HELIANTHEMUM HELICHRYSUM 617 



spite of this defect they are worthy of more extended cultivation, for they 

 bear an amazing profusion of blossom lasting over several weeks. 



Yar. CROCATUM (Sweet's Cistinese, t. 92). Leaves green and hairy both 

 sides ; flowers saffron coloured. 



Yar. CUPREUM (Sweet's Cistineae, t. 58). Leaves green both sides ; flowers 

 copper coloured ; there is a double-flowered form of this. 



Yar. DIVERSIFOLIUM MULTIPLEX (Sweet's Cistineae, t. 98). Leaves green 

 above, whitish below ; flowers double, dark red. 



Var. MUTABILE (Sweet's Cistineae, t. 106). Leaves green above, grey 

 beneath ; flowers pale rose. 



Var. ROSEUM (Sweet's Cistinese, t. 55). Leaves green above, grey-white 

 beneath ; flowers rather paler rose than in var. mutabile. 



Yar. STRAMINEU.M (Swtfet's Cistineae, t. 93). Leaves green above, whitish 

 beneath. Flowers sulphur-yellow with a darker yellow patch at the base 

 of each petal. 



Var. SURREJANUM (H. surrejanum, Miller; Sweet's Cistineae, t. 28). 

 This curious variety is said to have first been found near Croydon, in Surrey. 

 It is distinguished from the type by the narrow petals deeply notched at the 

 end ; they are linear-lanceolate, about in. wide, in. long, yellow. This 

 variety has little beauty, and is really a deformity. 



Var. VENUSTUM (Sweet's Cistineae, t. 10). Leaves lustrous green above, 

 whitish beneath ; flowers rich crimson, with a yellow spot at the base. Some 

 of these varieties are probably hybrids with H. glaucum (q.v.\ 



HELICHRYSUM ROSMARINIFOLIUM, De Candolle. COMPOSITE. 



(Ozothamnus rosmarinifolius, De Candolle.*) 



An evergreen shrub, 6 to 9 ft. high, with ribbed, glutinous young 

 branches. Leaves alternate, closely set on the branches; \ to i^ ins. 

 long, yV in. or less wide ; linear, smooth, dark green and rather glutinous 

 above, pale beneath; margins recurved. Flower-heads snow-white, 

 crowded, about \ in. diameter, produced in June at the end of short 

 side shoots in rounded corymbs \ to f in. across. 



Native of Tasmania and Victoria, and hardy only in the warmer 

 counties. At Kew it needs the protection of a wall. Where it thrives, 

 this is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful shrubs introduced from 

 Tasmania. About midsummer every little twig is terminated by its 

 cluster of blossoms, which as a whole almost hide the plant in a snow- 

 white sheet. It is popularly known as "snow in summer." The flowers 

 are practically everlasting : I have specimens collected, dried, and pressed 

 over thirty years ago, which are still pure white. For room decoration 

 long sprays should be cut, hung upside down in a place as free as possible 

 from dust, and allowed to become dry and rigid. After a few weeks 

 they may be taken down and arranged in the ordinary way in vases, where 

 the flowers will remain white and beautiful for many months, no water 

 of course being needed. 



Of other species in cultivation, H. GLOMERATUM, Hooker fii.^ is a 

 curious evergreen shrub up to 8 ft. high, with long, slender, thong-like 

 shoots covered with white down, and sparse roundish leaves J to ij ins. 

 long, also covered with white down beneath. Flower-heads in small, 

 short-stalked, axillary or terminal, globose clusters, \ in. diameter. 



