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PBAGTIGAL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS staphylba 



This is the species usually grown, but 

 comosus, minor, and pectinatus are also 

 worth growing outside in summer for 

 subtropical groups on the lawn. 



Culture and Propagation. — The 

 Honey Flowers are not, strictly speaking, 

 hardy plants, but they are grown so 

 easily from seeds and look so effective in 

 the garden from early summer to the end 

 of autumn that they are well worth grow- 

 ing. Seeds may be sown in February or 

 March in a little heat. The seedlings 

 may be pricked off separately into small 

 pots when large enough, and will be 

 ready for planting out by June. Larger 

 plants may be obtained by sowing in the 

 autumn and keeping the plants in a 

 greenhouse during the winter. They may 

 also be increased for indoor work by cut- 

 tings, which strike freely under a bell- 

 glass. On a well-drained, loamy soil and 

 in sheltered positions the Melianthus may 

 be wintered outside with a slight pro- 

 tection of litter or leaves in the mildest 

 parts of the kingdom. 



STAPHYLEA (Bladder Nut).— A 

 genus of 5 species of deciduous branched 

 shrubs, with opposite 3-5-foliolate or pin- 

 nate leaves, and white regular hermaphro- 

 dite flowers in drooping axillary racemes 

 or panicles. Sepals 5, equal. Petals 5, 

 erect. Stamens 5, equal, inserted at the 

 base of the outside of the rather flat disc. 

 Fruit a bladder-like capsule. 



Culture and Propagation. — The 

 Staphyleas thrive in good well-drained 

 ordinary soil, the most popular being 8. 

 colchica, which is much used in early spring 

 for forcing in greenhouses, when specially 

 treated. For outdoor cultivation the 

 plants may be placed in groups by them- 

 selves in warm and sheltered places en- 

 joying a slight shade, and for massing 

 on grass they are very effective. They 

 are increased by suckers and layers, or 

 cuttings of the ripened shoots taken in the 

 autumn and inserted in sandy soil under 

 a bell-glass. Seeds are also freely pro- 

 duced by some of the species such as 

 colchica, pinnata, and trifoUa, and from 

 these fresh plants may be obtained. The 

 seeds may be sown in cold frames as soon 

 as ripe, afterwards pricking the seedlings 

 out when large enough. S. colchica and 

 S. pinnata have been crossed with each 

 other and have produced a hybrid called 

 S. Coulombieri, 



S. Bolanderi.— A Oalifornian shrub 



with leaves divided into 3 smooth broadly 

 oval or round leaflets, abruptly acute and 

 serrulate. Sepals and petals about ^ in. 

 long ; style and stamens protruding. 



Culture dc. as above. 



S. Bumalda. — A Japanese species 6 ft. 

 high. Leaves 3-foliolate, with oblong 

 pointed, roughish leaflets having bristly 

 serratures on the margin. Flowers from 

 June to August ; styles hairy, capsule 2- 

 beaked. 



Culture dc. as above. 



S. colchica. — A distinct Caucasian 

 species 3-5 ft. high, with ternate and 

 pinnately 5-foliolate leaves 4-5 in. long, 

 composed of ovate-oblong pointed ser- 

 rulate leaflets. Flowers in summer, J in. 

 long, in terminal, erect or slightly nodding 

 racemes. 



Culture <(-c. as above. 



S. pinnata {Job's Tears ; St. An- 

 thony's Nuts). — A native of S. Europe 

 6-12 ft. high, with leaves composed of 5-7 

 pairs of oblong smooth, serrated leaflets. 

 Flowers in racemes, succeeded by globose 

 white mats in a bladdery capsule. 



Culture &c. as above. 



S. trifolia. — A pretty North American 

 species 6-12 ft. high, with 3-foliolate leaves 

 divided into ovate pointed regularly 

 serrated leaflets, downy when young. 

 Flowers in early summer, with obovate 

 spoon-shaped petals fringed at the base. 



Culture ifc. as above. 



EUSCAPHIS.— A genus contain- 

 ing only 2 species of very smooth shrubs 

 with round branches and opposite, stipu- 

 late, oddly pinnate leaves composed of 

 serrate leaflets. The small hermaphrodite 

 flowers are borne in panicles at the ends 

 of the branches. Calyx persistent, 5-cleft. 

 Petals 5, romidish, imbricate. Disc 

 annular, crenate. Stamens 5, with fila- 

 ments dilated at the base. Fruit con- 

 sisting of 1-3 follicles. 



E. staphyleoides {B. japonica). — -A 

 rather ornamental shrub 10-12 ft. high, 

 native of China and Japan. It has 

 smooth pinnate leaves, and clusters of 

 small white or yellowish flowers produced 

 at the ends of the branches in eaily 

 summer. In the autumn the plant is 

 rendered attractive by the red bladdery 

 fruits or follicles. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 species will flourish in ordinary good 

 garden soil, especially if it consist chiefly 

 of rich loam. A warm sheltered situation 



