464 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Spadiz continued, 



pits, less often only sessile on its surface. The inflores- 

 cence, before the flowers open, is almost always entirely 

 inclosed in one or more spathes, growing from the 

 peduncle (e.g., Arum, see Fig. 507); but in a few Palms 

 (e.g., Calamus and its allies) there are numerous spathellse 

 or small spathes, inclosing only groups of flowers. Karely 

 (e.g. Acorns), the Spadix is not inclosed in either spathes 

 or spathellse. The Spadix is usually unbranched (An- 

 ihurium, see Fig. 508, Calla, and some Palms), but in 

 the Palms it is frequently branched (see Palmsei. In 

 the family Aroidece (Aracece), and in most genera of 

 Palms, the flowers on the Spadices are individually male 

 or female, but both sexes may occur on the same 

 Spadix, or may be restricted to separate Spadices, or 

 even to separate plants. In certain Palms, hermaphro- 

 dite flowers are produced, sometimes along with male 

 or female flowers. Briefly, a Spadix may be defined as 

 a more or less fleshy spike, usually inclosed, before 

 flowering, in one or more spathes, and bearing unisexual 

 flowers ; but no exact definition of the term can be con- 

 sistently adhered to. 



SPADOSTYLES. Included under Pultensea 

 (which see). 



SPAN. In length, about 9in. The term refers to 

 the space between the tips of the thumb and little 

 finger when spread out. 



SPANISH BLUEBELL or SQUILL. See Scilla 

 hispanica. 



SPANISH BROOM. See Spartium junceum. 



SPANISH CHESTNUT. Set Castanea sativa. 



SPANISH JUICE PLANT. A common name for 

 Glycyrrhiza glabra. 



SPANISH OYSTER PLANT. See Scolymus 

 hispanicus. 



SPARAXIS (from sparasso, to tear ; alluding to the 

 lacerated spathes). ORD. Iridece. A genus comprising 

 (according to the authors of the " Genera Plantarum ") 

 five species of pretty, greenhouse, bulbous plants, natives 

 of South Africa. Flowers one to a spathe, sessile, rather 

 large ; perianth yellow, with a short tube and six erecto- 

 patent lobes ; stamens affixed near the base of the 

 throat ; bracts much narrower than the spathe, bidentate ; 

 spathes few, scattered, sometimes solitary, broad, scarious, 

 striated or often marked with brown lines, fimbriate- 

 toothed at apex. Leaves few, flat, ensiform or broadly 

 linear, erect or falcate. Stem simple or slightly branched. 

 The best species and varieties are described below. 

 They require precisely similar treatment to that recom- 

 mended for laria (to which this genus is allied)-. 

 S. tralbifera (bulb-bearing). /. three to five, alternate, distant ; 



perianth yellow, funnel-shaped, the segments ovate-oblong, liii. 



long ; spathe valves purple-striped at apex ; scape simple or 



branched, leafy, 1ft. to 2ft. high. May. I. lauceolate-ensiform, 



distichous, acute, tive lines broad. 1758. SYN. Jxia buttifcra 



(A. B. R. 48 ; B. M. 545). 

 S. grandlflora (large-flowered).* /. three to five, alternate; 



perianth purple, white, or variegated, 2in. long, the segments 



equal, stellately spreading, oblong-cuneate, rounded at apex; 



scape simple or dichotomous, terete, leafy, 1ft. to 2ft. high. 



April. 1. distichous, lanceolate-ensifonn, acute, five lines broad. 



1758. (B. M. 779.) SYNS. Ixia aristata (A. B. R. 87), /. grandi- 



flora (B. M. 541). 



Sparaxis continued. 



spreading ; spikes on capillary peduncles, one-sided, six or seven- 

 flowered, pendulous, With two capillary leaves at the base of each 

 peduncle ; scapes erect 4ft. high, pendulous at the end, branched. 

 June. I. linear, acute, straight, shorter than the scapes. 1825. 

 (B. R. 1360.) This species is now regarded by Mr. Baker as 

 belonging to Dierama, and its proper name is D. pendula. 



S. pulcherrima (very pretty), fl. pendulous ; perianth dark 

 sanguineous-purple, equal, IJin. long, campanulate ; bracts at the 

 base of the branches liin. long ; scape attaining 6ft. in its native 

 habitat, the branches remote, capillary, Sin. to 6in. long. October. 

 I. narrow-ensiform, rather thick, about -Jin. broad, gradually 

 narrowed from below the middle to a very slender apex. 1865. 

 (B. M. 5555; F. d. S. 1810.) Dierama pulcherrima is now the 

 correct name of this species. 



S. tricolor (three-coloured).* /. three to six, alternate, distant, 

 distichous-spicate ; perianth orange, yellow in the throat, the 

 segments oblong, lin. long, with a triangular, black spot in the 

 middle ; spathe valves equal, fuscous-spotted, lacerate-cuspidate ; 

 scape 1ft. to 2ft. high, erect, simple, leafy. May. I. lanceolate- 

 ensiform, erect, distichous, acute, striated, four lines broad. 1789. 

 (B. M. 1482.) SYN. Ixia tricolor (B. M. 381). 



S. t. blanda (charming), fl., perianth segments of a whitish 

 ground-colour, flushed with rose, the throat being yellowish. 

 SYN. S. t. subroseo-albida (B. M. 1482). 



S. t. Grlffinii (Griffin's), fl., throat yellow, with a dark blotch 

 between the throat and the violet-purple upper portion of the 

 segments. SYN. S. t. violaceo-purpurca (B. M. 1482). 



S. t. versioolor (various-coloured), fl , perianth segments bright 

 purple with lighter margins, more or less clouded or diluted, 

 having near the base a dark mark, below which they are bright 



S. g. Ullage (Liliago). /., perianth white, 2iii. deep ; spathe 

 whitish, sub-diaphanous, equalling the tube. I. finely striated, 

 shorter than the stem. (B. R. 258.) 



S. g. lineata (red-lined), ft.., perianth throat yellow ; segments 

 longitudinally marked with a red line, more or less tinged with 

 pink, yellow at base, having a brown mark near the middle, 

 the upper part white ; scapes two to four-flowered. I. 5in. to 8in. 

 long. (S. B. F. G. ser. ii. 131, under name of S. lineata.) 



S. g. stellaris (star-like), fl., perianth rich purple, rather paler 

 externally ; tube short, filiform, exserted ; mouth within of a 

 deeper purple, and surrounded by a broad, irregular, starry, white 

 band. I. erect, acute. (S. B. V. G. ser. ii. 383, under name of 

 S. stellaris.) 



S. pendula (pendulous).* fl. lilac, veiny, secund, sessile, within 

 somewhat lacerated spathes ; perianth segments oblong, obtuse, 



yellow ; spathe striped with brown and purple. (S. B. F. G. 160, 



under name of S. ver tricolor.) 



VARIETIES. The following list comprises the most 

 desirable garden varieties : 

 ANGELIQUE, white, yellow centre ; DELICATA, light yellow, centre 



spotted brown ; GARIBALDI, rich crimson, yellow centre ; 



JOSEPHINE, white, with yellow centre; LADY CAREY, French 



white, blotched purple ; LEOPARD, primrose, yellow centre ; 



MACULATA, white, purple, and primrose ; NAIN, white and crim- 



son, primrose centre ; TRICOLOR ALBA, white, black, and yellow ; 



TRICOLOR GRANDIFLORA, rich crimson; VICTOR EMMANUEL, 



red and yellow. 



SPARGANIUM (an old Greek name used by Dios- 

 corides, probably for Butomus, and derived from 

 sparganon, a baud ; alluding to the form of the leaves). 

 Bur Eeed. ORD. Typhacece. A small genus (less than 

 a dozen species) of marsh or aquatic herbs, inhabiting 

 North temperate regions and Australia. Five species are 

 natives of Britain, but none arc of any horticultural 

 value. The stems of 8. ramosum (Bede Sedge) have 

 been used for making pepper. 



FIG. 509. FLOWERING BRANCH OF SPARMANNIA AFRICAN*- 



