388 



The Dictionary of Gardening, 



Sciadophy Utun — continue d. 

 five, rarely four : heads or small umbels dispoBed in simple 

 racemes, paniculate, or umbellate. Leaves digitately com- 

 pound ; leaflets entire ; stipules often elongated. A selec- 

 tion from the introduced species is given below. They 

 are well worth cultivating' on accoiint of their fine foliage. 

 A mixture of loam, peat, and sand, is the most suitable 

 soil. Propagation may be readily effected by eutting«, 

 inserted in sand, iinder a hand glass, in moderate heat. 



S. acuiaijiatum (afuniinate-leafleteii). ,^. yellow, in heads little 

 larger than a pea. -May. L, leaflets seven to eleven, petiolulate, 

 oblong, obliquely acuminate, c<tviaceous, glabrous, reticulately 

 veined. Stems climbing, h. 10ft. Peru. Greenhouse. 



S. BrowTxii (Brown's). t;alapee-tree. .;/. white, nearly capitate, 

 in very btnt;, compound racemes. June. I., leaflets seven to 

 eleven, nearly umbellate, petiolulate, oblong-lanceolate, glabrous, 

 unequal, thecentral ones smallest. Stem arboreous, h. 10ft. to 

 15ft. Jamaica, 1793. Stove. 



S. conicum (conical-flowered), fl. whitish-red, in heads about 

 the size of a pea ; racemes two or three, rather velvety. May. 

 L, leaflets seven to thirteen, petiolulate, oblong, abruptly acu- 

 minate, coriaceous, glabrous, reticulately veined. Stem shrubby. 

 h. 10ft. Peru. Stove. 



SClAI)OFHYI.I.UiyE (of Blume). A synonym of 

 Heptapleurum (which see). 



SCIADOPITYS (from al-tjas, a parasol, and pitys, 

 a Fir-tree ; referring to the spreading whorls of leaves). 

 Ord. Conifenv. A monotypic genus. The species is a 

 tall, but very slow-growing, hardy, evergreen tree. It 

 thrives in rich, moist loam, and may be propagated by 

 imported seeds. Now and then, seeds are ripened in 

 this country. 



S. verticillata (whorled).* Parasol Fir. /. moncecious ; male 

 catkins tfrniinal, somewhat gloliular ; females solitary, growing 

 from unionist the scaly buds, cones elliptic-cylindrical. 2iin. 

 long, l^in. in diameter. I. long, linear anil somewhat falcate, 

 smooth, entire, alternate, without any footstalk-^, tapering to an 

 obtuse point, concave and ribbed on the under >ide, in close 

 tufts of from thirty to forty at the ends uf the shoots, forming 

 a sort of whorl in the form of an extended parasol. Branches 

 alternate or in whorls. Stem straight, h. 80ft. to 120ft. Japan, 

 1861. (G. C. 1861, p. 360, 1862, p. 23, 1872. p. 1526; G. C. n. s., 

 xvii. p. 115, xix. p. 85; S. Z. F. J. 101-2.) There are several 

 varieties, in additiou to the following : 



S* V. variegata (variegated). This differs from the tj^ie in 

 having some of its leaves of a pale yellow, intermixed an the 

 parasol-liko whorls. 



SCIIiIiA (the old Greek name used by Hippocrates). 

 Squill; Wild Hyacinth. Including Barnardia and Lede- 

 houria. Ord. Liliacece. A genus embracing nearly eighty 

 species of stove, greenhouse, or hardy bulbous plants, 

 natives of Europe, temperate and mountainous Asia, and 

 extra- tropical, or the mountains of tropical, Africa, with 

 one from Chili. Flowers small or mediocre, racemose, 

 on articulated pedicels ; perianth blue, rose, or purplish, 

 persistent for some time ; segments nearly equal, distinct 

 or very shortly connate towards the base, spreading, or 

 rarely campanulate-connivent at base, one-nerved ; stamens 

 six, aflB,sed at the base or below the middle of the seg- 

 ments ; bracts small ; racemes sometimes elongated and 

 many-flowered, sometimes reduced to two or three, occa- 

 sionaUy nearly corymbiform ; scape simple, leafless. Leaves 

 radical, linear, loriform, oblong, or nearly ovate. Bulb 

 tunicated. S. aufumnnlitiy S. nutans, and S. ver7ia, are 

 natives of Britain. Hardy Scillas are amongst the most 

 beautiful of spring-flowering bulbous plants. They suc- 

 ceed in ordinary garden soil, and require to be planted 

 in early autumn when the bulbs are resting. S. iiihirica 

 is also well suited for culture in pots ; but these must 

 be kept in a cold house or frame, and not subjected to 

 heat. The greenhouse species succeed in sandy loam, 

 and in pots 5in. in diameter, along with other Cape 

 bulbs, in a cool greenhouse. Propagated by seeds, when 

 obtainable, which is, however, a very slow process; and 

 by offsets. 



The selection of species given below includes the 

 most popular and beautiful. Most of the descriptions are 

 translated from Mr. Baker's admirable Monograph of the 

 genus, which appeared in the " Journal of the Linnean 



Scilla — continued. 

 Society." vol. xiii. The leaves, except where otherwise 

 stated, are cotemporary with the flowers. 



S. amoena (pleasing).* Star Hyacinth. /.. perianth lilue, rarely 

 whitish. Hve to six lines long, the segments lanceolate ; pedicels 

 ascendinj; Aiu. to ^in. long; raceme loosely three to six-flowered, 

 lin. to 3in. long ; scape weak, 4in. to 6in. long. March. I. four 

 or five, flaccid, loratC; ;iscending, glabrous, bin. to 9in. long, iin. 

 to '^in. broad. Austria, Germany, &c., 1596. Hardy. (B. M. 341 ; 

 J. K. .v. 218; L. IJ. C. 1015.) 



S. a. sibirica (Sii>erian). A synonym of S. sibirica. 



S. amoenula (rather pretty). A synonym of .S'. itibirica. 



S. autumnalis (autumnal). Jl., perianth red dish -purple, iin. in 

 liiauR'ter ; pedicels jiscending or sprea<Unj; ; racemes short ; 

 scapes several, er|ualling the leaves. July to September. I. 

 autumnal, sncceedins the flowers, narrow, 3in. to 6in. lonjr. half- 

 terete, grooved above. Europe (Britiiin), North Africa. Hardv. 

 (B. M. 919 : Sy. p:n. B. 1526.) The form japonlca has beautifiU 

 rose-coloured flowers. 



S. Bertheloti (Berthelot's). Jl., perianth pale lilac, campanulate, 

 one line lonir ; pedicels ascending, as lonp as the perianth ; raceme 

 twelve to twenty-flowered, lin. to 2in. lone ; scape slender, 6in. 

 to 8in. long. April. I. five or six, slender, spreading, lorate, 6in. 

 to 12in. long, ^in. to ^in. broad, long-attenuated. Tropical Africa, 

 1862. (Jreenhouse. (B. M. 5308.) 



S. bifolia (two-leaved).* rf., perianth blue, sometimes reddish or 

 wliitish. four to five lines long, the segments spreading ; pedicels 

 ascending, Mn. to lin. long ; raceme deltoid, three to eight- 

 flowered, lin. to IMn. broad; scape solitary, 3in. to 6in. lonp:. 

 ^Marrh. I. usually two, opposite, narrowed at apex, cucuUate. 

 4in. to 8in. long, \m. to ^in. broad, concave on the face. Medi- 

 terranean region, Ac. Hardy. (B. M. 746; J. F. A. 117.) 



S. b. praecox (early). Jt. ten to fifteen, appearing earlier than 

 those of the type, rather large; pedicels lin. to lAin. long. 

 I. thicker and broader. A robust form. (S. B. F. G. ser. ii. 14, 

 under name of .S'. prtecox.) S. rosea is a sub-variety of this, with 

 reddish flowers. 



S. b. tanrica (Taurian). /. usually three or four. Tauria. 

 (R. (i. 307.) 



S, caxnpanulata (bell-shaped). A synonym of .S'. hittjmnica. 



S. chinensis (Chinese).* /..perianth rose-purple, one line long; 

 bracts whitish, minute ; pedicels ascending, altout ;in. long, the 

 lower ones often twin ; raceme somewhat dense, twenty to sixty- 

 flowered, lin. to 2in. long ; scape slender, straight, 1ft. or more 

 long. June. L two or three, equalling or exceeding the scape, 

 rather hard, acute, channelled down the face. China, 1826. 

 Half-hardy. SvN. Barnardia scilloidcs (B. M. 3788; B. R. 1029). 



S. COncinna (neat). Jl., perianth rose-purple within, oblong-cam- 

 panulate, ^in. long; pedicels all erecto-patent. four to five lines 

 long; raceme dense, twenty to thirty-flowered, oblong, liin. to 

 2in. long ; scape firm, erect, terete. 2in. to 6in. long. Spring. 

 I. three or four, nearly erect, linear, Sin. to 9iu. long. iin. to |in. 

 broad, profuselv purple-spotted at back. South Africa, 1862. 

 (ireenhtmse. (Ref. B. 235.) 



S. concolor (one-coloured). Jl., perianth greenish, rounded, cam- 

 panulate, about ^in. long ; pedicels two to four lines long, the 

 lower ones drooping ; racemes dense, thirty to tifty-flowered, 

 oblong-cylindrical, 3in. to 4in. long ; scapes one to three, flexuous, 

 Sin. to 4in. Ions. Spring. I. five or six. falcate, ligulate- 

 lanceolate, Sin. to Sin. long, l^in. to lAin. broad, obtuse or sub- 

 acute, very slightly narrowed at base, unspotted. South Africa, 

 1862. Creenhouse. Syx. Drimm Cooperi (Ref. B. 18). 



S. Cooperi (Cooper's). Jf., perianth bright pui-ple, drooping, 

 campanulate. .i,iu. long, the divisions reflexed from half-way ilown 

 when expanded; pedicels gin. to iin. long, spreading, or the 

 lowest sliglitly nodding ; raceme moderately dense, thirty to fifty- 

 flowered, 2in. "to 3iu. long, lin. broad; scape firm, erect. 4in. to 

 5in. long. Spring. I. four or five, ascending. lOin. to 12in. long, 

 Ain. to |ni. wide, green, streaked and spotted with purple on the 

 back downwards. Cape of Good Hope, 1866. Greenhouse. 

 (B. M. 5580.) 



S. Cupani (Cupani's). Jl., perianth blue, ^in. long, the segments 

 nbloii--<ibtMse : bracts whittsh, slightly ciliated, iin. to |in. long ; 

 peiliccls ascending, lin. to 2in. long ; raceme loosely six to twelve- 

 flowered, suli-corymbose or deltoid, liin. to 2in. long and broad; 

 scape slender, flexuous. Sin. to 6in. long. June. I. six to eight, 

 lorate-lanceolate. spreading, 3in. to 4in. long, six to ei^ht lines 

 broad, the margins pellucid and minutely ciliated. Sicily, 1834. 

 Hardy. (B. R. 1878.) 



S. floribunda (bundle-flowered). Jl., perianth greenish without, 

 rose-purple within ; pedicels six to eight lines long, the centra! 

 ones spreading, the lower ones drooping ; raceme rather dense, 

 containing sixty to a hundred or more flowers, 6in. to 8in. 

 long, 2in. broad ; scape erect, 6in. to 9in. long. Spring. I. 

 nearly erect, lorate, about 1ft. long. l^in. to 2in. broad, acute, 

 scarcely narrowed at base, pale green, with large blotches 

 of deeper green. Cape of Good Hope, 1862. Greenhouse. 

 (Ref. B. 188.) 



S. hispanica (Spanish).* Large or Spanish Bluebell or Squill. 

 /I., perianth usually blue, but often changing to rose-purple or 



