496 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Stem continued. 



have the woody tissues largely developed, so that they 

 are very strong and rigid, and, ending in sharp points, 

 form an efficient protection against injury from animals. 

 Examples of Stem-spines are seen in the Blackthorn, 

 the Hawthorn, and many other shrubs. Tendrils, in a 

 few plants (e.g., Passion-flower and Vine), are very slen- 

 der Stems that have the power of twining round firm 

 supports in a continuous spiral from right to left, or 

 from left to right. Twining Stems form a transition 

 between tendrils and ordinary Stems. 

 STEMLET. A diminutive stem. 

 STEMMATIUM. A synonym of Tristagma 

 (which see). 



STEMODIA (from stemon, a stamen, and dis, 

 double; alluding to the anthers, which consist of two 

 separate cells). SYN. Unanuea. Including Matourea. 

 ORD. Scroplmlarinece. A genus comprising about 

 twenty-six species of stove, greenhouse, or half-hardy, 

 often aromatic herbs, sometimes sub-shrubs, inhabiting 

 tropical and Southern extra-tropical America, tropical 

 Africa and Asia, and Australia. Flowers generally 

 bluish, solitary in the axils, or the upper ones clustered 

 in leafy or bracted spikes; corolla tube cylindrical, the 

 upper lip broad, entire or emarginate, the lower one 

 spreading or three-lobed ; stamens four, didynamous ; 

 anthers two-celled. Leaves opposite, or in whorls of 

 three or four. Only two species call for description 

 here. These thrive in any rich, moist soil, and may be 

 readily multiplied by division of the roots. 

 S. chilensis (Chilian), ft., corolla nearly twice as long as the 

 calyx, the lower lip glabrous ; spikes terminal, leafy, at length 

 elongated and interrupted. September. I. oblong or lanceolate, 

 Iin. to 2in. long, unequally serrated, acute, cordate-amplexicaul 

 or auriculate at base. Stem above 1ft. high, branched above. 

 Chili, 1829. Plant very viscous, half-hardy. (B. R. 1470.) 

 S. lobelioides (Lobelia-like). fl. of an intense blue; corolla 

 nearly twice as long as the ca.'yX, but smaller than in S. chilensis ; 

 spikes terminal, somewhat panicled, leafy, at length slightly 

 elongated. August. I. oblong-lanceolate, acute, unequally ser- 

 rated, narrowed towards the base, and often clilated-amplexicaul. 

 h. 1ft. Brazil, 1830. Plant glabrous, half-hardy. (B. M. 3134, 

 under name of Gratiola tetragona.) 



STEMONA (from stemon, & stamen ; in allusion to 

 the foliaceous stamens). STN. RoxburgTiia. ORD. Box- 

 burghiacece. A small genus (four or five species) of in- 

 teresting, stove climbers, natives of the East Indies, the 

 Malayan Archipelago, and tropical Australia. Flowers 

 rather large, handsome, but foetid, on axillary, one or 

 few-flowered peduncles ; perianth segments four, distinct, 

 biseriate, erect, acuminate ; stamens nearly hypogynous. 

 Leaves alternate, lanceolate, ovate, or cordate, rather 

 shining, with thick, transverse veinlets ; petioles inarti- 

 culate. Perhaps the only species in cultivation is that 

 described below. It thrives in light, turfy loam, and 

 may be readily increased by suckers. 



S. gloriosoides (Gloriosa-like). fl. green, campanulate, glabrous ; 

 perianth segments narrow, acuminate ; peduncles solitary, race- 

 mosely one to three-flowered. July. I. scattered, very rarely 

 nearly opposite, ovate-lanceolate, loosely cordate, acuminate, 

 slightly mucronate, 4in. to 6in. long. h. 6ft. East Indies, 1803. 

 SYNS. Roxburqhia gloriosa (B. M. 1500), R. viridiftora (S. E. B. 57). 



STEMONACANTHUS. Included under Euellia. 



STENACTIS SPECIOSA. A synonym of 

 Erigeron speciosus (which see). 



STENANDRIUM IGNEUM. A synonym of 

 Chamceranthemum igneum. 



STENANTHERA (from stenos, narrow, and anthera, 

 an anther; the filaments are broader than the anthers, 

 which causes the latter to appear narrow). ORD. 

 Epacridece. A small genus (two species) of beautiful, 

 greenhouse, evergreen shrubs, now included, by Bentham, 

 under Astroloma ; both are natives of Australia. Flowers 

 axillary, solitary ; corolla tube without tufts of hairs or 

 fringed scales inside ; filaments much flattened. Leaves 

 linear, with rovolute margins. The species thrive best 



Stenanthera continued. 



in a compost of one-third sandy loam, and two-thirds 

 very sandy peat. The fine roots of the plants are 

 injured by the application of much water; consequently, 

 ample drainage must be provided in the pots. Propa- 

 gation may be effected by cuttings, taken from the 

 young shoots, and inserted in sand, under a glass, in 

 heat. 

 S. ciliata (ciliated), fl. red, almost sessile ; sepals obtuse ; corolla 



tube nearly or quite Jin. long; bracts very small. April. 



I. spreading, linear, tapering into a short point, serrulate- 



ciliated, convex, with recurved margins, crowded and in. lon 



ng, 



long. Stems prostrate or diffuse. 1836. 

 this plant is Astroloma longiflorum. 



or more distant and 

 The correct name 

 S. pinifolia (Pine-leaved).* /. sessile and solitary in each axil, 

 but often crowded at the bases of the branchlets ; bracts several, 

 inner ones Jin. to iin. long ; corolla about Jin. long, reddish at 

 base, passing into yellow, with green tips. May. I. crowded, 

 very narrow-linear, rigidly pointed, with revolute, scabrous 

 margins, about iin. long. h. 2ft. to 3ft. (or small and diffuse). 

 1811. (B. R. 218.) 



STEXANTHIUM (from stenos, narrow, and anthos, 

 a blossom ; alluding to the narrow perianth segments and 

 panicles). ORD. Liliaceas. This genus embraces five 

 species of greenhouse or hardy, bulbous plants, of which 

 one is a native of North-west Asia, and the rest are 

 North American. Flowers racemose or paniculate, often 

 nodding, pedicellate ; perianth whitish, greenish, or dark 

 purple, narrowly or broadly campanulate, the segments 

 connate in a very short, turbinate tube, spreading above, 

 narrow or lanceolate ; stamens six ; bracts small or minute. 

 Leaves radical or at the base of the stem, long, linear 

 or linear-lanceolate. Stem erect, tall, simple except the 

 inflorescence, sometimes furnished with a few small leaves. 

 Only three species call for mention here. They thrive in 

 a mixture of sandy loam and peat, and may be increased 

 by division. All are North American. 

 S. angustifollum (narrow-leaved), fl. greenish-white, the lower 



ones often sterile, nearly sessile ; perianth about 4an. in diameter ; 



panicle 1ft. to 2ft. long, 4in. to iin. broad, composed of simple, 



spiked racemes. June and July. 1. channelled, 1ft. to 2ft. long. 



Stem 2ft. to 3ft. high. Hardy. 

 S. a. gramineum (Grass-like), fl. fewer than in the type. 



1. narrower. SYN. Helonias graminea (B. M. 1599). 

 S. frigidum (frigid), fl., perianth purplish, Ain. to iin. long ; 



racemes lateral, ascending, few-flowered ; panicle loose, 1ft long. 



June. I., radical ones five or six, firm, linear, acute, glabrous, 



2ft. long. Stem 2ft to 3ft. high, with a few reduced leaves. 



1846. Hardy. (F. d. S. 468L ; J. H. S. i. 32.) 

 S. occidentale (Western), fl. dark purple, somewhat resembling 



those of a Hyacinth, campanulate, disposed in a loose raceme. 



Summer. I. two to four, linear. Stem slender, furnished with a 



few reduced leaves. 1881. Hardy. (R. G. 1035, f. 3, and 1132, f. 1.) 



STEXIA (from stenos, narrow ; alluding to the form 

 of the pollen masses). ORD. Orchidece. A small genus 

 (three species) of stove, epiphytal orchids, natives of 

 Guiana, Columbia, and Peru. Flowers rather large ; 

 sepals of equal length, spreading, the lateral ones rather 

 broader, adnate at base to the foot of the rather thick, 

 erect column ; petals similar to the dorsal sepal ; lip 

 continuous with the foot of the column, fleshy, broad, 

 nearly saccate, the lateral lobes small, the middle one 

 undivided, or all broader and fimbriate, the disk crested ; 

 pollen masses four, oblong-linear ; scapes short, recurved, 

 one-flowered. Leaves oblong or narrow, coriaceous. 

 Stems shortened. Pseudo-bulbs clustered, one or two- 

 leaved. For culture, see Maxillaria. 



S. flmbriata (fringed), fl. light yellow, membra 



irked at 



inge 



the base of the elegantly-fringed" lip with brownish-purple dots ; 

 peduncles erect. I. cuneate-oblong, acute. Columbia, 1869. SYN. 

 Chondrorhynca fimbriata (Ret. B. 107). 



S. guttata (spotted). This species is closely related to S. pallida, 

 but differs in having blunter sepals and petals, with spots of 

 purple on a straw-coloured ground, and in the lip being blotched 

 and having only seven callous teeth. Peru, 1880. 



S. pallida (pale). /. pale citron-colour, IJin. or more in diameter ; 

 sepals and petals linear, acute ; lip spotted with red, saccate, 

 entire, fleshy, ovate; scapes radical, prostrate. August to 

 October. I. two to five, oblong, acute, slightly narrowed and 

 keeled at base, sheathed with brownish, spathaceous scales. 

 Stem wanting. Demerara, 1837. (B. R. 1838, 30.) 



