CLAYTONIA 



PUBSLANE OBDEE 



LEWISIA 263 



wild garden. The annual fibrous-rooted 

 species may be increased by seeds ; the 

 tuberous-rooted ones also by seeds, or by 

 offsets taken in autumn or spring. The 

 tuberous species thrive best in damp 

 peaty soil ; the annuals in loamy soil. 



C. caroliniana. — A spreading dwarf 

 species, native of North America, with 

 spathulate oblong or ovate-lance-shaped 

 leaves. Flowers in spring, rosy, in loose 

 racemes. 



Cultv/re Sc. This species may be 

 grown in peaty soil in the roolc garden in 

 partially shaded and moist situations. It 

 may be increased by seeds sown as soon 

 as ripe in pots or pans in cold frames. 

 The seedlings are pricked out and grown 

 on till the following spring before trans- 

 ferring to the open ground. The roots 

 may also be divided in early autumn or 

 in spring. 



C. perfoliata. — An aimual species 

 3-6 in. high, native of N.W. America to 

 Mexico, and Cuba, also found naturalised 

 in parts of the British Islands. Upper 

 leaves connate or perfoliate, forming a 

 roundish disc ; lower ones stalked, oval- 

 rhomboid. Flowers from May to August, 

 white, small. 



Cultv/re dc. This species will grow in 

 any garden soil, and may be increased by 

 seeds sown out of doors as soon as ripe, or 

 in April and May. 



C. sibirica. — A Siberian perennial 

 3-6 in. high, with spindle-shaped roots. 

 Leaves ovate, the lower ones stalked, upper 

 ones opposite, sessile. Flowers in spring, 

 rosy, with 2-cleft petals. 



Culture Ac. as above for C caroUnicma. 



C. virginica. — A tuberous-rooted N. 

 American perennial 3 in. high. Leaves 

 Unear lance-shaped. Flowers in spring, 

 white, with notched petals. 



Culture dc. as above for C. caroliniana. 



SPRAGUEA. — A genus containing 

 only one species here described : — 



S. umbellata. — A rare Californian 

 perennial 6-9 in. high, with somewhat 

 fleshy spathulate leaves, and small 

 scarious stipules. Flowers in summer, 

 pinky-rose, in dense imbricated spikes. 

 Sepals 2, roundish heart-shaped, mem- 

 branaceous, persistent. Petals 4, hypo- 

 gynous. Stamens 3, opposite the petals, 



and adhering to them at the base. Style 

 2-cleft. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 species is probably not quite hardy in 

 unfavourable parts of the country, and in 

 such places may require slight protection. 

 It grows in ordinary soil and is useful for 

 the rockery, or edges of the flower border. 

 To obtain flowers the same year, seeds 

 should be sown on a hotbed in February, 

 the seedlings being pricked out singly 

 into small pots so as to be ready for 

 planting out by the end of May, to bloom 

 in August and September. Seeds sown 

 later in the open will not produce flowers 

 until the following spring or summer. 



LEWISIA. — Like the preceding, this 

 genus has only one species : — 



L. rediviva (Spatlum). — A remark- 

 able and pretty N. American plant 1-3 

 in. high, with edible, tapering, fleshy, red- 

 stemmed roots, white within. Leaves 

 densely tufted, linear, fleshy, withering on 

 the appearance of the flowers. The latter 

 appear in summer on one-flowered scapes, 

 jointed above the middle, pink, with a 

 nearly white centre, 3-4 in. across. Sepals 

 6-8 (most of the other plants in this order 

 have only 2), broadly ovate, contorted, 

 imbricate, finely veined with red, persis- 

 tent. Petals 8-10, hypogynous, imbricate. 

 Stamens numerous, inserted with the 

 petals. Styles deeply 6-8-cleft. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 species should be planted in a nook or 

 crevice in the rookery, where its fleshy 

 roots will obtain plenty of moisture. The 

 position, however, should be a sunny one, 

 as the flowers will not readily develop in 

 shady spots. After blooming the plant 

 shrivels up into a withered string-like 

 mass. In very hot seasons the plants 

 should be watered every day. Lewisias 

 are increased by seeds, or by dividing the 

 roots in spring. The seeds should be 

 sown as soon as ripe in pots or pans in 

 cold frames, and the seedlings after being 

 pricked out should be grown on during 

 the winter months in the frames until fine 

 weather in spring, when they may be 

 planted out. Or the seeds may be sown 

 in gentle bottom heat about February and 

 March. The seedlings are pricked out 

 and hardened off so as to be ready for the 

 open air by the end of May or beginning 

 of June. 



