806 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS hmnochaeis 



erect, broadly lance-shaped leaves, 5-7- 

 nerved, 6-8 in. long, and pink or rosy 

 flowers about i in. across borne in panicles 

 from June to August on stalks 1-3 ft. high. 

 Culture and Propagation. — Clumps 

 of this plant on the edges of lakes, 

 rivers, streams &c. look very pretty and 

 Jhave a decidedly attractive appearance. 

 Once planted it will require no further 

 attention, and will reproduce itself from 

 seeds. It is very common along the banks 

 of the Thames, and the leaves are freely 

 eaten by swans. 



A. ranunculoides. — A tufted native 

 species with stalked and 3-ribbed leaves 

 2-3 in. long, erect and Unear lance-shaped. 

 The pale purple flowers, Hke those of 

 A. Plantago, appear from May to Sep- 

 tember, borne 6-8 in umbels or whorls. 



Culture dc. as above for A. Plantago. 



SAGITTARIA (Aeeowhead).— A 

 genus of marsh or water plants closely 

 related to the Water Plantains, from 

 which they differ in having aU unisexual 

 flowers, borne in spikes, whorls or pan- 

 icles. The elliptic lance-shaped or sagittate 

 leaves have long and often thick stalks. 



Culture and Propagation. — The 

 hardy species may be grown in water or 

 marshy soil near lakes, streams &o. in 

 the same way as the Water Plantains, 

 and may be increased by division. Seeds 

 may also be sown when ripe in pots or 

 pans of sandy soil half submerged in 

 water. The seedlings are pricked out 

 into similar soil in due course and may 

 be again plunged in water and grown on 

 until sturdy enough for the open air. 

 The double-flowered variety can only be 

 increased by division, as it rarely or never 

 produces any seed. 



S. heterophylla. — An attractive North 

 American marsh plant 2-2^ ft. high with 

 long-stalked bluntly triangular leaves 

 having 2 pointed lobes at the base. The 

 pure white flowers about IJ in. across 

 appear in August, and are borne in whorls 

 of 3 on the upper portion of the scape, the 

 bunch of bright yeUow stamens in the 

 centre being very conspicuous. 



Culture (tc. as above. 



S. sagfittifolia. — An ornamental native 

 water plant with stolon-bearing stems, 

 swollen at the base, and bright green 

 hastate or arrow-shaped leaves 2-8 in. 

 long, with stout 3-sided stalks 12-18 in. 

 long. The white flowers with purple 



claws and anthers are about ^ in. across, 

 and are borne from July to September 

 in distant whorls on scapes 1-2 ft. high. 

 The double-flowered variety, which is 

 sometimes called japonica flore pleno, is 

 a very handsome plant with roundish 

 heads of white flowers, borne on purplish 

 pedicels over 1 in. long. 

 Culture dc. as above. 



S. sinensis {S. giga/ntea; S. lanci- 

 folia). — A beautiful Chinese aquatic or 

 marsh plant with long-stalked lance- 

 shaped leaves about 8 ft. high altogether. 

 The stem reaches a height of about 4^ ft. 

 and the flowers are borne in clusters or 

 whorls of three on the upper portion. 

 The outer segments of the perianth are 

 greenish flushed with rose, the 8 inner 

 oval roundish ones being much larger 

 and of a pure white, with a cluster of 

 yellow stamens in the centre. 



Culture So. as above. 



BUTOMUS (Ploweeing Eush).— 

 B. umhellatus is a beautiful native marsh 

 plant with a creeping rootstock and slender 

 erect 3-sided leaves 3-4 ft. long, sheathed 

 at the base. In June and July the beau- 

 tiful rosy - lilac flowers about 1 in. 

 across are home in umbels, each blossom 

 consisting of 6 oblong segments, 9 stamens, 

 and 6 beaked reddish carpels, the latter 

 being united at the base. 



Culture and Propagation. — This plant 

 flourishes in mud by the raargins of 

 streams, ponds &c. in open sunny situ- 

 ations, and may be regarded as one of 

 our most ornamental water plants. 

 Although it is usually increased by divi- 

 sion of the rootstocks in spring, seeds 

 may also be sown when ripe, and treated 

 in the same way as those of the Arrow- 

 heads mentioned above. 



LIMNOCHARIS.— A genus with 8 

 or 4 species of smooth marshy or aquatic 

 plants with tuberous rootstocks, ajid 

 elliptic lance-shaped or ovate heart-shaped 

 leaves having long thickened stalks. 

 Flowers hermaphrodite, yellow, borne in 

 umbels on a short scape, and having 6 

 segments, the 3 inner ones of which are 

 larger than the 3 outer ones. Stamens as 

 many as 20, hypogynous. Ovary with 

 15-20 distinct carpels. 



L. Humboldti {Hydrocleis Coinmer- 

 soni). — A pretty little water plant, native 

 of Buenos Ayres, having whitish cylindri- 

 cal rhizomes and broadly oval or roundish 



