho'galum. — In the midland coun- 

 ties the large yellow Hypeiicum is 

 called the Star of Bethlehem. 



Star WORT. — One of the English 

 names for the A'ster, 



Sta'tice. — Plumhaginece. — Sea 

 Lavender. — Singular plants, the foot- 

 stalks of the flowers of which are 

 coloured so as to resemble flowers, 

 while the real flowers are the white 

 part at the extremity of the purple. 

 This is very conspicuous in S. arbo- ' 

 rea, a native of the Canaries, which is 

 quite shrubby. This splendid plant j 

 should have plenty of room for its 

 roots ; and thus when there is not I 

 a conservatory for it to be planted j 

 in, it does better in the open border, : 

 with a slight protection during win- i 

 ter, than in a pot in a greenhouse. 

 The soil in which it is grown should 

 be half sandy loam and half vegetable 

 mould. It is extremely difficult to 



raise young plants by cuttings ; and 



though nurserymen contrive to make 



layers, it is so diflicult an operation, 



as to be scarcely practicable by an 



amateur. The common kinds of Sta- 



j tice are generally increased by seeds, 



I or by dividing the roots ; and they 



I should be allowed plenty of space, as 



. they are easily killed when crowded 



I by other plants. Stdtice DicJcen- 



soniana, has bright rose-coloured 



I flowers which remain a great length 



! of time uninjured after the flower is 



i cut, like the difl"erent species of He- 



\ lichrysum or Everlasting. The spe- 



; cies is a native of the Cape of Good 



I Hope, whence it was introduced in 



1844. In Great Britain, it is a 



I greenhouse plant. Stdtice Fortuni, 



>S. rmhricdta, and *S'. frutescens, are 



very handsome species, all of which 



have been introduced since 1845. 



Stella^ria. — Caryoph'^llece. — 

 Stitchwort. — Very pretty plants, 

 with white flowers, many of which 

 are natives of Britain. They are all 

 quite hardy, but they grow best in 

 sandy soil. The dwarf kinds are 

 very suitable for rock-work. They 

 are propagated by seeds, which they 

 ripen freely, or by division of the 

 roots. 



Stexa'ctis. — Compositce. — S.spe- 

 cidsa is a very shoM^y perennial, with 

 large and very handsome flowers. It 

 is a native of California, and will 

 grow in any common garden soil. It 

 is increased by seed, or by dividing 

 the roots. 



Stenochi^lus. — Myopdrince. — 

 Australian shrubs, with scarlet flow- 

 ers, which should be grown in sandy 

 peat. 



Stenome'ssox. — AmaryllidacecB. 

 — Bulbous plants, natives of Mexico. 

 S. Hartwegii has very pretty orange- 

 coloured flowers. 



Stephaxo'tis. — Asdepiadacece. 

 — S. jlorihunda, is a stove climber, 

 with very dark-green, leathery leaves, 



