726 SINOFRANCHETIA. THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. SMILACIXA. 



SINOFRANCHETIA CHINENSIS.- 



A recently-introduced summer-leafing 

 climbing plant from China. It is said 

 to be hardy, but its value for our 

 gardens has yet to be proved. 



SINOURLSONIA HENRTI. A 

 small Chinese tree of the Witch Hazel 

 family, of doubtful value, so far as 

 tried. 



SISYRINCHIUM (Satin -flower). - 

 Iridaceous plants from N.W. Amer- 

 ica, of which only one species is 

 worth growing, namely 5. grandi- 

 florum, a beautiful perennial with nar- 

 row, grass-like leaves that blooms in 

 early spring. The flowers, borne on 

 slender stems 6 to 12 inches high, are 



specific names, 5. fragrans being simply 

 the male of the true 5. japonica. The 

 Skimmias thrive as well in strong clay 

 as in poor sandy soil and peat, doing 

 best in partial shade and never growing 

 fast at any time. S. japonica is one 

 of the very best town evergreens we 

 possess. Other forms of it are 5. 

 Foremani, S. Rogersi, S. oblata wata, 

 S. o. Veitchi, and 5. fragrantissima. 

 To produce well-berried plants, put 

 the two sexes near to each other. Of 

 5. Fortunei (the S. japonica of gardens), 

 S. rubella is a seedling form. 



SMILACINA (Wild Spikenard}. - 

 Graceful but not showy hardy peren- 

 nials. They are easily managed plants. 



Skiinmia fragrans. 



bell-shaped and drooping, more like 

 a Campanula than an Iris, and rich 

 purple in colour, which becomes a 

 transparent white in the variety album. 

 They are charming for the rock garden, 

 thriving in a light peaty soil. Divi- 

 sion. 



SKIMMIA. The ones best worth 

 cultivating are 5. japonica and 5. 

 Fortunei. There has been much con- 

 fusion between these plants, that 

 universally known in gardens as 5. 

 japonica not being Japanese at all, 

 but a native of China, its proper name 

 being Skimmia Fortunei. Unlike 5. 

 Fortunei, the true Japanese plant is 

 dioecious, and both sexes have received 



and the N. American species will be 

 found useful for mixed herbaceous 

 borders, having rich green foliage and 

 white feathery flower-heads in May 

 and June. 



S. OLERACEA. Native of tempi-rait- 

 Sikkim, and has been grown for many 

 years at Kew. It is difficult to manage 

 unless left alone, being a slow growt r. 

 slow to increase, and a shy seeder. It is 

 the most striking species in cultivation, 

 and in the south at any rate is hardy, 

 succeeding in rich peaty soil with a nor- 

 thern exposure. 



S. RACEMOSA and S. STELLATA. Natives 

 of N. America, both white-flowered and 

 hardy. They may be cultivated with ease 



