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PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS astbantu 



E. bromelisefolium. — A distinct Mexi- 

 can plant 3-4 ft. high, with broadly lanoe- 

 shaped linear, paraUel-veined leaves, 

 having awl-shaped teeth along the mar- 

 gins and reminding one of some of the 

 tropical Bromelias. Flowers in July, 

 white, in round heads, with 10 lance- 

 shaped acute bracts. 



Cultv/re (tc. as above. 



E. caeruleum. — A pretty Himalayan 

 perennial 2-3 ft. high, with oblong, entire 

 or slightly crenate lower leaves, borne on 

 long stalks, the upper ones on the stems 

 being stalkless and palmately divided. 

 The steel-blue flowers appear in summer 

 in heads surrounded by steel-blue spiny 

 bracts. 



Culture dc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds or division. Quite hardy in most 

 places in well-drained soil. 



E. corniculatum. — -This closely re- 

 sembles E. alpvnuin in appearance and 

 might easily be mistaken for it if the two 

 species were not seen side by side. It 

 grows about 2 ft. high, and has smaller 

 and more loosely arranged steely-blue 

 flower heads and bracts. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



E. eburneum. — This species is a native 

 of Monte Video, and is closely related to 

 E. hromeUcefolAuTn. It grows 4-6 ft. 

 high and has stiffer and stronger stems. 

 The leaves are also broader and stiffer, 

 and are slightly recurving. It produces 

 its heads of whitish flowers tinged with 

 yellow in July and August, and is on the 

 whole a very ornamental plant for massing 

 in groups for subtropical effect. 



Culture dc. as above. 



E. giganteum. — A native of the 

 Caucasus 3-4 ft. high, with forked stems. 

 Leaves heart-shaped, lower ones entire, 

 roughish, downy or smooth beneath, net- 

 veined, crenate-toothed ; upper ones stem- 

 clasping, deeply lobed, spiny. Flowers in 

 summer, blue, in ovoid heads, surrounded 

 by 8-9 ovate or lance-shaped, deeply out, 

 spiny bracts of a more or less beautiful 

 blue-green tint. 



Culture dc. as above. This species 

 flourishes in almost any position so long 

 as the soil is well drained. 



E. maritimum {Common Sea Holly). 

 A native of the sandy shores of the British 

 Islands, with stout stems 1-2 ft. high. 

 Leaves of a whitish glaucous hue, lower 

 ones roundish, 3-lobed, spiny, upper ones 



Flowers from July to October, 

 bluish- white, in ovoid heads, with 5-7 

 ovate, spiny-serrate bracts. 

 Cultv/re dc. as above. 



E. oliverianum. — This species is often 

 confused vnth E. amethystinum. It 

 grows much taller than that species, from 

 2-4 ft. In habit and general appearance 

 it resembles E. alpinum, and produces in 

 great abundance its heads of bright steely- 

 blue flowers, with 10-12 bracts, during 

 the summer. 



Culture dc. as above. Easily raised 

 from seeds. 



E. pandanifolium. — A noble species 

 from Monte Video, 10-15 ft. high. Lower 

 leaves 4-6 ft. long, very glaucous, concave, 

 pointed, with spiny margins. Flowers 

 pm-plish, in rather small roundish heads 

 with scarcely any bracts. 



Culture dc. as above. This fine 

 species is perhaps not quite so hardy as 

 some of the others, but it grows very well 

 in southern parts. As a single specimen 

 on a lawn it looks well. E. Lasseauxi is 

 nearly related, and quite hardy. It grows 

 only 6-7 ft. high, however, and its narrow 

 leaves rarely exceed a yard in length. 



E. planum. — A native of E. Europe, 

 1-2 ft. high, with white and blue stems. 

 Lower leaves ovate heart-shaped, cre- 

 nated, undivided, on long stalks; upper 

 ones stalkless, more or less 5-parted and 

 serrated. Flowers in summer, blue, in 

 rounded heads, with 6-8 lance-shaped, 

 remotely spiny-toothed bracts. 



Culture dc. as above. 



ASTRANTIA (Masterwoet). — A 

 genus of smooth, erect, often branched, 

 herbaceous perennials, with palmately 

 lobed and dissected toothed leaves. Um- 

 bels simple or irregularly compound, sm-- 

 rounded by an involucre of many radiating, 

 often coloured bracts. Flowers poly- 

 gamous, the fertile ones on shorter stalks 

 than the sterile. Calyx teeth very sharp. 

 Petals notched with a long inflexed point. 

 Fruit ovoid or oblong, almost round ; 

 commissure broad ; carpophore none. 



Culture and Propagation. — Astrantias 

 although not particularly showy have a 

 peculiar beauty of their own. They grow 

 in any ordinary soil, but prefer a rather 

 damp position, and are useful for banks, 

 borders, or woodland waUis. They may 

 be increased by division in early autumn 

 or spring. Seeds may also be sown in 



