ACANTHOLIMON 



THRIFT OBDEB 



STATICB 601 



simple, entire or with a short clasping stalk ; or alternate on a branching stem 

 with swollen joints. Stipules none. Flowers hermaphrodite regular. Calyx 

 inferior, gamosepalous, tubular or funnel-shaped, 5-10- or 15-ribbed, the 5 

 primary ones often produced into teeth or lobes. Corolla gamopetalous, 5-lobed, 

 hypogynous ; lobes sometimes only cohering at the base. Stamens 5, opposite 

 the petals or corolla-lobes. Ovary superior, sessile or with the corolla slightly 

 stalked, 1-celled. Styles 5. 



ACANTHOLIMON (Prickly 

 Thrift). — A genus containing according 

 to some authors over 80 species of prickly 

 bushes with tufted rigid linear somewhat 

 triangled leaves, often sharply pointed or 

 spiny, rarely short, blunt, and imbricate. 

 Flowers on simple or forked scapes or 

 peduncles. Calyx funnel-shaped, 10- 

 ribbed, 5- toothed or lobed. Petals 5, 

 united at the base with the stamens, or 

 free, oblong or obovate. 



Culture and Propagation. — These 

 rather slow-growing plants flourish in 

 sandy soil in sunny positions, and are 

 more suitable for the rock garden than 

 the flower border proper. They may be 

 increased by seeds sown in cold frames, 

 or on a warm shady border. They sprout 

 rather slowly, but when large enough to 

 handle may be transplanted. Large tufts 

 may have the shoots layered in early 

 autumn. Some fine sandy soil may be 

 worked in carefully among the plants, the 

 branches being slightly cut or torn, 

 and covered, and afterwards well watered. 

 By spring most of the shoots thus treated 

 will be ready for severing from the parent 

 plant. Cuttings may also be inserted in 

 late summer, say August and September, 

 in sandy soil in cold frames, where they 

 may remain until spring or imtil well 

 rooted. 



A. acerosum. — This is a rare species, 

 native of Asia Minor. It forms dense 

 masses of stiffish glaucous sharp-pointed 

 leaves. The rosy flowers, not quite so 

 large as those of A. gVwmacewn, appear in 

 July and August. 



Culture dc. as above. 



A. glumaceum (Statice Ararati). — A 

 compact and fairly free-growing Armenian 

 species about 6 in. high, with dense 

 masses of sharply pointed leaves. Flow- 

 ers in summer, rosy, about ^ in. across, 

 6-8 in a spikelet. 



Culture dc. as above. 



A. Kotschyi. — A rare and handsome 

 species about 6 in. high, native of the 



East, with prickly leaves, and long spikes 

 of white flowers produced well above the 

 foliage during the summer months. 

 Culture dc. as above. 



A. venustum. — A beautiful but rare 

 alpine 6-8 in. high, native of CiUcia, with 

 sharply pointed linear glaucous leaves. 

 Flowers in summer, rosy, 12-20 on each 

 arching spike. 



Culture dc. as above. 



STATICE (Sea Lavendee). — A 

 genus containing 100 or more species of 

 perennial, rarely annual, herbs, bushes or 

 shrubs, many of which are not hardy 

 enough for our climate. Leaves in the 

 stemless species radical and in rosettes; 

 clustered in the tufted bushes ; and some- 

 what scattered, alternate, entire, linear, 

 spoon-shaped, or sinuately pinnatifid or 

 dissected. Flowers often in branched 

 racemes, corymbs, or panicles. Calyx 

 often funnel-shaped and 10-ribbed, with 

 5 toothed or bristly lobes. Petals, with 

 the stamens, united in a ring at the base, 

 or free, oblong-obovate, heart-shaped, 

 2-cleft. 



Culture and Propagation. — Statices 

 flourish in ordinary garden soil which is 

 fairly sandy. They are fine plants for 

 the border or rockery, and when in bloom 

 their hundreds of small close-set flowers 

 have a charming effect. These are more 

 or less dry and membranaceous and last 

 a very long time after being out, often 

 well into winter when dried like ' Ever- 

 lastings.' 



The annual and biennial species may 

 be raised from seed sown in spring in 

 gentle heat, the seedlings being planted 

 out in May or June. Seeds may also be 

 sown when ripe in autumn in cold frames 

 or greenhouses, and the seedlings grown 

 on in pots under glass during the winter 

 months. By May they will be fine and 

 sturdy and -fit for the outdoor garden, 

 where they will flower sooner than plants 

 raised from seed in spring. The perennial 

 kinds may beincreased in the same way. 



