ACANTHOPANAX. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



ACER. 



409 



situations in sandy loam. There are only 

 a few kinds in cultivation, such as A. 

 glumaceum, venustum, and androsacenm. 

 A. Kotschyiis handsome, with long spikes 

 rising well above the leaves and white 

 flowers ; A. melananthum has short, 

 dense spikes, the limb of the calyx being 



Acantholimon glumaceum. 



bordered with dark violet or black ; and 

 other pretty species, not all in cultivation 

 perhaps, are cephalotes, acerosum, laxi- 

 florum, libanoticum, and Pinardi^ and so 

 far as we know them, thriving best on the 

 sunny rock-garden, in light deep soil. 

 Where large plants of the rare kinds 

 exist, it is a good plan to work some 

 cocoa-nut fibre and sand, in equal parts, 

 into the tufts in early autumn, but before 

 doing this some of the shoots should be 

 gently torn so as to half sever them at a 

 heel ; water to settle the soil. Many of 

 the growths thus treated will root by 

 spring. Cuttings made in the ordinary 

 way are uncertain, but August or Sept- 

 ember is the best time to try them. E. J. 

 ACANTHOPANAX.^. ricini- 

 folium is the most striking of the shrubby 

 Araliads, hardy and grows freely at Kew. 

 Professor Rein, of the University of Bonn, 

 mentions trees 90 feet high, with stem 

 9 feet to 12 feet in circumference in the 

 forests ot Yezo, the great northern island 

 of Japan. A. sessiliflorum is a new species, 

 a native of China, Manchuria, and Japan. 

 It has rugose, dark green leaves, consist- 

 ing of three to five leaflets, the midribs 

 having a few scattered bristles. A. isspino- 

 sum. A small shrub with leaves divided 

 into five segments (sometimes only three). 



The stem is armed with a few sharp 

 prickles. This plant is more frequently 

 grown in a greenhouse than out of doors, 

 more especially the variegated form. 

 They are both hardy in sheltered-positions, 

 although they do not grow so freely as in- 

 doors. A . palmatuni atro-sanquineum, p. 

 sanquineum, which have very rich crimson 

 foliage, and pinnatifidum, in which the 

 leaves are much divided, are the finest of 

 the Japanese kinds. The plants should 

 not be grafted. W. J. B. 



ACANTHUS (BeaSs-breech\ Stately 

 perennials with fine foliage, mostly com- 

 ing from the countries round the Medi- 

 terranean, and are hardy, though the 

 foliage may suiter now and then. On 

 rocky banks, borders of the bolder sort, 

 and in almost any position among the 

 more vigorous hardy plants they look 

 well, and will live in shade, yet to flower 

 well should have full sun. Acanthuses 

 succeed best on warm, deep soil, though 

 they will grow in almost any garden soil. 

 They are easy of increase by division of 

 the roots in winter, and may be raised 

 from seed. Acanthacece. 



Acanthus. 



There are several hardy kinds. A. 

 hispanicus, A. longifolius, A. mollis, A. in. 

 latifolius (A. lusita?iicus\ A niger, and A. 

 spinosissimus. 



ACER ( Maple]. Trees, mostly of 



