EUPHOBBIA 



SPUBGEWOBT OBDEB 



Buxus 783 



glaucous and tinged with reddish-brown. 

 Flowei;s terminai, the branches at first 

 being 3-forked, each one afterwards 

 2-forked, and bearing at the top 1-3 

 flowers, the chief beauty of which lies in 

 the 5 white starry oblong obovate bracts, 

 less than i in. across, in the centre of 

 which the stalked female flowers are dis- 

 tinctly protruding. There is a superior 

 and somewhat dwarfer variety, having 

 rather broader leaves and denser heads of 

 flowers, owing to the white bracts being 

 almost round or broadly obovate and 

 touching each other. It might be called 

 compacta. 



Culture and Propagation. — This seems 

 to be a new garden plant. It flowered 

 for the first time in August 1899 in the 

 garden of Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., 

 at Bur*rd, Dorking. It was raised from 

 seed sown in spring, and seems to be 

 a hardy perennial, thriving in ordinary 

 garden soil. If grown in large masses 

 it would look very fine, the white bracts 

 which are the chief charm of the plant 

 reminding one very much of the flowers 

 of SpircBa media. 



E. Cyparissias {Cypress Spurge). — A 

 distinct and handsome European peren- 

 nial 1-2 ft. high, easily recognised by its 

 linear entire deep green leaves crowded 

 on the stems. Flowers ia early summer, 

 yellow, produced in umbels and sup- 

 ported by about 20 heart-shaped involu- 

 cral bracts, often yellow in colour. 



Culture amd Propagation. — This 

 species flourishes in ordinary good and 

 well-drained garden soil, and is useful for 

 borders, banks, margins of shrubberies or 

 roughish parts of the garden in exposed 

 sunny spots. It may be increased by 

 seed sown in cold frames when ripe, and 

 also by division in spring. 



fi. Lathyris (Caper Spv/rge). — A 

 British biennial 3-4 ft. high with 4- 

 ranked linear oblong glaucous stalkless 

 leaves 2-8 in. long, broader at the base. 

 Flowers in June and July, surrounded by 

 ovate lance-shaped acute bracts. 



Culture Sc. as above. Suitable for 

 rough places. Increased by seeds. 



E. Myrsinites. — A pretty trailing 

 species, native of S. Europe, with fleshy 

 concave, pale sea-green, stalkless leaves. 

 Flowers in summer, 5-9 in an umbel 

 surrounded by an involucre of ovate acute 

 bracts. 



Culture (t-c. as above for E. Cyparis- 

 sias. Borders or rockery. Increased by 

 seed. 



E. portlandica. — Another British 

 species with a cyhndrio perennial root- 

 stock and leathery oblong obovate leaves 

 |-f in. long, borne on coloured stems 

 6-18 in. high. Flowers from May to 

 August, surromided by broadly heart- 

 shaped bracts. 



Culture Sc. as above. Increased by 

 division or seed. Suitable for wild or 

 rough parts of the garden. 



E. variegata (Pi. marginata). — A 

 United States annual 18-24 in. high, with 

 whitish forked stems and alternate stalked 

 entire oval leaves, the lower ones green, 

 the upper ones traversed by whitish 

 nerves,. The floral leaves white with a 

 green line on each side of the midrib. 

 Flowers inconspicuous, surrounded by a 

 milky white or greenish involaore. 



E. heterophylla is another N. Ameri- 

 can annual with somewhat fiddle-shaped 

 leaves, and red floral leaves or bracts. 



Culture Sc. as above. Chiefly valu- 

 able for the variegation of the leaves and 

 bracts. Seeds may be sown in the open 

 border in April and May. 



BUXUS (Box).— A genus of smooth 

 branching shrubs or smaU trees with 

 opposite shortly stalked entire leathery 

 evergreen leaves, without stipules. 

 Flowers monoecious in axillary clusters 

 or spilies, green. Perianth of 4 segments 

 in the male, and 6 segments in the female 

 flowers. Stamens 4. Capsule ovoid, 

 leathery, crowned with the 3-horned or 

 beaked styles. 



B. balearica {MimorcaBox). — A hand- 

 some tree 15-20 ft. high, native of the 

 Mediterranean region, with oblong elliptic 

 yeUowish-green leathery leaves about 

 2 in. long, slightly notched at the margin, 

 and having cartilaginous edges. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 species thrives only in warm Ught soils, 

 and in parts of S.B, Europe is said to 

 attain a height of 80 ft. In some parts 

 of the country it will stand a few degrees 

 of frost without injury, but in other parts 

 2 or 3 degrees are suffioiefit to prove its 

 tenderness. It may be increased by 

 cuttings and layers in the same way as 

 the Common Box. The cuttings, how- 

 ever, should be protected in winter. 



