38o FLOWERS OF GARDEN AND GREENHOUSE 



A. TUBEuosA (tuberous). Butterfly-weed; Pleurisy-root. Stems 

 almost erect, braiiclniio- widely at the top, hairy, 1 to 2 feet liigh. Leaves 

 broad -lance -shaped, hairy. Flowers showy, bright orange, umbels 

 numerous along the terminal branches : July to September. Introduced 

 from North America, 1690. Hardy. 



Cultivation '^^^® hardy species of Asdepias may be grown without 



difficulty as border plants in a light rich soil, or one that 

 has been improved by the addition of peat. The greenhouse species 

 slu)ul(l be potted in a mixture of fibrous loam and leaf-mould. All are 

 grown chiefly from cuttings or divisions, but sometimes from seeds. 

 Eaeli (jf tlifse methods is put in operation in spring. Cuttings are 

 stiuek in ovnlle luat. covered with a bell-glass, and afterwards potted on 

 in succrssivvly larger pots as the smaller ones get filled with roots. 

 Sei.MJs are sown in pots or pans, the seedlings being pricked into small 

 ])ots, singly, and gradually brought on to larger sizes. When the flower- 

 bu<ls show, repotting must cease and the plants be treated to clear 

 manure water instead. The greenhouse species must be kept rather dry 

 m winter to albn\- the plants a rest, and a month or so later should be 

 cut back before growth recommences. 



Description of Asclfpliis citras.s-(( rica, or Redhead : upper part of stem 



Plate 182. ^,,iy Fig. 1 is an enlarged view of a fully open flower ; 2, 

 a section tlirough the unopened bud ; 3, a fruit ; and 4, a transverse 

 section of 3 showing position of seeds. 



CARRION FLOAYERS 



Natural Order Asclepiade.e. Genus St(q>elv( 



Stapelia (named by Linn^us in honour of Dr. J. B. a Stapel, of 

 Amsterdam ; (/. 1631). A genus of about sixty species of low, succulent, 

 branching, leafless plants. The stems and branches are thick fleshy 

 usually four -sided, with toothed angles and dark tubercles The 

 flowers give out a foetid odour, 

 -ped, five-clefi 

 v-hat similar to that of Asdepias, but double', the 

 -e-lobed, spreading, the inner consisting of five scales, 

 restricted m range to South Africa, and require green- 

 it. Flies are so much deceived by the odour of the 

 ey deposit their eggs upon what they assume to be 



