SCIRPUS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. SCOLOPEKDKIUM. 807 



ing also much longer in bloom. In places 

 where it does not thrive freely, whether 

 from the coldness of the soil or from other 

 causes, give it a sheltered position to 

 prevent injury to its leaves. The Siberian 

 Squill may be used as an edging to beds 

 of spring flowers or choice alpine shrubs. 



OTHER CULTIVATED KINDS. Amongst 

 Scillas not generally found in gardens, but 

 hardy in dry situations, may be named S. 

 peruviana, a large species, with beautiful 

 broad leaves, Yucca-like and very dis- 

 tinct ; it stands well in sheltered nooks, 

 or even in the open border in southern 

 districts. The numerous fine blue flowers 

 are in a superb umbel-like pyramid, which 

 lengthens during the flowering period. 

 There are varieties, one named alba, and 

 there are reddish varieties, such as 

 elegans, also whitish and yellowish forms. 

 Tufts of the Peruvian Scilla should be 

 taken up every three or four years, when 

 it is at rest. Divide the bulbs and re- 

 plant immediately. The variety Clusi also 

 succeeds. S. maritima is properly a 

 greenhouse species, but in the places indi- 

 cated for S. peruviana it may be grown 

 outside without hurt, though it rarely 

 flowers. S. lilio-hyacintha is hardy, whilst 

 S. hyacinthoides, S. pratensis (amethys- 

 tina), S. obtusifolia (an Algerian species), 

 autumnalis, Aristidis, patula, and its vari- 

 ous forms, including' cernua and others, 

 differ little from one another. 



SCIRPUS (Bulrush}. Sedge- like 

 plants fringing lakes and ponds. There 

 are numerous native species that might be 

 readily transplanted, and the best are S. 

 triqueter, S. atrovirens, and S. lacustris. 

 This is 3 to 8 ft. high, and effective on 

 the margins of lakes or streams with other 

 tall plants. 



SCOLOPENDRIUM (Harts-tongue). 

 >$". vulgare is one of the best known of 

 hardy evergreen British Ferns, and broken 

 into numberless interesting forms and 

 varieties, some being very beautiful. It 

 prefers shade, and though sometimes met 

 with on dry stone and brick walls, its 

 favourite place is by the side of a stream 

 in a shady ravine. Fine specimens have 

 been seen between the joints of brickwork 

 at the tops of old wells, the fronds develop- 

 ing fine proportions. A suitable soil con- 

 sists of equal portions of fibrous peat and 

 loam, good sharp sand being added, to- 

 gether with broken oyster-shells or lime- 

 stone. Scolopendriums should be associ- 

 ated with Lastreas, Polystichums, and 

 Lady Ferns, or be placed in groups on 

 the rock-garden with some flowering plant 

 that will thrive in the same spot. During 

 hot dusty weather in summer a daily 



afternoon syringing will much refresh and 

 invigorate the plants. All the Hart's- 

 tongues thrive in pots, and are useful for 

 rooms and tables. 



No fewer than 400 varieties of the 

 Hart's-tongue were described thirty years 

 ago, and since then this number has been 

 much increased. Most of these, however, 

 are deformities vegetable cripples, so to 

 speak. A few of the characteristic forms 

 of each group might be used where 

 collections of hardy Ferns are being 

 formed, being evergreen and diversified in 

 form. Of the following selection, com- 

 mencing with simple forms and ending with 

 much-divided ones, S. latifolium is a fine 

 bold variety, having wavy spreading fronds, 

 8 to 10 in. long, and 2 to 3 in. broad. S. 

 reniforme has oblong, roundish, or kidney- 

 shaped fronds. S. cornutum is interest- 

 ing, the point of the frond being prolonged 

 into a horn-like appendage. S. margina- 

 tum is very distinct, with fronds crenated 

 at the margin. Some of the best forms of 

 S. pinnatifidum are attractive, and S. 

 crispum is an old favourite, its fronds 

 retaining the habit of the type, but the 

 margin is frilled. A form of it called 

 grandidens has the margin deeply incised. 

 Stansfieldi has curled incisions, and 

 Wrigleyi is a luxuriant form with erect 

 fronds upwards of 3 ft. in length. S. 

 laceratum has broad flat fronds, deeply 

 cut into lobes of variable length and 

 breadth, whilst S. sagittato-cristatum has 

 fronds with wavy margins and crested 

 lobes. S. acrocladon has a narrow frond 

 slightly widened at the base, and divided 

 at the upper end into several wedge-shaped 

 divisions, the upper margins deeply in- 

 cised. The fronds of S. patulum are cut 

 down near to the base into two or three 

 divisions, each having a narrow wing and 

 a broad terminal crest. S. digitatum has 

 pleasing fronds I ft. or more in length, 

 with the divisions terminated by a forked 

 and twisted crest. S. Kelwayi is a hand- 

 some form, the fronds terminating in a 

 large crest 6 to 10 in. broad. S. ramosa- 

 marginatum resembles it in form of frond, 

 but has a broad- winged stalk. Its crest 

 is nearly flat and not unlike the tasselled 

 frond-extremity of the maximum form of 

 Pteris serrulata cristata. The base of the 

 frond of S. corymbiferum is like the type, 

 but the upper half has innumerable con- 

 torted and twisted incisions and looks like 

 the leaf-ends of some of the ragged 

 Kales. S. Coolingi is very similar to S. 

 corymbiferum, but the divisions form an 

 intricate mass of slender segments, curled 

 and twisted in various ways so as to form 

 a globular head. This kind of division 



