828 STYLOPHORUM. THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



SYMPHYTUM. 



former is the best known, and fine speci- 

 mens may be found in several old English 

 gardens. It is a rounded and spreading 

 bush, 6 to i oft. high, and in early summer, 

 usually about May, bears creamy-white 

 flowers with crimson-red stamens, about 3 

 in. across, in shape like those of a single 

 Rose. In the neighbourhood of London 

 and in gardens of Sussex and other coast 

 counties S. virginica is perfectly hardy, 

 the finest specimens we have seen being 

 in a rather moist light soil in situations 

 well exposed to the sun, but sheltered on 

 the north and east by trees and shrubs. 

 S. virginica and S. pentagyna (labelled in 

 some gardens Malachodendron ovatum) 

 are both of slow growth, but the latter is 

 rather larger and taller than the former, 

 and with similar white flowers. Its native 

 habitat is said to be more northern than 

 that of S. virginica, and it is there- 

 fore considered the hardier. S. pseudo- 

 Camellia resembles the other two in 

 growth, foliage, and habit, but its flowers 

 are larger and whiter, and have yellow 

 stamens instead of red. It has withstood 

 full exposure for some years in the Coombe 

 Wood Nursery in Surrey. These Stuart- 

 ias are so beautiful when in bloom that 

 they should be well grown, and though 

 sometimes thought capricious, there must 

 be numerous gardens where the exact 

 conditions suited to them could be 

 found. 



STYLOPHORUM. S. diphyllum is a 

 handsome Poppy wort, which somewhat re- 

 sembles Celandine (Chelidonium majus), 

 but is a much finer plant. Its foliage is 

 grayish, and its large bright yellow flowers 

 are freely produced in early summer. S. 

 diphyllum is I to 2 ft. high. N. America. 

 Syns. S. ohioense and S. japonicum. 



STYRAX (Storax). The Styraxes are 

 deciduous shrubs, the Japanese kinds 

 being pretty when in flower, and, though 

 rare in gardens, are likely to become 

 generally cultivated. S. serrulata (also 

 called S. japonica) is beautiful. It is now 

 becoming common in some of the best 

 nurseries, but has not been introduced 

 long enough to show what size it will grow 

 to in this country. Though in Japan it 

 is said to be a tall tree, here it is known 

 only as a dense shrub of neat habit. Its 

 white flowers have a tuft of yellow stamens 

 about three-quarters of an inch across, 

 and are shaped like a shallow bell. They 

 are profusely borne singly on thin stalks, 

 on the under sides of the flattish branches, 

 and, with the foliage, look pretty about 

 midsummer. The variety S. virgata is 

 also in cultivation. Both the type and 

 the variety grow freely in the open border, 



in a light position in good soil, and seem 

 thoroughly suitable for the southern parts 

 of England and warm districts. The N. 

 American kinds, S. americana and S. 

 pulverulenta, are not important, as 

 they flower less freely, and are rarer. 

 S. officinalis, which yields the Storax of 

 commerce, is not so pretty as S. serrulata. 



SWERTIA (Marsh Swertia). S. 

 perermis has slender erect stems, I to 3 ft. 

 high, terminated by erect spikes of 

 flowers, which are grayish-purple spotted 

 with black, and produced in summer. It 

 is not showy, but interesting for the bog- 

 garden, or for moist spots near the rock- 

 garden, and may be naturalised in damp 

 places in peaty soil. Seed or division. 



SYMPHORICARPUS (Snowberry\ 

 The common Snowberry (S. racemosus) is a 

 familiar shrub, but we would exclude it 

 from a choice selection ; also the Wolf 

 Berry (S. occidentalis) ; and S. vulgaris, 

 the Coral Berry, or Indian Currant, which 

 has small purplish berries in clusters. 

 The flowers of these kinds are not showy, 

 their growth is not neat, and they smother 

 choicer things. Their chief value is for 

 pleasure - grounds, for undergrowth in 

 woods, or for ornamental covert (as birds 

 eat the berries), and they all flourish 

 under almost any circumstances. A pretty 

 variety of S. vulgaris has its foliage varie- 

 gated with green and yellow. It is now 

 common, and, being hardy and vigorous, 

 is one of the best of variegated shrubs. 



SYMPHYANDRA. Campanula-like 

 plants, S. pendula being a showy perennial 

 from the rocky parts of the Caucasus, 

 with branched pendulous stems and large 

 cream-coloured bell-like flowers, almost 

 hidden in the leaves. It is hardy, and 

 rarely more than i ft. in height. It likes 

 to be associated with most Bell-flowers, but 

 is best seen at the level of the eye in the 

 rock-garden ; it is also a good border 

 plant in ordinary garden soil. Seed. The 

 Austrian S. Wanneri rarely exceeds i ft. 

 in height, with deep mauve flowers borne 

 freely on branching racemes. Like S. 

 pendula, it prefers a light, warm, rich soil 

 and a partially-shady situation. Both 

 plants are short-lived, and duplicates 

 should be kept at hand. 



SYMPHYTUMfOw//^). These Bor- 

 age-worts are chiefly bold, but somewhat 

 coarse plants, suited for naturalising in 

 rather open sunny places, since, when 

 well developed, their foliage has a fine 

 effect in masses. The largest and best 

 kinds for the wild garden are S. asperri- 

 mum and S. caucasicum. The Bohemian 

 Comfrey (S. bohemicum) is a handsome 

 perennial, about i ft. high, with in early 



