SMILAX. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



SOLANUM. 



727 



in the mixed flower border, where in May 

 and June they are very attractive. 



SMILAX (Green Briar). Distinct 

 and handsome climbing shrubs, nearly 

 all evergreen. They are most suitable 

 for walls, but several may be grown 

 over large tree roots or may be trained 

 over tree trunks in sheltered spots. 

 In some cases it is not the cold winter 

 that kills, but rather the lack of sum- 

 mer heat that prevents ripening of the 

 wood. Some plants can be divided, 

 or pieces may be taken off which 

 readily make plants, and this is the 

 surest way of increase for hardy kinds, 

 the best of which are as follows : 



S. ASPERA. A well-marked species, 

 with angular and usually prickly stems, 

 reaching a height of 5 to 10 feet. In 

 colour the leaves are dark green, with 

 flecks of white on the upper surface, and 

 the flowers whitish and fragrant. Variety 

 maitritanica has angular stems of a con- 

 siderable length and bearing few prickles ; 

 they are also rare on the leaves. It is a 

 handsome plant from the Mediterranean 

 and the Canaries. 



S. BONA-NOX (Bristly Green Briar). 

 The root - stocks have large tubers ; the 

 stems are slightly angled, the branches 

 often four - angled, the leaves green and 

 shining on both sides, and their margins 

 fringed with needle -like prickles. N. 

 America. 



S. CANTAB. For many years this has 

 grown in the Cambridge Botanic Garden. 

 It is evergreen, the strong rounded shoots 

 reaching a height of 12 feet or more, 

 armed with strong, straight green prickles ; 

 the branches slender, and usually spineless. 

 The male flowers are fragrant, in clusters 

 of eight to twelve. This plant comes near 

 5. rotundifolia, but the leaves differ in 

 shape. 



S. GLAUCA. This plant has angular 

 stems of about 3 feet, armed with rather 

 stout numerous or scattered prickles, or 

 may sometimes be without any. The 

 leaves are partially persistent, glaucous 

 beneath and sometimes above. N. 

 America. 



S. HISPIDA. Quite a distinct plant, the 

 stems of which are usually thickly hispid 

 with slender straight prickles. The leaves 

 are thin and green on both surfaces, 

 the margins usually toothed. N. 

 America. 



S. LAURIFOLIA. A high climbing species, 

 the stems round, armed with strong 

 straight prickles, the branches angled, 

 mostly unarmed. It is evergreen, and 

 easily recognised by its leathery, bright 

 green, three - nerved leaves, elliptic in 

 shape. 



S. PSEUDO-CHINA. The lower part of 

 the stem is armed with straight, needle- 

 like prickles, the upper part and the 

 branches mostly unarmed. The leaves 

 become leathery when old. They are 

 ovate, often narrowed about the middle 

 or lobed at the base, seven- or nine-nerved 

 and green on both sides, sometimes 

 toothed on the margin. N. America and 

 the W. Indies. 



S. ROTUNDIFOLIA (Green Briar). A high 

 climbing species with large, thin, and 

 nearly round leaves. The stems are 

 angular and the prickles stout, scattered, 

 and sometimes a little curved. This is a 

 handsome strong-growing species, which 

 does well in the Trinity College Botanic 

 Gardens, Dublin. N. America. Syns., 

 5. caduca and S. quadrangularis. 



S. TAMNOIDES. This grows well in the 

 Bamboo Garden at Kew, and shows well 

 how such a plant may be used to ramble 

 over tree stumps to make a mass of 

 picturesque vegetation. It has the free- 

 growing habit of S. aspera, and bears 

 numerous black berries. 



S. WALTERI. Stems angled, prickly 

 below, the branches usually unarmed. 

 The berries are bright red, but perhaps 

 not produced in this country. N. Amer- 

 ica. R. IRWIN LYNCH. 



SOLANUM. The vast Solanum or 

 Potato family embraces plants of great 

 beauty from all over the world, many 

 being remarkable for their ample 

 foliage finely spined and cut. Others 

 are grown for their brilliant fruits of 

 many colours, and often of great food 

 value ; while others again carry hand- 

 some flowers, and in some cases charm 

 of foliage, fruit, and flower is found 

 in the same plant. They are equally 

 variable as to habit, many being stout 

 shrubs or low trees, and others climbing 

 or creeping plants. In a general way 

 the climbing kinds show beauty of 

 flower and the shrubby species beauty 

 of leaf and fruit. To do well these 

 kinds need a rich moist soil, with 

 shelter from wind. Those kinds hardy 

 enough to be grown against walls in 

 the open are best in rather poor dry 

 soil, for if grown too freely the shoots 

 perish during winter. Seed is easily 

 obtainable, and if raised early in heat 

 the plants are ready for putting out 

 by the end of May or early in June. 

 The following are among the best for 

 all purposes . 



S. ARBOREUM. A shrub with handsome 

 flowers, hardy in mild seasons and on 

 sheltered walls near the south coast. The 

 leaves, 8 or 9 inches long, are set with 

 sharp brown spines, and the large flowers 

 in clusters of six to nine together are pale 

 blue or mauve with deep orange anthers. 



