874 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



ZEA. 



also flowers more regularly and abund- 

 antly than Y. filamentosa, and is well 

 suited for groups of the finer hardy plants, 

 for borders, or to plant in large isolated 

 tufts. N. America. 



Y. glaucescens. A free-flowering 

 kind, with a panicle 3 or 4 ft. high, and 

 sea-green leaves, about 18 in. long, with 

 a few filaments on the margins. The 

 flowers are greenish-yellow, when in bud 

 tinged with pink, which gives the whole 

 inflorescence a peculiarly pleasing tone. 

 It is a very useful and ornamental sort, 

 fine for groups, borders, isolation, or for 

 placing among low shrubs. N. America. 



Y. gloriosa. A large and imposing 

 Yucca of distinct habit and somewhat 

 rigid aspect. Its flower-stem is over 7 

 ft. high, much branched, and bears an 

 immense pyramidal panicle of large al- 

 most white flowers. Its numerous leaves 

 are stiff and pointed. It is one of the 

 noblest plants in our gardens, and is 

 suitable for almost any position. It varies 

 very much when grown from seed, and 

 this is a good recommendation, as the 

 greater variety of fine form we have the 

 better. Its chief varieties are Y. g. longi- 

 folia, plicata, maculata, glaucescens, and 

 minor. The soil should be a rich deep 

 loam. N. America. 



Y. pendula. Perhaps the best species, 

 considering its graceful habit, vigour and 

 hardiness. It grows about 6 ft. high ; its 

 leaves, at first erect and of a sea-green 

 colour, afterwards become reflexed and 

 change to a deep green. Old and well- 

 established plants standing alone on the 

 Grass are pictures of grace and symmetry, 

 from the lower leaves which sweep the 

 ground to the central ones that point up 

 as straight as a needle. It is amusing to 

 think of people putting tender plants in 

 the open air, and running with sheets to 

 protect them from the cold and rain of 

 autumn and early summer, while perhaps 

 not a good specimen of this fine plant is 

 to be seen in the place. There is no 

 plant more suited for planting near 

 flower-beds or for associating with them. 

 N. America. = Y. recurva. 



Y. Treculeana. This species is one 

 of the most remarkable, both from its 

 habit and from the dimensions of its 

 leaves. Like many Yuccas of its family, 

 young specimens of Y. Treculeana differ 

 considerably from those which have 

 reached maturity. Thus, while the leaves 

 of young specimens are bent, and generally 

 inflected, those of mature specimens are 

 erect, rigid, long, and straight. The stem 

 of the plant is about 10 in. in diameter, 

 and furnished on all sides with leaves ' 



about 4 ft. long, straight, thick, and deeply 

 channelled, very finely toothed on the 

 edges, and end in a stiff sharp point. The 

 stout branched flower-stalk is about 4 ft. 

 long, the branches erect, 12 to 20 in. long, 

 bearing flowers with long narrow petals 

 of a shining yellowish-white. If placed 

 singly it is excellent for banks and knolls, 

 and is also suitable for the boldest groups. 

 Texas. 



Any one wishing to have a distinct 

 collection of Yuccas would find the kinds 

 mentioned suitable, but there are several 

 other species more or less desirable. 

 The dead flower-stems of Yuccas make 

 capital supports for delicate creepers. 



ZAPANIA (Creeping Vervain}. Z. 

 nodiflora is a pretty, spreading trailer, with 

 prostrate stems 2 or 3 ft. in length, which 

 late in summer bear small round heads 

 of little purplish flowers. Suitable for the 

 rougher parts of the rock-garden, for 

 borders or edgings in free warm soil. 

 Asia and America. Syn. Lippia nodiflora. 



ZAUSCHNERIA (Californian Fuch- 

 sia). Z. californica is a distinct and 

 bright perennial hardy in warm soils in 

 sheltered places, but in cold localities 

 requiring a little winter protection, such 

 as a covering of ashes. It grows 12 

 to 1 8 in. high, and yields an abundance 

 of gracefully drooping bright vermilion 

 flowers during summer and autumn. It 

 flourishes in sandy loam in the rock- 

 garden, and grows capitally on an old 

 wall, but on heavy and moist soils does 

 not thrive. California. Division or seed. 



ZEA (Indian Corn). Z. Mays is one 

 of the noblest of the Grasses that thrive 

 in our climate, almost indispensable to 

 our gardens, and has a fine appearance 

 either isolated or associated with other 

 fine-leaved plants. Cuzko and Caragua 

 are the largest of the green varieties, 

 and gracillima the smallest and most 

 graceful. The variegated or Japanese 

 Maize is a handsome variety that comes 

 true from seed. It is useful for inter- 

 mingling with arrangements of ordinary 

 bedding plants for vases ; and may be 

 grown in light, rich, warm soil in the 

 margins of beds of sub-tropical plants, 

 or in any position where its variegation 

 may be well seen, and where its grace- 

 ful leaves are effective. It has a habit 

 of breaking into shoots rather freely 

 near the base of the central stem, and 

 this should recommend it for planting 

 on the turf in an isolated manner, or in 

 groups of three or five. The seeds of 

 the Maize should be sown on a gentle 

 hot-bed in April, although seeds will 



