538 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS aetemisia 



Culture and Propagation. — The fol- 

 lowing are the only plants of the genus 

 worth growing. They thrive in ordinary 

 soil, and may be easily increased by divi- 

 sion in autumn or spring. They are 

 chiefly useful for making carpets or borders 

 as a relief to taller and more brilliant 

 plants. 



T. leucophyllum. — A native of Turke- 

 stan about 9 in. high, covered with silky- 

 white hairs. Leaves sessile or shortly 

 stalked, roundish ovate ; lower ones twice, 

 upper once, pinnately cut. Flowers in 

 summer, golden-yellow. 



Culture rf-c. as above. 



T. vulgare crispum. — This variety is 

 cultivated for the beauty of its deeply cut 

 emerald green foliage, with more or less 

 waved and crested segments. It is a good 

 plant for the rockery, and is easily in- 

 creased by dividing the roots in autumin or 

 spring. The flowers should be picked off. 



Culture dc. as above. 



ARTEMISIA (MuGwoBT ; Southern- 

 wood ; Wormwood). — This genus contains 

 150-200 species of more or less hoary, 

 scented herbs or low bushes, with alter- 

 nate, entire, incised, or once, twice, or 

 thrice pinnately dissected leaves. Flowers 

 rather small, more or less drooping, in 

 panicled racemes or heads, or solitary or 

 corymbose. Disc florets tubular. Bay 

 florets, if any, slender, pointed. 



Culture and Propagation. — Artemisias 

 are grown chiefly for the graceful appear- 

 ance of the foliage, and not the flowers, 

 which are not of a particularly handsome 

 type. The plants desci-ibed below thrive 

 in any ordinary soil, no matter how dry, 

 when they are well established. The 

 herbaceous kinds are easily increased by 

 dividing the roots in early spring, or cut- 

 tings of the yomig shoots may be inserted 

 in sandy soil in cold frames and kept 

 shaded from the sun until fairly well 

 rooted ; the shrubby kinds from cuttings 

 in summer and autumn in the same way ; 

 and the annuals from seeds sown in the 

 open border in April and May or in cold 

 frames when ripe and afterwards trans- 

 planted in spring. The Wormwood {A. 

 Absinthium), with silky white divided 

 1 eaves and drooping roundish yellow flower- 

 heads, may be mentioned here as it is so 

 well known as a herb, and also because it 

 enters largely into the composition of the 

 liqueur called Absinth. 



A. Abrotanum {Southernwood). — A 

 fragrant-smelling deciduous shrub 2-4 ft. 

 high, native of Europe. Lower leaves 

 twice, upper once, pinnate. Flowers from 

 August to October, yellowish. 



Culture £c. as above. Increased by 

 division or cuttings. 



A. alpina. — A dwarf tufted Caucasian 

 species 6-10 in. high. Leaves pinnately 

 cut into linear lobes, and covered with 

 silky white hairs. Flowers in summer, 

 yellow. A good plant for the rockery. 



Culture dc. as above. Increased by 

 division or cuttings. 



A. anethifolia. — A graceful perennial 

 3-5 ft. high, with greyish-green leaves, 

 finely divided into fine thread-like seg- 

 ments. Flowers late in summer, small, 

 whitish, in a panicle nearly 2 ft. long. 



Culture dc. as above. Increased by 

 division or cuttings. Native of Siberia. 



A. annua. — A graceful annual 5-6 ft. 

 high with bright green, deeply cut leaves, 

 and small yellow flowers in panicles. 



Calivre dc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds sown in the open border in April 

 and May. Native of E. Europe and N. 

 Asia. 



A. argentea. — A pretty rockery plant 

 about IJ ft. high, native of Madeira. 

 Leaves ovate oblong, freely di'S'ided, and 

 densely covered with silky white hairs. 

 Flowers in July, pale yellow, in roundish, 

 closely packed heads. 



Culture dc. as above. Increased by 

 division or cuttings. 



A. cxrulescens. — A beautiful evergreen 

 shrub about 2 ft. high, native of S. Europe. 

 Leaves silky white, mostly lance-shaped, 

 the lower ones variously divided. Flowers 

 in August, bluish, in erect cylindrical 

 racemes. 



Cnltiiic dc. as above. Increased by 

 cuttings or division. 



A. cana. — A distinct and vigorous N. 

 American perennial 2-3 ft. high. Lower 

 leaves wedge-shaped, sharply 3-cleft ; 

 upper ones linear-lance-shaped, 3-nerved, 

 all covered with silky white hairs. Flowers 

 in August, yeUow, small, in a close-spiked 

 panicle. 



Culture dc. as above. Increased by 

 di^•ision or cuttings. 



A. frigida. — A silvery creeping Siberian 

 species 6-12 in. high, with leaves pinnately 

 divided into narrow segments. Flowers 



