Stoki 



Encyclopaedia of Gardening 295 



Stokesia cvanea (stoke-sia, after Dr. Stokes. Ord. Compositae). 

 A handsome hardy perennial, with blue flowers in summer, grow- 

 ing about 1 8 ins. high (see the Botanical Magazine, t. 4966). It 

 likes a friable loamy soil, and is propagated by division in spring. 

 It is suitable for the border or rockery. 



Stoking. See Greenhouse Heating. 



Stonecrop. See Sedum. 



Stone Pine, Pinus Pinea. 



Stork's-bill. See Pelargonium. 



Stove. See Greenhouse. 



Stoves, Heating. See Greenhouse Heating. 



Stratiotes aloides, Water Soldier (stratio-tes, from stratos, an army. 

 Ord. Hydrocharideae) . See Flower Garden Aquatics. 



Strawberry. See Fruit. 

 Strawberry Tree, Arbutus. 



Strelitzia, Bird of Paradise Flower (strelitz-ia, after Charlotte of 

 Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen to George III. Ord. Scitamineae) . 

 Handsome evergreens for a warm greenhouse or conservatory, with 

 flowers of remarkable form and brilliant colour. Reginae, the Bird 

 of Paradise Flower, is the best known (see the Botanical Magazine, 

 tt. 119, 120). It bears large orange and blue flowers in spring, and 

 grows 3 to 4 ft. high ; there are two or three varieties of it. Augusta 

 is a larger species with purple and white flowers. Kewensis is a 

 hybrid raised at Kew between Reginae and Augusta. They like 

 loam and shattered brick, and are best planted out. Propagation 

 is by seeds. 



Streptocarpus (streptocar-pus, from stveptos, twisted, and carpos, a 

 fruit. Ord. Gesneraceae). Beautiful herbaceous perennials for 

 the warm greenhouse, much improved in recent years by cross- 

 fertilisation; the flowers approach Gloxinias in size, and resemble 

 them in form; the leaves are rough. The species are not much 

 grown, cultivators preferring to buy mixed seeds of modern hybrids 

 from a good firm. These should be sown in a warm greenhouse or 

 frame in spring, pricked off, and potted as required till in 5 or 6-in. 

 pots. They may also be propagated by leaf cuttings. Loam, with 

 sand and a quarter of leaf mould, suits. The plants will be at their 

 best the second year. They will require a good deal of water while 

 in active growth. 



Streptosolen Jamesoni (streptoso-len, from streptos, twisted, and 

 solen, a tube. Ord. Solanaceae). A free-growing evergreen shrub, 

 with brilliant heads of orange flowers in spring and summer, suitable 

 for the back wall of a warm greenhouse or a conservatory pillar. 

 It thrives best when planted out in a compost of loam and leaf soil 

 in equal parts, with sand. Propagation is by cuttings under a bell- 

 glass. A good deal of water, both at the root and over the foliage, 

 will be appreciated in summer. Syn. Browallia Jamesoni (see the 

 Botanical Magazine, t. 4605). 



