OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN FLOWERS. 281 



The bloom is lilac-coloured, each flower being very small. The 

 stout scape at a short distance above the ground becomes much 

 branched ; the branchlets, as already indicated, are slender, and 

 furnished with the soft blue bloom. The leaves are radical, and 

 arranged in somewhat rosette form, and for the most part 

 prostrate ; many of them are quite a foot long and 5in. broad, or 

 long egg-shaped; they are wavy, of leathery substance, and a 

 dark shining green colour. 



Of all the genus, this is, perhaps, the most useful of the hardy 

 species. Either in a growing or cut state, the flowers are much 

 admired ; cut, they need not be placed in water ; and for a year, 

 until the plant yields fresh supplies, they will remain presentable 

 and even bright. Its culture is simple, though there are 

 positions where I have found it to simply exist, viz., on rock- 

 work, unless it was given a part where moisture would be abun- 

 dant about the roots, in search of which its long woody roots go 

 deeply ; if planted in deep loam of a light nature, there will be 

 little fear as to its thriving, but if well manured and mulched, 

 specimens would grow to nearly double size. Propagated by 

 root division. But often the crowns are all on one stout root, 

 and then it is not a safe or ready operation ; still, with a sharp 

 knife, the woody root may be split its whole length this should 

 be done in spring, when the divisions can begin to grow at once. 

 Another and safer plan would be to divide the root for an inch 

 or more from the crowns downwards, insert a few pebbles to 

 keep the parts open, and put back the specimen in freshly dug 

 earth, where, during a season of growth, the cut parts would 

 produce vigorous roots. 



Flowering period, August to October. 



Statice Profusa. 



PROFUSE SEA-LAVENDER; Nat. Ord. PLTJMBAGINACEJE. 

 A HYBRID hardy form, not to be confounded with the hairy- 

 leaved and tender kind commonly grown under glass, which has 

 the same name. All the Sea-lavenders are profuse blooming, but 

 the one now under notice is more especially so, as may be seen by 

 the illustration (Fig. 100). The seed of this genus is prolific in 

 varieties, and, although the name of this variety, or even the 

 plant, may not be generally known, and the parentage, perhaps, 

 untraceable, it appeared to such advantage, when grown by the 

 side of such species as S. bellidifolia, S. echioides, 8. gmelina, 8. 

 incana, 8. Latifolia, 8. sereptana, 8. speciosa, 8. tatarica, 8. 

 tormentilla, 8. virgata, and 8. Wildenovi, that I considered it 

 worth a short description, more especially as the object of this 

 book is to speak of subjects with telling flowers or attractive 

 forms. It is well known that the Statices have insignificant 

 blossoms, taken individually, though, from their great profusion, 



