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PBACTICAL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS saponaeia 



slightly downy, with ciliated edges. 

 Flowers in late summer, beautiful rose, 

 with rounded petals, narrowed at the base, 

 and borne on forked branches. The in- 

 flated reddish ealyx is usually hidden by 

 the upper leaves after flowering. There 

 is a variety with white flowers, and a 

 dwarf compact one with deep rose ones. 



Culture omA Propagation. — Seeds of 

 tliis species and its varieties may be 

 sown in gentle heat in March, afterwards 

 pricking out the seedlings into shallow 

 boxes, and growing them on under glass 

 until the end of May, when they may be 

 placed out of doors in masses, allowing 

 about 6 in. apart each way between every 

 plant. Seeds may also be sown out of 

 doors in April and May where the plants 

 are to blooni. When the seedlings are 

 large enough, they may be thinned out 

 about 6 in. apart as above. From the 

 beginning to the end of September seeds 

 may also be sown in the open border and 

 the plants will survive an ordinary mild 

 winter except in the bleakest parts of the 

 kingdom. Plants raised from seeds sown 

 at this period are much larger and bloom 

 earlier the following year than those from 

 spring- sown seeds. 



S. glutinosa. — A biennial about 18 in. 

 high, native of E. Europe, with ovate 3- 

 nerved leaves. Flowers in summer, blood- 

 red, with minute petals deeply notched 

 at the apex and scales at the throat. 



Culture dc. as above for 8. calahrica. 



S. lutea. — A pretty perennial 3-6 in. 

 high, native of the Alps, with linear leaves 

 ciliated at the base. Flowers from June 

 to August, yellow, in heads ; calyx woolly, 

 with short lobes ; petals obovate, entire ; 

 stamens more or less violet-coloured. 



Culture dc. as for S. officinalis below. 



S. ocymoides (Bocli Soapwort). — A 

 lovely trailing perennial native of S. and 

 Central Europe, forming dense tufts 6-12 

 in. high, with forked branches. Leaves 

 ovate lance-shaped, usually 1-nerved. 

 Flowers from May to August, red or pink, 

 in panioled clusters ; calyx purple, cylin- 

 drical, hairy, and somewhat clammy. 



The variety splendens has larger and 

 more deeply coloured rosy flowers than 

 the type, and is very effective used as an 

 edging to taller plants, or in masses m the 

 rock garden. 



Culture (to. the same as for 8. offici- 

 nalis. 



S. officinalis (Bouncing Bet; Common 

 Soa^wort). — A stout, vigorous and showy 

 perennial 1-2 ft. high, native of Europe, 

 Asia, and N. America, and also found in 

 Britain in hedges, roadsides, fields See. 

 Leaves smooth, glaucous, oblong lance- 

 shaped, 3-4 in. long, 3-nerved. Flowers 

 in August and September, lilac or white, 

 1 in. across, with obcordate petals. 8. 

 hybrida is a variety with connate upper 

 leaves, and a gamopetalous corolla. The 

 variety puherula has the upper part of the 

 stem and the calyx downy. There is also 

 a double -flowered variety [flore plena) 

 with rather pale blossoms hke a small 

 Carnation. 



Culture Sc. — This species and its 

 varieties, although perennial, may be 

 raised annually from seeds in the same 

 way as recommended for 8. calahrica 

 above. The double-flowered form, how- 

 ever, which rarely seeds, must be increased 

 by dividing the roots in early autumn or 

 in spring. The single-flowered forms may 

 also be increased by division at the same 

 period. 



S. Vaccaria (CowJierb). — An annual 

 1-2 ft. high, native of Central Europe and 

 occasionally found in British cornfields. 

 Leaves ovate lance-shaped, without stalks. 

 Flowers in July and August, red, 

 paniculate ; calyx smooth, 5-angled. 



Culture Sc. as above for S. calahrica. 



SILENE (Catchfly ; Campion). — A 

 large genus containing according to 

 Bentham and Hooker about 200 more or 

 less distinct species, although as many as 

 400 have been described by other authors. 

 They are annuals or perennials with erect, 

 tufted, decumbent or diflfuse-ohmbing 

 stems with opposite entire leaves. Flowers 

 solitary or rarely in cymes, often in one- 

 sided spikes forming a terminal cluster 

 or panicle. Calyx variously inflated, 

 ovoid, bell-shaped, club-shaped, or tubular, 

 5-toothed or 5-cleft, usually 10-nerved. 

 Petals 5, narrow-clawed, with an entire 

 2-cleft or rarely laciniated blade, often 

 with 2 scales at the base. Stamens 10. 

 Styles usually 3. Capsule opening at the 

 apex by 6 (rarely 3) teeth or valves. 



Culture and Propagation. — Silenes 

 grow in almost any light loamy soil, and 

 many of the dwarfer kinds are verj' useful 

 as rock-garden plants, while the taller 

 kinds may find a place in the ordinary 

 flower border. The perennial species may 

 be increased by seeds, by cuttings, or 



