LESPEDEZA 



LABUBNUM AND BBOOM OBDEB 



viciA 347 



in great profusion dvu'ing the summer 

 months in long slender drooping racemes 

 6-8 in. long, and give the plant a charac- 

 teristic appearance. There is also a white- 

 flowered form whicn is very handsome. 



Culture and Propagation. — Although 

 usually described as a shrub, L. Sieboldi 

 is in reality an herbaceous perennial, as its 

 stems are cut down to the ground every 

 winter. New ones appear every spring, 

 and the number thus increases and adds 

 to the effect when in bloom. This species 

 may be easily increased by division of 

 the roots in early autumn and also in 

 spring ; and also by seeds in the same way 

 as for L. bicolor. 



Other species of recent introduction 

 are L. Delavayi from Yunnan. It grows 

 3-6 ft. high and has a bushy habit. The 

 3 blunt elliptic leaflets are green above 

 and silvery beneath, and the deep purple 

 or violet flowers are borne in large pani- 

 cles at the ends of the branches. L. 

 macrocarpa from N. China is a shrub 

 with racemes of small purple flowers, and 

 L. trigonoclada is a remarkable herba- 

 ceous perennial with triangular stems, 

 smooth leathery leaves, and panicles of 

 pale yellow or whitish flowers. It is a 

 native of China. 



VICIA. — A genus with over 100 

 species of annual or perennial herbs, with 

 abruptly pinnate leaves, the stalks of 

 which often end in a simple or branched 

 tendril. Flowers axillary or racemose. 

 Standard petal obovate or oblong, emar- 

 ginate ; wings obliquely oblong, adhering 

 to the falcate oblong or broad keel 

 at the middle. Upper stamen free, or 

 more or less united with the other nine. 

 Pod flattened. 



Culture and Propagation. — When 

 grown in large clusters in borders some 

 of the Vicias are very effective when in 

 bloom, but afterwards they present a 

 somewhat straggling and disorderly 

 appearance. The weak stems require 

 branches to hold them up. They will 

 grow in any garden soil in open situations 

 and may be increased by seeds sown 

 either in spring or autumn in the open 

 border ; or in the case of perennials, by 

 dividing the rootstock also in early 

 autumn or spring. 



V. argentea.^ — A Pyrenean perennial 

 about 1 ft. high, with 4-angled stems, 

 silvery leaves without tendrils, and 

 oblong-linear, muoronate leaflets. Flow- 



ers in June, pink, many on a stalk, with 

 a black-spotted keel. 

 Culture dc. as above. 



V. Cracca {Cow Vetch; Tufted 

 Vetch). — A rather pretty British perennial 

 2-6 ft. long. Leaves 1-4 in. long, with 

 many linear-oblong, acute or mucronate 

 leaflets. Flowers from June to August, 

 bright blue, in dense racemes. 



Culture dc. as above. 



V. gigantea. — An ornamental species 

 3-5 ft. high. Leaves with about 13 pairs 

 of oblong, mucronate leaflets. Flowers in 

 June and July. 



Culture dc. as above. 



V. onobrychioides. — A pretty South 

 European annual 2 ft. high. Leaflets 

 numerous, linear, obtuse, or mucronulate. 

 Flowers in June, purple, many on a, long 

 stalk. 



Culture dc. as above. 



V. tenuifolia. — A climbing perennial 

 1-2 ft. high, native of Germany and 

 Tauria. Leaflets linear, smoothish, 

 mucronate. Flowers in June, violet, in 

 clustered, long-stalked racemes. 



Culture dc. as above. 



LATHYRUS (Sweet and Everlast- 

 ing Pea). — A genus containing about 100 

 well-marked species of dwarf or climbing 

 annual or perennial herbs. Leaves 

 pinnate, the stalk ending in a tendril. 

 Stipules leafy, more or less arrow-shaped, 

 rarely entire at the base. Flowers on 

 axOlary, elongated stalks, solitary or 

 racemed. Standard petal broadly ovate 

 or roundish, emarginate ; wings falcate- 

 obovate or oblong, slightly adhering at 

 the middle of the shorter incurved obtuse 

 keel, or nearly free ; upper stamen free or 

 more or less united with the others. Pod 

 flattened or nearly round. For cutting 

 purposes both Sweet and Everlasting Peas 

 are extremely valuable. The blossoms 

 last a long time in water, and by constantly 

 cutting the sprays fresh flowers are 

 developed. 



Culture and Propagation. — Most of 

 the Lathyrus are pretty garden plants. 

 They thrive in rich loamy soil, but many 

 of them are not particular so long as the 

 ground is fairly good. Grown as masses 

 over rough slender branches in the open 

 border, against walls, over trellises or 

 arbours, both the annual and perennial 

 kinds look very effective. The perennial 

 sorts may be divided at the root in spring ; 



