S E L 



S E M 



soon after they become ripe in such situations, 

 soon come up and su])pon themselves without 

 further trouble. 



Most of the perennial sorts are kept in the 

 nnr^eries in lull plants, lit for setting out in the 

 borders, pots, &c. either in the spring for flower- 

 ing the same year, or iu the autumn to flower 

 in the following vear. 



These plants may be planted out in any dryish 

 light soil, in borders, beds, and other places, 

 and in the sides of dry baiiks, or in any elevated 

 rubbishy soil, as v^ell as iu pots to move to dif- 

 ferent parts occasionally ; or also some of the 

 evergreen kinds, to introduce in their pots among 

 winter plants under shelter, to increase the vari- 

 ety. In nioft sorts, they may also be introduced 

 as rock plants, to embellish artificial rock-works, 

 ruins, and other similar places in pleasure- 

 grounds. The Slonecrops and other low trailing 

 kinds may also be made to occupy the tops of 

 any low walls, pent-houses, sheds, or other low 

 buildinffs. 



The twelfth and thirteenth si)rt5 may likewise 

 be disposed in patches towards the fronts of bor- 

 ders, &c. as they spread thick and tufty close to 

 the ground, and flow er abundantly ; and being 

 planted in pots, are proper to place in the out- 

 side of windows, copinus of low walls, and in 

 balconies, and court yards, in assemblage with 

 other low fancy [ilants; they will closely over- 

 spread the surface, and ilower profusely as far 

 as they extend. 



SELAGO, a srenus furnishing plants of the 

 shrubby and under-shrubby kinds. 



It belongs to the class and order D'ldynamia 

 Gymnospermia, and ranks in the natural order 

 of AggregutO'. 



The characters are: that the calyx is a one- 

 leafed, four-cleft perianth, (five-cleft,) small, 

 permanent : lower segment larger : the corolla 

 one-petalled : tube very small, iiliform, scarcely 

 perforated : border spreading, five-parted, al- 

 most equal; the two upper segments smaller; 

 the lowest larger : the stamina have four capil- 

 lary filaments, length of the corolla, into which 

 they are inserted ; the two upper ones longer: 

 anthers simple: the pistilluni is a roundish 

 germ : style simple, length of the stamens : 

 stigma simple, acute: there is no pericarpium : 

 corolla (cal\'x) involving the seed : the seed one 

 or two, roundish. 



The species cultivated are: \. S. corymlosa, 

 Fine- leaved Selago; 2. S. spuria. Linear-leaved 

 Selago ; 3. S. ovala, Ovate-headed Selago. 



The first has slender woody stems, rising 

 seven or eight feet high, but so w eak as to re- 

 quire support; they send out many slender 

 branches : the leaves are short, linear, hairy, 

 comuig out in clusters ; the flowers small, and 



of a pure white ; appearing in July and August, 

 but not followed by seeds in this climate. 



The second species has a suflruticose stein : 

 the leaves alternate, clustered: the spikes ovate- 

 oblong, blunt, closely imbricate; v.'ith oblono-, 

 membranaceous braetes : the corollas live-clett, 

 violet; with a long lilit'orm tube: the capsule 

 six-valvcd. It is biemiiaJ, flowering in June. 



The third has white flowers, with a yellow- 

 spot on the two uppermost segments, and some- 

 times on all of them, and an orange spot at the 

 mouth of the tube. It is valuable not so much 

 on account of its beauty, as the curious struc- 

 ture of its spikes, and the fragrancy of its 

 flowers. It flowers in June and July, and as 

 well as the rest it is a native of the Cape. 



Culture. — They may be increased by cuttings 

 and layers. The cuttings should be made from the 

 young under shoots, and be planted out during 

 the summer months in a bed of fresh earth, cover- 

 ing them close with a bell- or hand-glass, shad- 

 ing them from the sun, and refreshing them now 

 and then with water. They should ije craduallv 

 hardened, and then transplanted into small pots, 

 placing them in the shade till they have taken 

 root. The layers may he laid down in the 

 autumn or spring, and when well rooted be 

 taken off and planted out in pots, as above. The 

 plants sh(;uld afterwards be placed out with 

 other hardy greenhouse plants, and about the 

 end of October removed into the dry stove. 

 They only require protection from frost, being 

 treated in the same manner with the hardier sort 

 of greenhouse plants. 



They afford ornament and variety in green- 

 house collections. 



SEMPERVIVUM, a genus containing plants 

 of the succulent, hardy, herbaceous, evergreen, 

 and shrubby perennial kinds. 



It belongs to the class and order Dodecandria 

 Pulijgynia, (Dodecagynia,) and ranks in the 

 natural order of Succulentce. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a six- to 

 twelve-parted perianth, concave, acute, perma- 

 nent: the corolla has six to twelve petals, ob- 

 long, lanceolate, acute, concave, a little bigger 

 than the calyx; the stamina have from six to 

 twelve filaments (or more), subulate-slender: 

 anthers roundish: the pistilhim from six to 

 twelve germs, in a ring, erect ; ending in as 

 many spreading st)les: stigmas acute. 



The species euUivaled are; 1. S. tectortim. 

 Common Houseleek ; 2. S. gloliferum, Globu- 

 lar Hoiisclcek; 3. S. arac/iMiii/eum, Cobweb 

 Houseleek; 4. S. mo/ita/iiim. Mountain House- 

 leek ; 5 S. arboreirm, '["rL-e Housdcck; 6.S.Cu- 

 narknse, Canary Houseleek. 



The fiist has a perennial fibrous root: the 

 root-leaves iu form of a full-blown double-rose, 



