SENBOIO 



DAISY OBDEB 



SBNECIO 541 



cylindrical bell-shaped or nearly hemi- 

 spherical. Bay florets sometimes absent 

 as in the common Groundsel (8. vulgaris). 

 Aohenes smooth or slightly hairy. Pap- 

 pus silky white. 



Culture amd Propagation. — Most of 

 the Senecios are coarse and often trouble- 

 some weeds. The few kinds mentioned 

 below are more or less worthy of a place 

 in the garden. They are easily grown in 

 any fairly good loamy soil and most of 

 them like plenty of sun, while a few like 

 8. japonicus and 8, sarracenicus like to 

 grow near water. They are all easily 

 raised from seeds sown in spring, and the 

 perennial kinds may also be divided at the 

 root at the same period. Cuttings of the 

 young fleshy shoots in a shaded frame 

 will also root in spring and early summer 

 if inserted in sandy soil, and kept shaded 

 from strong sunshine ; and cuttings of the 

 roots themselves may sometimes be used 

 to increase the stock. 



S. argenteus. — A beautiful Chilian 

 bush 1-2 ft. high, with silvery linear 

 entire leaves 1^ in. long and branching 

 stems. Flowers in summer, yellowish, 

 solitary. 



CuUv/re and Propagation. — Often 

 grown in greenhouses, but quite hardy in 

 most parts of the comitry. It likes sandy 

 well-drajined loam either in the border or 

 rockery and may be increased by cuttings 

 as stated above. 



S. artemisiaefolius. — A pretty perennial 

 1-1^ ft. high, with deep green finely 

 divided feathery leaves, and clusters of 

 showy yellow flowers in summer. Suit- 

 able for the rookery or border. 



Culture So. as above. 



S. Cineraria. — This beautiful half- 

 shrubby perennial li-2J ft. high, native 

 of S. Prance, is best known as Cineraria 

 maritima. It is remarkable for its white 

 silvery appearance, and leaves pinnately 

 cut into from 4 to 6 pairs of oblong, blunt, 

 3-lobed segments. Flowers late in sum- 

 mer, yellow, in panicled corymbs. The 

 variety camdiddssima has far whiter 

 foliage than the type, and is a better 

 plant. 



Culture a/nd Propagation. — This is 

 excellent for the edges of borders or 

 shrubberies, or around masses of shrubs 

 or flowers on grass. It is easily raised 

 from seed sown in gentle heat in early 

 spring and planted out at the end of 

 May. Cuttings may also be taken in the 



autumn and wintered in a cold frame or 

 greenhouse until the following season. 



S. concolor. — A pretty S. African 

 perennial 1-2 ft. high, with narrow ob- 

 lanceolate toothed leaves 4-6 in. long, 

 narrowed into a stalk at the base. The 

 flower-heads about 1\ in. across appear in 

 July, and are borne in loose corymbs on 

 round striped stems furnished with broadly 

 linear stem-clasping leaves. The ray 

 florets, which are 12-14 in number, are 

 mauve-purple, while those of the disc are 

 white — one of the most distinct features 

 of the plant. 



Culture Sc. as above. This species is 

 probably too tender to stand the winter 

 out of doors except in the mildest parts of 

 the kingdom. 



S. Doria. — A bold and handsome 

 perennial 4-6 ft. high, native of S. Europe. 

 Leaves ovate lance-shaped, 8-12 in. long, 

 stem-clasping, leathery, minutely toothed, 

 gradually becoming smaller all up the 

 stem to the clusters of yellow flowers 

 which appear in July and August. 



Culture dc. as above. 



S. Doronicum. — A showy perennial 

 1-3 ft. high, native of Central Europe. 

 Lower leaves ovate heart-shaped or lance- 

 shaped elliptic, leathery, toothed. Flowers 

 in summer, bright yellow, 2 in. across. 



Culture Ac. as above. 



S. elegans. — A beautiful S. African 

 half-hardy annual 1-2 ft. high, with rather 

 clammy and downy stems and leaves, the 

 latter l|--3 in. long, lobed at the base, 

 variously shaped and cut. Flowers from 

 July to October ; ray florets purple, disc 

 yellow. There is a dwarf variety noma 

 about 1 ft. high, and also forms with 

 white, deep crimson, lilac, rose and ma- 

 genta, flowers all worth growing. The 

 Double Pompon varieties have double 

 flowers of shades mentioned. 



Cultwre amd Propagation. — Grown 

 in masses, the varieties of 8. elegans 

 are effective in the flower border, their 

 gay flowers being well set off by their 

 abundant deep green fohage. They like a 

 rich sandy loam, the richer the better. 



Seeds may be sown to secure a suc- 

 cession at intervals in April and May in 

 the open border, thinning the seedlings 

 out 12 or 18 in. apart, or they may be 

 sown earher in heat and transplanted in 

 June. Seeds may also be sown in cold 

 frames about September and protected 



