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PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS gypsophila 



spinesoent leaves. Flowers in early 

 summer, small, pink or white, in dense 

 cymes, with spinesoent braoteoles and 

 calyx teeth. Calyx tubular, 5-toothed, 

 many-nerved. Petals 5, narrowly clawed, 

 blade bifid, without scales. Stamens 5. 

 Torus small. Styles 3, rarely 2 or 4. 



Culture and Propagation. — This plant 

 is well suited for rockwork, and in sandy 

 soil produces its pale pink or white 

 flowers in great profusion. It is increased 

 by cuttings put in sandy soU under a hand- 

 glass, or by seed sown in spring — about 

 March — in gentle heat. When the seed- 

 hugs are large enough to handle, it is 

 well to prick them out into their flowering 

 positions as soon as the weather is favour- 

 able. They should be well watered until 

 fairly estabhshed. 



GYPSOPHILA.— A genus contain- 

 ing about 50 species of very graceful 

 annual or perennial, usually glaucous 

 and slightly glandulose, pubescent herbs, 

 with flat or rarely needle-shaped leaves. 

 Flowers usually small and numerous, 

 panicled, calyx more or less tubular or 

 bell-shaped, 5-toothed or 5-fid, broadly 

 5-nerved. Petals 5, narrow-clawed, with 

 an entire or emarginate, scaleless blade. 

 Torus small. Stamens 10. Styles 2, or 

 very rarely 3. Capsule globose or ovoid, 

 deeply 4-valved. 



Cultv/re and Propagation. — Gypso- 

 philas thrive in ordinary garden soil, with 

 which a little lime or brick rubbish may 

 be mixed. They are easily increased 

 from seeds, but the perennial kinds take 

 quite a year to make good flowering plants. 

 The annual kinds like O. elegans flower 

 the same year — about June and July — if 

 the seeds are sown out of doors about the 

 beginning of April. The perennial species 

 may also be increased by cuttings taken 

 from the young side shoots in summer, or 

 in autumn by dividing the rootstooks. All 

 the Gypsophilas, however, are better in- 

 creased from seed, and several sowings 

 may be made out of doors of the annual 

 kinds to keep up a supply of bloom. 



G. arenaria. — A perennial species, 

 native of Central Europe, in sandy, 

 gravelly soil, about 1 ft. high, with rather 

 fleshy, smooth, flat, linear leaves. 

 Flowers in summer, pale red, in dense 

 Jong corymbs ; petals rarely notched. 



Culture dc. as for O. pamiculata 

 below. Increased by seeds, cuttings, or 

 division. 



G. Arrosti. — A beautiful perennial 

 2^-3 ft. high, native of Asia Minor. Its 

 light and graceful stems have fleshy grey- 

 green lance-shaped leaves about Ij ini 

 long, and the small white flowers appear 

 in August in immense panicles when those 

 of G. paniculata have disappeared. 



Culture cBc. as for Q. panictilata 

 below. This is a new species and well 

 worth growing to follow on after G. 

 paniculata, 



G. cerastioides. — A Himalayan peren- 

 nial over 3 ft. high, with erect 4-sided 

 stems. Leaves hairy on both sides, with 

 ciliated edges ; lower leaves spoon-shaped, 

 with long stalks, abruptly pointed. 

 Flowers in early summer, white, red- 

 veined ; petals notched. 



Culture <tc. as for G. pamiculata 

 below. It is perfectly hardy and forms 

 neat cushions of foliage. 



G. elegans. — A charming Caucasian 

 annual, 12-18 in. high, with slender much- 

 branched knotted stems and opposite blue- 

 green more or less linear lance-shaped 

 leaves. The small, beautiful flowers, less 

 than half an inch across, are pure white, 

 sometimes faintly striped vrith violet or 

 reddish-purple. They are borne during 

 the summer and autumn in graceful 

 forked panicles, which have a light and 

 airy efiect — a mass of white starry flowers 

 over a blue-green ground. 



The specific name is very appropriate, 

 and G. elegans is highly valued for floral 

 decorations. This species has recently 

 been crossed with the perennial GF. 

 pamiculata, and has produced an inter- 

 mediate hybrid resembling O. paniculata 

 in blossom, but G. elegans in habit. 



Culture dc. as above. Raised from 

 seeds sown two or three times annually 

 in the open border. 



G. fastigiata. — A European perennial 

 about 1 ft. high, with rather fleshy, linear, 

 smooth, flat leaves. Flowers in July, 

 pale red, petals rarely notched. 



Culture Sc. as for G. paniculata 

 below. 



G. glauca. — A perennial about 18 in. 

 high, native of the Caucasus, with downy, 

 clammy branches, and rather fleshy, 

 bluntly linear, lance-shaped leaves. 

 Flowers in summer, white, in straggling 

 panicles. 



Culture Sc. as for G. paniculata 

 below. 



