STACHYS 



LAVENDEB OBDEB 



STACHYS 755 



stocks and more or less hairy erect simple 

 or branched stems 1-2 ft. high. Leaves 

 more or less shortly stalked, ovate or 

 oblong crenate-serrate, hairy on the 

 nerves beneath, 1^2 in. long. Flowers 

 in May and June, 2-lipped, 1-1^ in. long, 

 creamy white, spotted with pink or ptir- 

 ple ; whorls axillary, 2-6-flowered. Calyx 

 broadly bell-shaped; upper lip roundish, 

 irregularly 3-lobed ; lower lip with 2 

 rounded lobes. Stamens 4, didynamous. 

 Nutlets ovoid smooth. The variety 

 grandiflora is distinguished by its cream- 

 coloured flowers with a purple-red middle 

 lobe to the lower Up. There is also a rare 

 variety with pure white flowers. 



Culture and Propagation. — This spe- 

 cies flourishes in ordinary garden soil, 

 especially in rich well-manured loam, m 

 partially shaded places near woods, walks, 

 margins of shrubberies &o. It is increased 

 by dividing the rootstocks early in autumn, 

 and by sowing seeds in the open ground 

 about April and May. 



STACHYS (Hedge Nettle ; Wound 

 WoET). — A genus of tall perennial or 

 diffuse annual herbs, rarely bushes or 

 undershrubs, with entire or toothed leaves 

 and sessile or shortly stallied flowers in 

 terminal racemes or spikes. Calyx tubu- 

 lar-bell-shaped, 5- or 10-ribbed, more or 

 less equally 5-toothed. Corolla 2-lipped 

 with a cyUndrical, straight, or incurved 

 tube scarcely dilated at the throat and 

 sometimes having a ring of hairs inside ; 

 upper lip erect, often concave or arched 

 entire or slightly emarginate ; the lower 

 lip spreading 3-lobed, the middle lobe 

 larger and broader entire emarginate or 

 divaricately 2-cleft. Stamens 4, didyna- 

 rnous, the lower pair longer and some- 

 times protruding. Nutlets ovoid or oblong, 

 blunt. 



Culture wnd Propagation. — About 

 200 species have been described in this 

 genus, but only those mentioned below 

 are of any value for the hardy flower 

 garden, although several others are likely 

 to be found as a matter of course in bot- 

 anical collections. They are of the easiest 

 culture in ordinary garden soil and are 

 readily increased by dividing the tufts or 

 crowns in autumn or spring. Seeds may 

 also be sown in spring in cold frames or 

 in the open border about April and May, 

 and again as soon as ripe in autumn. 

 The seedlings may be transferred to their 

 permanent positions in autumn or spring 

 when large enough. 



S. coccinea. — A pretty bushy species 

 1-2 ft. high, found wild from Texas to 

 Arizona and Mexico. Leaves ovate lance- 

 shaped or oblong deltoid, crenate, 1-2 in, 

 long, the upper ones slenderly stalked, the 

 floral ones sessile. Flowers in summer, 

 scarlet, in long interrupted spikes. 



Culture Ac. as above. This brilliant 

 species has been grown in greenhouses, but 

 in warm sheltered and partially shaded 

 spots it succeeds as a border plant. In- 

 creased by seed and division. 



S. germanica. — A shaggy British and 

 European biennial, 1-3 ft. high, clothed 

 with white silky hairs, and having tufts 

 of coarsely crenate-serrate, often heart- 

 shaped, wrinkled leaves, 2-5 in. long. 

 Flowers in July and August, pale rosy- 

 purple, with a spotted lower lip, in dense 

 whorls on stout spikes. 



Cultv/re dc. as above. This interesting 

 plant is worthy of a place in dry, light 

 soils in the rougher parts of the garden. 

 Seeds may be sown as soon as ripe, so as 

 to produce flowering plants the following 

 season. 



S. grandiflora {Betonica gramdiflora). 

 A downy pereimial about 1 ft. high, 

 native of the Caucasus and Siberia, with 

 stalked, broadly and bluntly ovate, 

 crenate, wrinkled, and hairy leaves. 

 Flowers from. May to July, beautiful 

 reddish-violet, in many-flowered whorls, 

 on erect spikes, produced w^ll above the 

 foliage. There is a variety called rosea, 

 having soft rosy flowers. 



Culture (Sic. as above. Useful for 

 rougher parts of the garden or rockery, in 

 open sunny situations. Easily increased 

 by dividing the crowns every second or 

 third year in autumn or spring, and re- 

 planting 12-18 in. apart. 



S. lanata. — A distinct perennial 12- 

 18 in. high, native of Taiu-ia and the 

 Caucasus, and having tufts of thick, 

 vrainkled, oblong-elliptic leaves, densely 

 covered with sUvery-white, woolly hairs. 

 Flowers in July, purple, small, in many- 

 flowered, whorled spikes. 



Cultv/re and Propagation. — The 

 foliage is really the only ornamental part 

 of this species, and it retains its beautiful 

 silvery sheen during the greater portion 

 of the year. It makes an excellent and 

 effective edging plant, and looks aX\ the 

 better for having the flower-stems pinched 

 out. It grows so vigorously that it is 

 almost necessary to divide the tufts every 



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