.278 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS 



SIDA 



the margins. The pure white flowers ll~ 

 2 in. across are borne in drooping clusters 

 in June onj the previous year's growths, 

 and are remarkable for the conspicuous 

 bundle of yellow anthers in the centre. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 handsome shrub will flourish in the open 

 air in the milder parts of the kingdom, 

 but is almost sure to be severely injured 

 if not killed in hard winters in northern 

 parts. It is best grown against a waU 

 with a more or less southern aspect, 

 although it succeeds well as a bush in the 

 south of Ireland, Cornwall &c. It likes 

 a rich and well-drained sandy loam with 

 a little leaf soil and manure added, and a 

 top dressing in winter or in spring when 

 growth is being made will also be bene- 

 ficial and induce the plants to flower pro- 

 fusely. After flowering — say during July 

 — the old wood should be cut out where 

 necessary and the young shoots trained 

 in and exposed to the sun and air so as 

 to ripen well for blooming the following 

 year. 



This species may be increased by in- 

 serting cuttings of the more or less 

 ripened shoots in sandy soil under hand- 

 lights in late summer and autumn. 

 Sometimes only a few cuttings root, and 

 the riper they are probably the better. 

 The lower branches may also be layered 

 in autumn, and detached the following 

 year when well rooted. 



There are a few other species of Plagi- 

 anthus — all natives of New Zealand or 

 Australia — known, but they are now 

 rarely, if ever, seen in cultivation. The 

 following may be mentioned : — P. betu- 

 linus, with Birch-like leaves and terminal 

 panicles of small whitish flowers ; P. 

 diva/ricatus, a marsh plant with small 

 narrow leaves and whitish flowers either 

 solitary or in clusters ; P. Lampeni with 

 whitish-yellow flowers ; P. piilchellus, a 

 shrub 3-4 ft. high, with heart-shaped 

 leaves and small whitish flowers. 



SIDA (Indian Mallow). — A genus 

 containing about SOspeciesof softly downy 

 or wooUy herbs or shrubs, with flowers 

 sessile or stalked, solitary or clustered, 

 axillary or in terminal heads, spikes, or 

 racemes. Braoteoles none, or distant from 

 the calyx. Calyx 5-toothed or lobed. 

 Stamen-tube divided at the apex into 

 numerous filaments. 



The following are the only species 

 suitable for outdoor cultivation, and may 



be treated like the Mallows, Callirhoe, and 

 Sidalceas. 



S. incarnata. — A showy Brazilian 

 perennial about 2 ft. high, with smooth, 

 deeply cut, and variously lobed and 

 toothed leaves, fringed with short hairs. 

 Flowers in silmmer, less than 2 in. across, 

 pink, borne in close pyramidal spikes. 



Cultiire dc. as for 8. Napcea. 



S. Napaea. — A smooth herbaceous 

 pereimial 4-10 ft. high, native of North 

 America. Leaves 5-eleft, with oblong, 

 pointed tooth lobes. Flowers in summer, 

 large, white, in umbellate corymbs. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 species may be used in masses in the 

 border, but the plants should not be too 

 crowded. Seeds are freely produced every 

 year and may be sown as soon as ripe 

 either in cold frames or in gentle heat in 

 spring. The seedlings in both cases are 

 pricked out and grown on to be transferred 

 to the open ground in mild weather in 

 April and May. The plants may also be 

 divided in early autumn or spring, but the 

 same general treatment as recommended 

 for Sidalcea Candida wiU also suit this 

 plant perfectly, see p. 276. 



ABUTILON.— A genus containing 

 about 70 species of soft, downy herbs or 

 shrubs, rarely trees, with leaves often 

 heart-shaped, angled or lobed, rarely nar- 

 row. Flowers usually axillary. Brac- 

 teoles none. Calyx 5-cleft. Stamen-tube 

 divided at the apex into numeroiis fila- 

 ments. 



Culture and Propagation. — There are 

 no Abutilons hardy enough to stand a 

 firosty winter in the British Islands, except 

 perhaps in the very mildest parts. In the 

 winter of 1879-80 plants were uninjured 

 out of doors at Bournemouth, but at Byde 

 in the Isle of Wight they were not un- 

 naturally injured by 15° of frost. In most 

 parts of the country nearly aU kinds may 

 be placed out of doors from the end of 

 May till September, in rich turfy loam, 

 peat, and leaf soil, with plenty of sand. 

 In the very mild parts the following kinds 

 may be tried permanently, with protection 

 in the event of severe winters. They 

 root readily from cuttings of the young 

 wood in spring in a temperature of 65°-70°. 

 When well rooted the plants are placed 

 singly into small pots in rich soil, and 

 kept shaded and moist for a few days 

 until they become established. They are 

 afterwards moved to a cooler place, and 



