October 30, 1895.] 



Garden and Forest. 



435 



SpiRiEA Thunbergii. — -This useful shrub is well known in 

 gardens, and we speak of it now simply to call attention to 

 its singular beauty at this season. It is one of those foreign 



Fig. 60. — Kalmia cuneata. — See page 434. 



plants whose foliage colors even more brilliantly than that 

 of our native plants. Indeed, our own Spiraeas have little 

 autumnal beauty, and do not approach in delicacy or rich- 

 ness of color some of the Asiatic species like the old-fash- 

 ioned S. prunifolia, which is now a brilliant scarlet, or 



S. Thunbergii, which has just begun to take on its delicate 

 rosy-pink hue, which later on may turn to orange. The 

 plant holds these colors, too, later than any other of the 

 genus, and before its leaves have all fallen in Novem- 

 ber its small vi'hite flowers often open. It is need- 

 less to add that the plant is covered with its delicate 

 little flowers early in April, that its fine light green 

 foliage is especially graceful, that its habit is good, 

 that it is easily propagated, so that, altogether, it 

 ranks as one of the most useful of shrubs. 



Kniphofia aloides (Tritoma Uvaria). — There are 

 few pFants more beautiful and effective than this ; it 

 is unaffected by the dry weather, and flowers during 

 a time when there are comparatively few really at- 

 tractive flowers. The tall spikes rise to a height of 

 nearly three feet ; the long, tubular scarlet flowers 

 with crimson segments are collected in a dense spike, 

 and make a striking picture. The long, narrow, 

 deep glossy green leaves in dense tufts are also 

 ornamental. The roots are fleshy, enabling the 

 plant to withstand drought, although it thrives best 

 in rich moist ground. Bold masses of its foliage and 

 flowers are very effective in large grounds on the 

 borders of shrubberies or isolated nearby on the 

 lawn. For the cottage garden, where only a few 

 herbaceous plants can be had, this one is, perhaps, 

 the best one for autumn flowering. 



CoREOi'sis DELPHiNiFOLiA. — Although one of the small- 

 est members of this beautiful genus, this species has 

 great value as a decorative plant. It grows to a 

 height of ten or twelve inches and measures often as 

 much across. It is very bushy, and produces in- 

 numerable small heads of pale yellow flowers in 

 August and September. The leaves are small, three- 

 parted or linear and smooth. The heads are produced 

 in leafy corymbs, and measure about an inch across. 

 It grows in dry barren soil, and is a typical plant of 

 some of the poor sandy districts of the south. Like 

 all the Coreopses, it is easily increased by seeds. 

 This is a most useful plant for naturalizing in large 

 parks and grounds where rocky and gravelly soil 

 abounds. It will add life and color to the landscape 

 without obstructing the scenery in any way. 



Begonia Evansiana. — New hybrids and varieties of 

 Begonias are raised every year, but few of the later 

 introductions can surpass this old and beautiful spe- 

 cies. Introduced from Japan or China early in the 

 century, it is now comparatively rare in cultivation, 

 although it is one of the best and hardiest kinds. It 

 is a graceful, shrubby plant, growing to a height of 

 about two feet, with large obliquely cordate, acu- 

 minate leaves, slightly lobed and coarsely dentate ; 

 deep green on the upper surface, with reddish veins, 

 and red on the lower side. The stem is slender, 

 with reddish swollen nodes. Wale and female flowers 

 are produced in drooping, axillary cymes from the 

 same axis, on slender peduncles. The male flowers 

 measure fully an inch across, having well-developed 

 petals and a large cluster of yellow anthers. The 

 ovary of the female flower is large, oblique, three- 

 winged, with two petals well developed and the two 

 inner ones sometimes wanting or rudimentary. Stig- 

 mas large, spirally twisted, yellow. The flowers ap- 

 pear early in September and remain beautiful a long 

 time. The species is very floriferous, and the hand- 

 some, rosy flowers sometimes cover the plant en- 

 tirely. It IS one of the very best of Begonias for 

 bedding. The bulbs endure the winter as far north 

 as ^^'ashington, and in vol. i. of this journal Profes- 

 sor Massey wrote of a bed of these plants in northern 

 Maryland which came up strong in the spring after enduring 

 a temperature of eighteen degrees below zero. 



Spathiphyllum commutatum. — This ornamental stove- 

 plant, nearly allied to the Anthuriums, is an elegant species, 

 growing to a height of about two feet and flowering (pnte 



