140 



HELIANTHEMUM HELI ANTHUS. 



rock-garden, and on borders or fringes 

 of shrubbery, best in a light or cal- 

 careous soil. Division, cuttings, and 



Helianthemum vulgare (Common 

 Sunrose). A dwarf spreading ever- 

 green undershrub, with much- 

 branched stems and numerous flowers, 

 8 to 15 in. high. Flowers, nearly all 

 summer; bright yellow, produced in 

 loose racemes ; petals spreading, about 

 ^ in. long and broad. I/eaves, shortly 

 stalked, ovate-lanceolate, green above, 

 and somewhat hoary beneath, smooth 

 or slightly hairy. Europe and Britain 



in dry hilly places. There are many 



very pretty varieties of this in various 

 colours, sometimes supposed to be 

 distinct species. The finer varieties, 

 which may be raised from seed in 

 abundance, are excellent for rough 

 rockwork, banks, edgings, etc., grow- 

 ing in any soil, but showing to greatest 

 advantage in a calcareous one. Seed 

 or division. 



Helianthus atrorubens (Dark-red 

 Sunflower). A vigorous perennial with 

 dull purple stems, rough from whitish 

 hairs, 2 to 3 ft high or more. Flowers, 

 in autumn ; disk dark red or purple ; 

 rays yellow, marked with a few lines, 

 pointed and entire ; flowering branches 

 scattered. Leaves, of root flat, hairy ; 

 stem-leaves twisted and waved, 

 rough with hairs (the lower ones 

 particularly so) and small tubercles. 



Pennsylvania to Carolina. Borders, 



in sandy loam. Division and seed. 



Helianthus multifiorus (Many- 

 flowered #.) A fine showy perennial, 

 4 to 6 ft. high. Flowers, late in 

 summer and autumn ; yellow, at the 

 end of the branches, the largest some- 

 times 8 to 9 in. in diameter, the side 

 ones gradually smaller. Leaves, al- 

 ternate, sometimes opposite, lower ones 

 heart -shaped, upper ones ovate, rough. 

 H. multiflorusfl.pl. is a double variety 

 oftener met with than the single 



form. Said to be a native of America, 

 but American botanists say they have 

 not found it there. Borders, asso- 

 ciated with the taller plants, and in a 

 semi-wild state in shrubberies, in any 

 soil. May be seen flowering abun- 

 dantly in some of the London squares. 

 Helianthus orgyalis (Graceful Sun- 

 flower]. A tall graceful, somewhat 

 willow-like herb, 6 to 8 ft. high. Flow- 

 ers, in autumn ; yellow, on long 

 stalks. Leaves, alternate, rather small, 

 stalkless, 3 to Gin. long, and about 1 in. 

 across, very numerous and narrow, 

 much recurved, so as to give the tips 

 of the shoots a very graceful appear- 

 ance, lower ones slightly toothed. 



North America. Among groups of 



fine-leaved hardy plants in the sub- 

 tropical garden or pleasure-ground, 

 margins of shrubberies, or wood- 

 walks. The tips of the shoots for a 

 length of 15 in. or so, cut off and 

 placed in water indoors, are as orna- 

 mental as the most graceful or delicate 

 young Palm or Dracaena. As the plant 

 throw up a great number of shoots, 

 they should be thinned out when 

 young. Division. 



Helianthus rigidus (Rigid Sun- 

 flower}. Harpalium rigidum. A re- 

 markably showy and rapidly-growing 

 perennial, 3 to 4 ft. high. Floivers, in 

 summer ; a pleasing golden yellow, 3 to 

 4 in. across ; disk darkish brown about 

 an inch in diameter. Leaves, of stem 

 opposite, very thick, lance-shaped ; 

 root-leaves oval, blunt, 3-nerved; 

 stem rough, sometimes exuding a 

 small quantity of resin. Root spread- 

 ing about very much. North America. 



Borders, in which from its 



rapidly-spreading habit, it will require 

 annual division. It is a capital plant 

 for naturalization among the finer 

 perennials in almost any position or 

 soil. Division. 



Helichrysum arenarium ( Yellow 

 Everlasting] . Gnaphalium arenarium, . 



