510 PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS buphthalmum 



tered entire leaves. Flowers yellow, in 

 hemispherical heads. Receptacles convex. 

 Pappus membanous-chaffy, shortly cup- 

 shaped. Achenes angled, smooth or 

 papUlose. 



A. alatum. — A beautiful Australian 

 ' Everlasting,' lJ-2 ft. high, with winged 

 stems. Leaves oblong lance-shaped; 

 lower ones in tufted rosettes. Flowers 

 from May to September, about 1 in. 

 across, silvery white, vidth yeUow centres ; 

 in loose, corymbose panicles. The variety 

 granddfloritm has much larger and purer 

 white flowers than the type, and comes 

 true from seed. 



Culture and Propagation. — This plant 

 is best treated as a half-hardy annual or 

 biennial, but in warm, sandy soil it be- 

 comes a perennial. Seeds may be sown 

 in a cold frame in September, and the 

 seedlings protected during the winter. 

 Or they may be sown in slight heat about 

 February or March, so as to be ready for 

 the border about June. For the general 

 treatment of annuals and biennials see 

 p. 78. 



INULA. — A genus containing less 

 than 60 species of herbaceous perennials 

 with radical or alternate, entire or serrate 

 leaves. Flower -heads yellow ; ray florets 

 rarely white, strap-shaped, numerous ; 

 disc florets very numerous, tubular, her- 

 maphrodite. Involucre hemispherical, 

 with bracts spreading at the points. Re- 

 ceptacle flat or nearly so, pitted or 

 honeycombed. 



Culture and Propagation. — Inulas 

 gi'ow well in ordinary garden soil, and 

 are easily increased in early autumn or 

 spring by dividing the roots, or by seeds, 

 the latter being sown either when ripe in 

 cold frames or in spring in the open border 

 if more plants are required than can be 

 obtained by division. By cutting the roots 

 into pieces about 2 in. long, and sHghtly 

 covering them with light and rich sandy 

 soil and placing in gentle heat during the 

 winter or early spring months a good 

 supply of plants can also be obtained. 

 Being vigorous and somewhat coarse m 

 growth, they are more suitable for wild 

 or rough parts of the garden. The best 

 results are obtained by good cultivation, 

 and a good top-dressing of manure in 

 autumn or winter is very beneficial. 



I. glandulosa. — A hairy- stemmed Cau- 

 casian species, about 2 ft. high, with ses- 

 sile, oblong, obscurely serrated leaves. 



Flowers in July and August, orange- 

 yellow, 4-6 in. across, with hairy invo- 

 lucres, and long narrow ray florets. 



Culture do. as above. This species 

 does not seed freely in some localities, but 

 it may be easily increased by division of 

 the roots and also by root cuttings. 



I. grandiflora. — This is a fine Hima- 

 layan perennial about 2 ft. high, and some- 

 what resembUug I. glandulosa. The 

 flower-heads appear in summer and are 

 quite as large as those of I. glandulosa, 

 and of a bright orange-yellow colour. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



I. Helenium (Elecavipane). — A strong- 

 growing British perennial, 3-4 ft. high. 

 Leaves oblong stalked below, ovate serrate 

 wrinkled and sessile above. Flowers in 

 summer, yeUow, in large solitary heads 

 about 3 in. across. 



Culture rtc. as above. 



L Hookeri. — A native of the Sikkim 

 Himalayas 1-2 ft. high. Leaves 3-4 in. 

 long, sessile or narrowed into short stalks, 

 oblong lance-shaped, pointed, minutely 

 toothed, hairy above, downy beneath. 

 Flowers in September, pale yellow, in 

 somewhat sweet-scented heads, 2^31 in. 

 across ; ray florets linear, 1 in. or more 

 long ; involucre broad, shaggy. 



Culture dc. as above. 



I. Oculus Christi. — An ornamental 

 perennial 1^-2 ft. high, native of Eastern 

 Europe. Leaves broadly lance -shaped, 

 obtuse, entire or slightly toothed, rather 

 dovimy. Flowers in summer, bright 

 golden-yellow, 3', in. or so across. In- 

 volucre very downy. 



Culture dc. as above. 



BUPHTHALMUM.— A genus con- 

 taining 4 species of loosely branched, or 

 tall, smooth, rough, or hairy perennials 

 with alternate entire or toothed leaves. 

 Flower-heads large, yellow, solitary at the 

 ends of the stems. Receptacle convex. 

 Achenes smooth. 



Culture and Propagatio)i. — Buph- 

 thalmums grow well in ordinary garden 

 soil, and are easily increased by division 

 of the roots in early spring or autumn. 

 Seeds are ripened freely, and may be sown 

 when ripe in cold frames, or in sprin^i;. 

 The seedlings arc pricked out and trans- 

 ferred to the open air when large enough. 

 It is, however, scarcely necessary to in- 

 crease the stock from seeds, as the plants 

 are so easily divided. 



