340 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS clianthus 



NOTOSPARTIUM.— A genus con- 

 taining only the one species here described 

 with the generic characters : — 



N. Carmichaeliae. — A very interesting 

 and rather ornamental tree, native of Nevy 

 Zealand. It grows about 20 ft. high in 

 weU-favoured localities and is easily recog- 

 nised by its slender branches and drooping 

 thong-like shoots which are destitute of 

 leaves. The rather small pink or rosy 

 flowers are borne during the summer 

 months in racemes at the sides of the 

 twigs, and give the plant a distinct and 

 attractive appearance, resembhng some of 

 the Brooms. Calyx teeth short, nearly 

 equal. The standard petal roundish, con- 

 tracted at the base into a very short claw ; 

 vpings oblong sickle-shaped, free ; keel 

 incurved, blunt. Stamens 10, the upper 

 one free. Pod linear, flatly compressed. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 singular plant proves to be hardy out of 

 doors in ordinary winters in the neighbour- 

 hood of London. It likes warm and shel- 

 tered situations fully exposed to the sim, 

 and will flourish in ordinary good and 

 well -drained garden soil, or a mixture of 

 sandy peat and loam. It produces seeds 

 freely and may be increased by this means. 

 The seeds may be sown in cold frames as 

 soon as ripe or in spring ; cuttings of the 

 ripened shoots will also root in sandy soil 

 under the protection of a haridUght. 



CLIANTHUS (GloeyPea; Parrot 

 Beak). — A genus of smooth or hairy 

 climbing herbs or undershrubs with 

 many-foliolate leaves, herbaceous stipules, 

 and flowers in short, drooping, axillary 

 racemes. Calyx teeth almost equal, the 

 2 upper ones broader at the base. Stan- 

 dard petal pointed, reflexed, longer than 

 the falcate lance-shaped wings ; keel 

 straight or incurved, acute. Stamens 10, 

 upper one free. Pod swollen, oblong, 

 pointed, incurved. 



C. Dampieri {Glory Pea). — A beautiful 

 Australian species about 2 ft. high, with 

 neatly winged, silver-grey, hairy leaves, 

 and drooping clusters of large red flowers 

 5 or 6 on a stalk, witli a blackish or 

 dark purple blotch at the base of the 

 standard petal. The variety marginatus 

 has white flowers bordered with red, and 

 a black blotch at the base of the standard. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 plant unfortunately is not quite hardy 

 even in the mildest parts of the British 

 Islands and should be slightly protected 



in winter. Kich loamy soil and hot sunny 

 positions suit it best. It may be raised 

 from seeds sown under glass in gentle 

 bottom heat, or may be increased from 

 cuttings of the young shoots put in sandy 

 soU under glass diudng the spring and 

 early summer months. 



C. puniceus {Parrot's BUT). — A bril- 

 liant New Zealand silky-haired species 

 6-10 ft. high. Leaflets tdternate, oblong, 

 leathery, retuse. Flowers in summer, 

 scarlet, freely produced, with a large, boat- 

 shaped, long-beaked keel. Magnifieua 

 is a strong-growing variety much hardier 

 than the type. A writer in the ' Gardeners' 

 Chronicle ' some years ago referred to a 

 plant he grew on a south wall. It was 

 14 ft. high and had upwards of a thousand 

 flowers all fuUy expanded at one time. The 

 plant was killed down vrithin 3-4 ft. of 

 the ground in winter, and although two 

 seedlings from it flowered and seeded in 

 the open air in summer, they were both 

 killed the succeeding winter. On the 

 south-west coast of Scotland this variety 

 seems to be hardy in ordinary winters. 



Culture dc. The treatment of this 

 species is the same as for C. Dampieri. 

 Both species are very remarkable and 

 beautifiil when well grown, but it often 

 happens that with the greatest care and 

 the best cultural skiU the plants fail to 

 give an adequate return for the trouble 

 bestowed upon them. 



COLUTEA (Bladder Senna). — A 

 genus containing 7 or 8 species of smooth 

 or somewhat silky-downy shrubs, with 

 oddly pinnate leaves, small stipules and 

 flowers in axillary racemes. Calyx teeth 

 nearly equal. Standard petal roundish ; 

 wings sickle-shaped oblong, short-clawed ; 

 keel broad, much inciirved, blunt, with 

 long united claws. Stamens 10, upper 

 one free. Pod stalk papery, inflated, or 

 bladder-like, and forming the main char- 

 acter of the genus. 



Culture and Propagation. — Coluteas 

 grow readily in any ordinary soU and in 

 any situation, and may be increased from 

 seeds sown as soon as ripe or in spring in 

 warm sheltered spots out of doors ; or cut- 

 tings of the more or less ripened shoots 

 inserted in sandy soil in autumn will 

 root freely under a handlight, and may 

 be transplanted during mild weather the 

 following spring. 



C. arborescens. — A native of Central 

 and S. Europe 6-10 ft. high. Leaflets 



