SPRAGUEA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



STATICE. 



825 



shrub for the water-side planted in bold 

 groups, and masses of others might be 

 made to fringe a lake or stream in a 

 beautiful way. 



For a full account of the Spiraeas I 

 refer the reader to The Garden (Vol. 

 XII.), where the late Mr. Gordon de- 

 scribed in detail about fifty kinds, and to 

 the notes on Spiraeas scattered through 

 every one of the many volumes of The 

 Garden. W. G. 



SPRAGUEA S. umbellata is a singular 

 and pretty plant allied to Claytonia, 6 to 9 

 in. high, with fleshy foliage, and spikes of 

 showy pinkish blossoms. If seeds are 



perennial, about I ft. high, and if planted 

 in a partially-shaded border succeeds in 

 any soil. It has spikes of red flowers. 

 Division. 



STAPHYLEA (Bladder Nut}. Only S. 

 colchica is important, this being a beauti- 

 ful shrub with pinnate leaves, and in early 

 summer large terminal clusters of snow- 

 white flowers. It is hardy, and grows 

 well in any good soil, preferring partial 

 shade ; but it is commonly forced into 

 flower for the greenhouse in early spring. 



STATICE (Sea Lavender}. Plants of 

 the Leadwort or Plumbago family, all dwarf 

 perennials or annuals, chiefly natives of 



Spiraea Lindleyana. 



sown early in February in a warm frame, 

 and the seedlings are afterwards pricked 

 out singly in small pots, and planted out 

 in May, the plants will bloom in August 

 and September ; but if sown in May, the 

 plants will not flower till the following 

 summer. In light soils S. umbellata will 

 resist an ordinary winter, but is best pro- 

 tected by a frame. Like most tap-rooted 

 plants, it does not bear transplantation 

 well, except while small. If seeds are 

 plentiful they may be sown in the open 

 ground ; but, as seeds are usually scarce, 

 they should be sown in pots, in a mode- 

 rate temperature. California. 



STACHYS ( Woundworf}. Few of 

 these perennials are worth cultivating, the 

 common S. lanata, the woolly-leaved 

 plant, being used for edging, thriving in 

 any soil. S. coccinea is a rather pretty 



shore and mountain districts. Most of 

 them bear large twiggy flower-stems 

 covered with myriads of small flowers, 

 which are for the most part dry and mem- 

 braneous, and long retain their colour 

 after being cut, so that they are frequently 

 mixed with other everlasting flowers for 

 vase decoration in winter. The larger 

 species require least care when in an open 

 exposed bed of sandy soil, while many of 

 them are admirable for the rock-garden. 

 The best of the larger kinds are S. 

 Limonium, of which there are several 

 varieties ; S. latifolia, the finest of all, with 

 wide-spreading flower-stems with a pro- 

 fusion of small purplish-blue flowers ; and 

 S. tatarica, a dwarfer species, with distinct 

 red flowers. The smaller species, such as 

 S. minuta, S. minutiflora, S. caspia, S. 

 eximia, are good rock-plants. Among 



