240 



SOLID AGO SPIGELTA. 



3 to 54 ft. high. Flowers, late in 

 summer ; golden yellow, in small 

 heads, forming very numerous re- 

 curved racemes arranged in a large 

 pyramidal panicle. Leaves, lance- 

 shaped, usually unequally toothed, 

 downy beneath and roughish above. 

 Stems rough, hairy, or downy. Widely 

 distributed in North America where 



it varies much. Amidst vigorous 



herbs in shrubberies and semi-wild 

 places, in any soil. Not worthy of a 

 place in gardens. Easily increased by 

 division of the tufts. 



Solidago grandiflora (Large Golden 

 Rod}. One of the most ornamental 

 Golden Rods, about 2 i ft. high. Flowers, 

 in August and September; large, 

 yellow, arranged in dense spike-like 

 clusters. Leaves, oval - lanceolate, 

 toothed. Whole plant slightly villous. 



N. America. Similar treatment 



etc., to that for preceding kind. 



Solidago nutans (Nodding Golden 

 Rod}. About 5 ft. high. Flowers, 

 from August to September; yellow, 

 in numerous clusters, which are some- 

 what reflected at the end, and form a 

 large panicle. Leaves, alternate, linear- 

 lanceolate, slightly wrinkled. Whole 

 plant somewhat villous. N. America. 



Similar positions etc., to those 



for 8. canadensis. 



Solidago multiflora (Many-flowered 

 S.) A stout much -branched herb, 

 from 3 to 4 ft. high. Flowers, late in 

 summer and in autumn ; yellow, small, 

 in very short spike-like racemes ar- 

 ranged in large erect panicles. Leaves, 

 smooth, or the upper ones some- 

 times downy, sessile, lance-shaped, 

 serrate. Resembles S. canadensis, but 

 the racemes are short and in more 

 erect panicles. . A plant of uncertain 

 origin, cultivated in the Paris garden 

 and said to have been received from 



America The same uses etc., as 



for S. canadensis. 



[There is a crowd of other spe- 



cies of Solidago, but scarcely one of 

 them is fitted for garden culture ; 

 any that may be received will do for 

 naturalization in woods and copses. 

 Indeed from a horticultural point of 

 view they are all about of equal 

 value. In borders they merely serve 

 to exterminate much more valuable 

 plants and to give a coarse and ragged 

 aspect to the garden.] 



Sorghum halepense (Aleppo S.) A 

 very handsome hardy grass, about 

 S^ ft. high, with an erect stem and 

 broad leaves more than 1 ft. long. 

 Flowers, in August ; when it is most 

 attractive, the inflorescence consisting 

 of a dense panicle of purplish, awned 

 flowers. Southern Europe, N. Africa, 



and Syria. Borders, and isolation 



on the grass in the picturesque gar- 

 den, in sandy loam. Seed and division. 



Sparaxis pulcherrima (Drooping S.) 

 A plant of exquisite brilliancy 

 of colour and much grace of habit ; 5 

 to 7 ft. high. Flowers, in summer ; 

 large, bell-shaped, 1^ to 2 in. long, of 

 a delicate pink, rose-colour, or ruby 

 crimson, suspended on long fine stalks 

 from gracefully arched and drooping 

 stems, on which they form a very lax 

 panicle of 1 to 2 ft. in length. 

 Leaves, sword - shaped, dark green, 

 about 3 ft. long. Cape of Good Hope. 



Suited for fringes of shrubberies, 



and for dotting here and there in small 

 tufts in openings in beds of American 

 plants or other choice shrubs ; it 

 thrives best in deep sandy soil, but 

 also does well in rather stiff moist 

 soil. Division and seed. 



Spigelia marilandica ( Worm-grass). 

 A brilliant perennial with erect, 

 simple, 4-angled stems from 6 to 

 18 in. high. Flowers, in summer; 

 deep red outside, and deep yellow 

 within, borne in a short terminal one- 

 sided spike, either simple or forked ; 

 corolla 14 in. long. Leaves, opposite, 

 smooth, entire, stalkless, ovate, or 



