AS ARUM. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



ASPARAGUS. 



437 



western and southern counties and on 

 light soils. In fine deep loams it reaches 

 a height of nearly 12 ft., but perishes 

 from cold or other causes on many soils. 

 It flowers before the Pampas Grass. 

 It likes plenty of water nearly all the year 

 round, and may be increased by seeds or 

 division. A. Dottax (GreatReed) is the 

 great Reed of the south of Europe, a noble 

 plant on good soils, in the south of Eng- 

 land making canes 10 ft. high, in rich 

 soil, but in our country it has suffered 

 much in recent severe winters. Its varie- 

 gated variety is of some value for the 

 flower garden, and is nearly hardy in 

 the southern counties. A . Phragmites 

 (Common Reed) is the native marsh plant, 

 6 ft. or more high, bearing when in flower a 

 large, handsome, spreading, purplish pan- 

 icle. It is an excellent cover for water 

 birds. There is a good variegated form 

 which has more claims as a plant for the 

 water side. 



ASARUM (Asarabaccd). Curious little 

 plants resembling Cyclamens in their 

 leaves, but of little value except as 

 curiosities, or as wood plants in ordinary 

 garden soil. A. canadense is the Canadian 

 Snakeroot, which bears in spring curious 

 brownish-purple flowers, the roots being 

 strongly aromatic, like Ginger. A. vir- 

 ginicum is the Heart Snake-root, its leaves 

 thick and leathery, with the upper surface 

 mottled with white. A. caudatum is from 

 Oregon, and much like the others in habit, 

 but the divisions of the flower have long 

 tail-like appendages. A. europ&um is the 

 Asarabacca, the flowers greenish, about 

 i in. long, and close to the ground. 

 " ASCLEPIAS (Milk-weed, Silk-weed}. 

 A large genus of strong growing her- 

 baceous perennials, few of which are 

 adapted for the flower garden, as they re- 

 quire a good deal of room, and are not 

 attractive. They thrive in a light or peaty 

 soil and may be increased by division. 

 A. acuminata has red and white flowers. 

 A. ainczna, purple ; A. Cor?iuti (the 

 common Milk-weed; also known as A. 

 syriaca grows vigorously to a height of 

 4 ft., and bears umbels of deep purple 

 fragrant flowers, of which bees seem to 

 be fond. A. incarnata (the Swamp 

 Milk-weed) is a good waterside plant 

 with rose-purple flowers. A. quadrifolia 

 (Four-leaved Milk-weed) bears fragrant 

 terminal heads of lilac-white flowers 

 early in the summer. A. purpurascens 

 is also a waterside plant with purple 

 flowers. A. rubra (the Red Milk-weed) 

 is a distinct tall-growing plant with long 

 bright green foliage, and large umbels of 

 purple-red flowers. A. tuberosa (the 



Butterfly Silk-weed) is the prettiest 

 species, with its clusters of showy bright 

 orange-red flowers in the autumn. Good' 

 flowering plants may be obtained from 

 seed in three years, but it is mostly 

 increased by dividing the tubers. This 

 species likes sandy soil and a warm 

 situation. A. variegata (Variegated Milk- 

 weed) has dense umbels of handsome 

 white flowers with a reddish centre. The 

 downy stems reach a height of 2 to 4 ft. r 

 and are mottled with purple. 



ASIMINA ( Virginian Papaw}. A 

 North American shrub, or low tree of the 

 Custard Apple family. A. triloba forms a 

 small tree, with dull purple flowers, about 



A climbing Asparagus. 



2 in. across. It bears fruits eaten by the 

 inhabitants of the Southern States ; hence 

 the name. Sometimes grown against a 

 wall in this country, but is hardy as a 

 standard, at least about London. 



ASPARAGUS. Herbaceous plants or 

 climbers of the Lily Order, of fine habit 

 with elegant leaves. The vigorous and talL4 . 

 Broussoneti is quite hardy in warm sandy 

 soil, and so are A. tenuifolius and others,. 

 The common Asparagus is as good as any,, 

 and a tuft or group of it is graceful in a 

 border of flowers or a bed of fine-leaved 

 plants. 



