Encyclopaedia of Gardening 67 



Celeriac, Turnip-rooted Celery. 



Celery, Apium (a-pium) graveolens. See Kitchen Garden. 



Celmisia (celmis-ia, after Celmisius, a mythological being. Ord. 

 Compositae) . The species coriacea is not infrequently grown as a 

 hardy herbaceous plant. It will thrive in ordinary soil, and produce 

 white and yellow flowers. Holosericea, white, yellow centre, is 

 pretty. Cover with glass in winter. Propagation is by seeds or 

 division in spring. 



Celosia (celo-sia, from kelos, burnt, in allusion to the scorched 

 appearance of the flowers. Ord. Amarantaceae) . The two most 

 popular members of this genus are cristata, the Cockscomb; and 

 the feathered sub-variety, plumosa. They are greenhouse annuals, 

 generally grown in pots, but plumosa, red, and its yellow form, 

 aurea, are sometimes used in flower-beds in summer. These two 

 are really sub-varieties of cristata pyramidalis, the pyramidal Cocks- 

 comb. They should be sown under glass in late winter, pricked off, 

 potted singly, and planted out in June. If kept in pots they may be 

 transferred to 6-in., or for large plants to 5-in. and then to 8-in. 

 They should be kept warm and moist, and have weekly doses of 

 liquid manure, till the flowers show, when they may go into a con- 

 servatory or " flowering house." The Cockscomb is grown in 

 practically the same way. If the plants come leggy they may be 

 decapitated with a few inches of stem and struck in sandy soil after 

 the head has formed if they are kept close in a warm place under a 

 hand-light. With dwarf plants the combs curl inwards until the 

 tips nearly reach the side of the pot. They like a compost of loam 

 with a little leaf mould or decayed manure, and sand. 



Celsia (cel-sia, after Professor Celsius. Ord. Scrophularineae) . 

 A small genus allied to Verbascum (Mullein). The best-known 

 species is Arcturus, a half-hardy shrub growing about 4 ft. high, 

 and bearing yellow flowers in August (see the Botanical Magazine, 

 t. 1962). It may be propagated by cuttings of the young wood in a 

 greenhouse. Cretica is a half-hardy biennial, with yellow flowers 

 in July, and may be raised from seed in a greenhouse in spring. 



Centaurea (centau-rea, from centaur. Ord. Compositae). Inas- 

 much as this genus gives us the Cornflower and the Sweet Sultan it 

 is one of much interest. C. Cyanus is the Cornflower, and there are 

 several colours in addition to the popular blue. This is a hardy 

 annual, and may be grown as such (see Annuals). Moschata is the 

 purple Sweet Sultan, of which seedsmen offer white and yellow 

 varieties ; the latter is called odorata by some botanists, thus making 

 it a distinct species from the purple. Grow as hardy annuals. 

 Depressa is a dwarf blue annual species. The most useful of the 

 perennial species are Cineraria, otherwise Cineraria candidissima, 

 which is grown for its silvery leaves, and is raised from seed in heat 

 in spring; macrocephala, a tall yellow perennial; and montana, 

 blue, 2 ft. high ; the white variety of the latter is a good border plant, 

 hardy and free-flowering, but needs careful tying, as its habit is 

 straggly. Ragusina used to be grown a good deal for its silvery 

 leaves, but Cineraria maritima is a better plant. The hardy 



