514 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS budbeckia 



green above, silvery white and hairy 

 beneath. Flowers from August to Octo- 

 ber, white with a yellow centre. 



Culture lie. as above. 



M. tomentosa. — A shrub about 3 ft. 

 high, with heart-shaped oblong-toothed 

 woolly leaves, and white flowers in Sept- 

 ember in compound corymbs. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



RUDBECKIA (Cone Flower).— A 

 genus containing about 25 species of N. 

 American pereimials with alternate or 

 rarely opposite, entire, toothed, incised, 

 or pinnatisect leaves. Flower heads 

 soHtary or few, on Ipng stalks ; involucre 

 hemispherical, the bracts in 2, 3, or 4 

 series ; receptacle much elevated, cone- 

 like or columnar; ray florets strap- 

 shaped, spreading, often elongated, entire, 

 or with 2-8 short teeth at the apex. 



Culture wnd Propagation. — Eudbeck- 

 ias grow well in ordinary garden soil, but 

 the richer it is the better. Grown in 

 masses the most showy kinds I i ie iJ. 

 speciosa and R. maxima are very fine. 

 They may be increased by dividing the 

 roots after flowering or in early spring. 

 Also by seeds sown as soon as ripe in 

 cold frames, or in gentle heat in spring, 

 afterwards pricking the seedlings out and 

 growing on until about the middle or end 

 of May, when they may be planted in 

 the open border. Seeds may also be 

 sown out of doors in April and May, and 

 the plants may be thinned out afterwards. 

 The annual species of course can only be 

 raised from seeds sown as above directed. 



R. amplexicaulis (Dracopis ample.ri- 

 caulis). — A bushy Mexican annual 1^-3 

 ft. high, with oval oblong stem-clasping 

 leaves of a rather blue-green tint. The 

 flower-heads are borne in great abund- 

 ance during the summer and autumn 

 months and consist of 6-8 ray florets 

 surromiding a purple conical or cylindrical 

 disc, which increases in length with age. 



Culture dtc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds sown when ripe in cold frames ; in 

 spring in gentle heat, and in the open 

 border in April and May. 



R. bicolor. — This is a dwarf branching 

 annual with bright yellow flowers and 

 blackish-purple conical disc, borne from 

 July to September. It requires to be 

 sown in slight heat in February or March, 

 and planted out in May or June. 



Culture (fc. as above. Increased by 

 seed . 



R. californica. — A vigorous Californian 

 perennial 5-6 ft. high, with oval pointed 

 roughish leaves, having an occasional lobe 

 or tooth, the lower ones about 1 ft. long 

 and 6 in. broad, narrowed into a stalk. 

 Flowers in summer, golden-yellow, about 

 5 in. across, with a dark brovra conical 

 disc 2 in. or more high. 



Culture dec. as above. Grows well in 

 shade. 



R. columnaris {Lepachys columnaris). 

 A pretty N. American pereimial 2-3 ft. 

 high, vidth leaves pinnately cut into sharp- 

 pointed linear lance-shaped segments. 

 Flower-heads with broadly oblong elliptic 

 drooping ray florets of a citron or orange- 

 yellow colour, and a purplish cylindrical 

 disc in the centre. 



Culture d-c. as above. 



R. Drummondi. — A very handsome 

 greyish-green downy plant, 1^-2 ft. high, 

 native of Mexico. Leaves alternate, 

 pinnate, with linear toothed segments ; 

 lower ones not so deeply cut. Flowers 

 from June to September, yellow, vrith a 

 large velvety blotch of purple-brown, and 

 a brownish conical disc about 1 in. high. 

 This species is sometimes called OheJis- 

 cariapulcherrima. Although a pereimial 

 it is not quite hardy in northern parts, and 

 in such localities is best raised from seeds 

 annually as above directed. 



Culture dc. as above. 



R. fulgida (B. chrysomela). — A hairy 

 species 2-3 ft. high, with oblong spoon- 

 shaped or lance-shaped, stem-clasping 3- 

 nerved leaves, lower ones toothed, upper 

 entire. Flowers late in summer, 2-3 in. 

 across, orange-yellow, with a dark purple 

 conical disc. 



Culture (fc. as above. 



R. grandiflora. — A pretty angular- 

 stemmed species 3-4 ft. high. Lower 

 leaves ovate crenate toothed ; upper ones 

 lance-shaped, roughish, obscurely crenate, 

 all staUced. Flowers in September, 3-4 

 in. across, with a raised dark pm-ple disc. 

 Native of America. 



Culture ifc. as above. 



R. hirta. — A very rough and bristly 

 hairy plant 1-2 ft. high. Lower leaves 

 spoon-shaped 3-nerved ; upper ones oblong 

 or lance-shaped, all sessile. Flowers from 

 June to August 3-4 in. across, yellow, 

 with a dark purple-brown disc. 



Culture ifc. as above. Will grow in 

 shade. 



