AMARANTHUS 17 



Bahamas, Japan, the Phihppines, and the East Indies. 

 Individually the flowers are quite small, but they are produced 

 in enormous quantities in velvety, tassel-like spikes or 

 clusters, these often being much branched and semi- 

 pendulous or even quite so. They are striking and in- 

 teresting plants, though not showy, and their vigorous 

 growth makes them serviceable for large beds and borders. 

 The flowers are purple, red, or crimson. But it is as 

 foliage plants that Amaranthuses are most valuable, the 

 colour of the leafage being very effective in many of the 

 varieties. 



March is quite early enough for seed-sowing, and if a 

 temperature of about 65° can be provided germination soon 

 takes place and the seedlings make rapid progress. Very 

 early sowing is not desirable unless there is an abundance 

 of room for the plants to remain under glass until the 

 middle of May, when they may be placed out-of-doors in a 

 sheltered place preparatory to planting at the end of the 

 month or early in June. Choose a sunny spot and plant in 

 groups. 



The best sorts are A. bicolor, 2 feet, green and yellow 

 leaves; and the variety ruber, i| foot, crimson, green, and 

 purple leaves; A. caudatus, the well-known Love-lies- 

 Bleeding, 2 feet to 3 feet, large, drooping spikes of purplish 

 flowers; A. Hetideri, 3 feet, leaves carmine-red, orange, and 

 olive-green ; A. Jiypochondriacus, 2 feet to 4 feet, flowers deep 

 crimson, leaves purple underneath; A. melanckolicus, i| foot, 

 crimson leaves and flowers ; A. salicifolius, 3 feet, leaves long 

 and wavy, orange and bronze -, A. s. Princess of Wales, 3 feet, 

 leaves orange, green, and yellow; A. sanguineus, 3 feet, 

 flowers purple and leaves blood red; A. speciosus (syn. A. 

 paniadatus), crimson-purple flowers and red-shaded leaves ; 

 A. tricolor, \\ foot, leaves purple-red, yellow, and green \ A. t. 

 splendenSy 2 feet, a very beautiful plant, and as its leaves are 



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