PHLOMIS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. PHLOMIS. 623 



black fruits like a sloe, containing seed 

 by which the plant is readily increased . 

 Nurserymen have found that the 

 Phillyraea unites readily with Privet, 

 so that nearly all their stock is grafted, 

 and the plants die out just as they 

 should be in full beauty. This has 

 helped to give the group a bad name, 

 but for shore gardens of light soil 

 there are few better shrubs. 



The kinds from the Mediterranean 

 are classed as three species, but they 

 vary so much from seed and are so 

 closely connected by intermediate 

 forms as to be better treated as one 

 variable kind. There is first the 

 Narrow-leaved Phillyraea (P. angusti- 

 folia), 15 feet or so in height, with long 

 narrow leaves which may be small 

 and narrow, as in rosmarinifolia, a fine 

 dwarf evergreen from Italy. P. lati- 

 folia reaches the size of a small tree 

 of 30 feet, with rigidly spreading 

 branches, a compact habit of growth, 

 and broad deep green leaves. To it 

 belong several forms the Holly-leaved 

 (P. ilicifolia), which is one of the best 

 known ; laevis, with rounded leaves 

 and saw-like edges ; spinosa, in which 

 the edges are more sharply toothed ; 

 and rotundifolia, with broadly rounded 

 leaves. Between angustifolia and lati- 

 folia comes P. media, intermediate in 

 size and vigour as well as in its leaves. 

 Strangely enough, it is also the most 

 tender, many plants having been cut 

 to the ground or killed outright in the 

 winter of 1880. This also has several 

 forms, such as buxifolia, with short 

 rounded leaves ; olecejolia, in which 

 they are longer and narrower ; and 

 pendula, with a diffuse habit. All do 

 best in light open soils and in full sun, 

 and all are of fine habit without much 

 pruning, though they will bear this if 

 necessary and make thick, handsome 

 hedges. All the kinds bear greenish- 

 white flowers, but only in P. decora 

 are they large enough to attract. 



PHLOMIS (Jerusalem Sage}. A 

 group of old-fashioned shrubs and 

 perennial plants belonging to the Sage 

 family, and interesting because so 

 unlike most other plants. There are 

 now not many kinds in cultivation, 

 but even these show much beauty and 

 diversity of form and habit. The 

 leaves of many kinds are wrinkled, 

 woolly, or hoary, becoming smaller up 

 the stems, while the handsome hooded 

 flowers are yellow, purple, or white, 

 and borne in clusters around the stem, 

 tier above tier. The perennial kinds 



are easily suited as to soil, and will 

 take care of themselves in the wild 

 garden or rougher parts of the pleasure 

 grounds. The shrubby species are 

 best in light and dry soils where their 

 growth is not too vigorous and the 

 wood well ripened. All are easily 

 increased, the shrubby kinds from 

 seed, or cuttings of the young shoots 

 put in under glass in spring or sum- 

 mer ; the herbaceous kinds by seed, 

 or division in spring or autumn. 

 The best kinds are : 



P. ARMENIACA. With down-covered 

 silvery leaves and stems crowded with 

 whorls of rosy flowers, several of which 

 are in good condition at the same time. 

 A good rock plant. Armenia. 



P. CASHMERIANA. At its best a striking 

 plant, about 2 feet high, with densely 

 woolly stems and leaves, and heavily 

 crowded whorls of pale lilac or rosy-purple 

 flowers, from the end of July. Newly 

 reintroduced, doing best in light soils and 

 in warm gardens near the sea. N. India. 



P. FRUTICOSA (Jerusalem Sage). A 

 shrubby kind, hardy in warm dry soils, 

 with evergreen stems at times reaching 

 6 to 8 feet, but mostly 3 or 4 feet high, 

 and clothed with evergreen woolly-grey 

 leaves of wrinkled texture. The flowers 

 are showy, coming as whorled heads of 

 bronzy-yellow from June to August, and 

 lasting well on the plant, or when cut. 

 S. Europe. 



P. HERBA-VENTI. Handsome perennial 

 from Spain, needing a warm dry soil and 

 some protection if grown far inland. It 

 makes a bold spreading mass of 2 to 3 feet, 

 with hairy green or purple stems, and long 

 green leaves which are rough on the upper 

 side and hoary beneath ; flowers violet- 

 purple, from July to September. It is a 

 good perennial of easy culture. 



P. LUNARIFOLIA. A fine border plant, 

 free in its bright yellow flowers. The 

 white woolly leaves and stems render it 

 conspicuous even when out of flower. 



P. PURPUREA.- From S. Europe, low 

 and shrubby, with much-wrinkled oblong 

 or triangular leaves, covered with down, 

 and rosy-purple flowers in July. 



P. SAMIA. For warm soils, free in its 

 pale yellow and orange flowers, sometimes 

 shading to pink. A pretty plant, blooms 

 in May and June. Mountains of N. Africa. 



P. TUBEROSA. In good soils, 3 to 5 feet, 

 with handsome dark-green leaves and 

 dense whorls of rosy-purple flowers in 

 summer, partly fringed with white hairs. 

 The foliage is good, and the plant of easy 

 increase by its fleshy tubers. East of 

 Europe and Siberia. 



P. VISCOSA (also P. Russelliana) . A 

 rather clammy plant of 3 feet, with bold 

 wrinkled leaves, green above and downy 



