SPARAXIS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. SPECULARIA. 731 



autumn. Where space is limited it may 

 be kept in bounds by hard pruning. There 

 are several varieties a drooping kind, 

 which is one of the best of all pendulous 

 trees, and'a variegated-leaved kind, which 

 is not satisfactory, as the variegation is 

 seldom good. 



S. SECUNDIFLORA. A low dense tree or 

 leafy shrub, with ornamental foliage com- 

 posed of neat rounded leaflets with a glossy 

 surface, and strongly fragrant violet-blue 

 flowers borne in a dense spike. These are 

 followed by soft silvery pods containing 

 bright red seeds. The plant is not easy 

 to obtain, but is hardy with protection in 

 our more favoured districts. Texas and 

 New Mexico. 



S. VICIIFOLIA. A native of China, it 

 has been grown in this country for the 

 last twelve or fifteen years, "and has 

 already proved one of the best hardy 

 summer-flowering shrubs. As a bush, it 

 grows at least 5 or 6 feet high, but will 

 attain quite double that height against a 

 wall. In good loamy soil there does not 

 appear to be any reason to doubt that it 

 will grow in almost any part of the 

 country, for there is no question as to its 

 hardiness. Cuttings root fairly readily, 

 and flcrwer earlier than seedlings. It 

 transplants badly, so should be planted 

 young. Mountains of China. 



SPARAXIS. - - Charming bulbous 

 plants from the Cape of Good Hope, 

 the many varieties coming chiefly from 

 5. grandiflora and 5. tricolor. They 

 are about i foot high, of slender 

 growth, and bear large showy flowers 

 which vary from white to bright scarlet 

 and deep crimson, usually having dark 

 centres. Sparaxis are valuable for 

 early-summer flowers, and should be 

 treated like Ixias. There are a great 

 many named varieties offered by bulb- 

 growers, one of the most showy and 

 popular being Fire King. S. pul- 

 cherrima (the Wand-flower) is so dis- 

 tinct that its claim to be a Sparaxis 

 has often been disputed. Its tall and 

 graceful flower-stems rise to a height 

 of 5 or 6 feet, and wave in the wind, 

 but, though slender, are so tough and 

 wiry that they are never injured like 

 the much stronger-looking stems of the 

 Pampas Grass. It has a great objec- 

 tion to removal, and, if necessary, this 

 should be done as soon as the flowers 

 begin to fade. It succeeds in dry as 

 well as damp positions, if it has a rich 

 "friable soil, or if when beginning to 

 grow it is well watered. Syn., Die- 

 ram a. 



SPARTINA POLYSTACHYA (Reed 

 Grass). Though hating most variega- 

 tions, I have been forced to admire this 



tall grass. It is very graceful, with 

 yellowish variegation and of tall habit. 

 It is a free grower and gives a fine 

 group of foliage in the mixed border. 



Sparaxis pulcherriina (Wand Flower). 







SPARTIUM (Spanish Broom). ~ S. 

 junceum is a S. European shrub, 

 blooming in July, August, and Sep- 

 tember, when shrubberies are usually 

 flowerless. It is thin-growing, 8 or 

 10 feet high, and its Rush-like shoots 

 have so few leaves as to appear leaf- 

 less. It bears erect clusters of fragrant 

 bright yellow flowers shaped like Pea- 

 blossoms, is perfectly hardy, and use- 

 ful for dry, poor soils, where, like the 

 common Broom, it does well, coming 

 freely from seed scattered broadcast 

 where we wish it to grow. 



SPECULARIA (Venus' s Looking- 

 glass]. These are similar to Cam- 

 panulas, and often placed with them, 

 though distinct. 5. Speculum, with 

 numerous open bell-like bright violet- 

 purple flowers, is one of the showiest 

 of our annuals. Besides the large- 

 flowered form called grandiflora, some- 



