402 FLORA DOMESTICA. 



called Hypericum Frutex, and Italian May. In Italy, 

 there are hedges of it, bearing a profusion of blossoms. It 

 flowers in May and June. Its height is five or six feet. 



The Germander-leaved kind also makes beautiful hedges. 

 The Kamschadales use the leaves of this as tea, and make 

 tobacco-pipes of the straight shoots : it flowers in June. 



The Three-lobed-leaved kind is a Siberian ; it grows about 

 two feet high, bears white flowers, and is a very elegant 

 plant. 



The Currant-leaved Spiraea, familiarly called the Vir- 

 ginian Guelder Rose, grows nine or ten feet high : the 

 blossoms are white, spotted with pale-red. 



The Spiraea Filipendula, or Dropwort, is an herbaceous 

 plant; so called from the manner in which its tuberous 

 roots hang together by threads. The flowers are cream- 

 coloured, often tipt with red, opening in July. It grows 

 about a foot and a half high, and sometimes produces 

 double flowers. 



The Spiraea Ulmaria, Meadow Sweet, or Queen of the 

 Meadows called in French, la reine des pres ; Formiere, 

 vignette [little vine] ; petite barbe de chevre [little goafs 

 beard] : and in Italian ulmaria ; regina del prati is like- 

 wise an herbaceous plant ; it abounds in moist meadows, 

 perfuming the air with the Hawthorn-like scent of its 

 abundant white blossoms, throughout June, July, and 

 August. It grows three or four feet high. There is a 

 variety with double flowers. 



" Each dry entangled copse empurpled glows 

 With orchis blooms ; while in the moistened plain 

 The meadow-sweet its luscious fragrance yields." 



DR. BIDLAKE'S YEAX. 



The most elegant kind is the Three-leaved Spirsea, but 

 that is very difficult to preserve : it should be in a bog, or 

 peat earth, and in a shady situation. 



