AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



499 



Stephania continued. 



S. hernandlfolla (Hernandia-leaved). .It. in capitate umbels, on 

 short or long, axillary peduncles ; petals three or four ; rays eight 

 to twelve, with subulate bracts. June. I. ovate or sub-deltoid, 

 acute, obtuse, or acuminate at apex, truncate or sob-cordate at 

 base, Sin. to 6in. in diameter, glabrous or thinly pubescent below 

 or on both surfaces ; petioles liin. to 4in. long. India. 



S. rotunda (round-leaved). Jl. orange ; umbels loosely cymose. 

 June. 1. broadly ovate or nearly round, irregularly sinuate-lobed 

 or repand, glabrous, on long petioles. Himalayas, 1866. Green- 

 house. 



STEPHANIA (of Willdenow). A synonym of Steri- 

 phoma (which see). 



STEPHANIUM. A synonym of Palicourea (which 



tee). 



STEPHANOCOMA (from Stephanos, a crown, and 

 torn*, hair; referring to the crown-like pappus). OBD. 

 Composite. A. monotypic genus. The 

 species is a greenhouse, Thistle-like herb, 

 requiring culture similar to Berkheya 

 (which see). 

 S. cardnoides (Thistle-like). Jl.-heads yellow, 



discoid, small, at the tips of the branches, 



corymbose ; involucral scales shorter than 



the disk, in many rows, subulate, margined 



with solitary, slender spines. Autumn. I. 



sparsely setulose, or glabrous on both sides, 



spiny-toothed or lobed, long-decnrrent. Stem 



erect, striate, sub-glabrous, h. 2Jft South 



Africa, 1864. (B. M. 5715, under name of 



Stobcea sph&rocephala.) 



STEFHANOLIRION. A synonym 

 of Tristagtna (which see). 



STEPHANOMEB.IA (from stepha- 

 nos, a crown, and meris, a part ; a name 

 of no particular application). STN. 

 Jametia (of Nees). OBD. Composite. 

 A genus comprising about eight species 

 of hardy, glabrous, annual or perennial 

 herbs, natives of North-west America. 

 Flower-heads pink and white, radiate, 

 sometimes terminal and erect, sometimes 

 fascicled at the sides of the branches ; 

 ray florets ligulate, truncately five- 

 toothed at apex. Leaves alternate, nar- 

 row, entire, remotely toothed, runcinate- 

 pinnatifid, or the cauline ones reduced 

 to short scales. Stems erect, simple or 

 divaricately branched. Probably none 

 of the species are now grown in this 

 country. 



STEP HAN OP HOKUM GLA 

 BRUM VARIEGATTJM. See Ste- 

 notaphrum americanum varie- 

 gatum. 



STEPHANOPHYSUM. Included 

 under Ruellia (which see). 



STEPHANOTIS (from Stephanos, 

 a crown, and ous, otos, an ear ; alluding 

 to the auricles of the staminal crown). 

 STN. Jasminanthes. OBD. Asclepiadece. 

 A genus comprising about fourteen 

 species of glabrous, twining, often tall- 

 climbing, stove shrubs ; five are found in Madagascar, 

 five in the Malayan Archipelago and South China, three 

 in Cuba, and one in Peru. Flowers white, large, simple, 

 in nmbelliform cymes : calyx five-parted, the segments 

 somewhat leafy; corolla salver-shaped or nearly funnel- 

 shaped, the tube cylindrical, broader at the base, and 

 dilated at the throat, the limb of five twisted lobes; 

 coronal scales five, erect, often free at apex. Leaves 

 opposite, coriaceous. Only two of the species have been 

 introduced. 8. floribunda is a beautiful and very popular, 

 stove plant, because of its fragrant, pure white blossoms, 

 which are produced in great profusion. It succeeds best 

 in turfy loam, and may be increased by cuttings of the 



Stephanotis continued. 



previous year's growth, inserted singly in pots, in spring, 

 and placed in a close frame with a temperature of 60deg! 

 Established plants do best when placed in a bed of pre- 

 pared soil, about 3ft. square, and the growths trained to a 

 trellis beneath the roof. 8. Thouarsii thrives under 

 similar treatment. 



S. floribunda (bundle-flowered).' Clustered Wax Flower; Mada- 

 gascar Chaplet Flower ; Madagascar Jasmine. JL of the purest 

 white, highly fragrant, borne freely in large bunches ; sepals 

 ovate, obtuse, one-fourth as long as the corolla tube ; segments 

 of the corolla ovate-oblong ; coronal scales ovate, shorter than 

 the anthers; peduncles short, scarcely equalling the petioles. 

 May. (. o?al or ovate-elliptic, ample, of great substance, retnse 

 or Tory shortly uncinate acuminate. A. 10ft. Madagascar, 1839 

 See Fig. 531. (B. v. 203 ; B. M. 4058 ; G. C. n. sTTxiv. p 169 : 

 P. M. B. xi. 29.) The Elvaston variety is a compact -growing' 

 floriferoos form (G. C. n. a., xiv., p. 169 ) 



FIG. 631. 



FRUITING BRANCH, AND PORTION OF L\ FLORESCENCE, OF 

 STEPHANOTIS FLORIBUNDA. 



S. Thouarsii (Thonars'). /., sepals ovate-lanceolate, one-third 

 the length of the corolla tube; coronal scales lanceolate ex- 

 ceeding the anthers; peduncles equalling the petioles, three- 

 floweret!. May. I. obovate or obovate-oblong, shortly acuminate. 

 A. 10ft. Madagascar, 1842. 



In gardens, these are best constructed of 



stone, which should be of a description suitable for with- 

 standing frost and exposure to all weathers. Steps are 

 necessary for affording a means of entering glass houses, 

 when the latter are situated above the ground level, 

 and for passing from one terrace walk to another, when 

 the ground is too steep or inconveniently situated for 

 forming a slope instead. 



Folding Steps, made of wood, and hinged at the top, 



