812 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO QABDEN PLANTS smilacina 



rosy flowers, native of the Altai Moun- 

 tains. The variety Broteri resembles the 

 type, but has larger flowers ; and bractea- 

 turn is recognised by its weU-developed 

 bracts, and its later flowering. 



P. mMltiflorum is a popular plant for 

 forcing into bloom early in greenhouses. 

 The rootstooks are potted after the out- 

 door flowering period is over, and kept in 

 the ground until early the following year, 

 when they are transferred to a warm 

 greenhouse. 



Culture dc. as above. 



P. officinale (P. vulgare ; Convallaria 

 Polygonatum). — A pretty species occa- 

 sionally found wild on wooded limestone 

 cliffs. It has angled, arched stems 6-12 

 in. high, with alternate, oblong, half 

 stem-clasping leaves 3-4 in. long. The 

 greenish - white flowers, about 1 in. 

 long, are usually solitary in the axils of 

 the leaves in May and June, and are 

 replaced later on by bluish-black berries 

 about I in. through. There is a taller 

 Japanese form called macranthum, which 

 has larger flowers. 



Culture (Be. as above. 



P. oppositifolium {Convallaria oppoai- 

 tifolia). — A beautiful Himalayan species 

 2-4 ft. high, with opposite, shortly stalked, 

 oblong, taper-pointed leaves. The flowers 

 appear in April and May, drooping in 

 opposite corymbs, and are greenish-white 

 ribbed with red. The variety alho- 

 vittatum has red stems and leaves striped 

 with ivory or yellowish-white. After the 

 flowers have disappeared they are replaced 

 by scarlet berries. 



This was at one time considered too 

 tender for the outdoor garden, but it 

 is hardy enough in southern districts in 

 warm sheltered positions. In colder 

 places a covering of leaves or litter during 

 the winter would protect it against injury. 



Culture dc. as above. 



P. punctatum. — This is also a native 

 of the Himalayas, where it is found at an 

 elevation of 7000-11,000 ft., thus bring- 

 ing it within the range of our outdoor 

 climate. It has angular furrowed stems 

 1-2 ft. high, bearing oblong-lanoe-shaped 

 leaves 2-3 in. long, all ascending, and 

 usually opposite each other. The greenish- 

 white flowers appear in May and June, 

 2-3 in a cluster, and are dotted with 

 lilac. 



Culture do. as above. Maybe treated 

 like P. oppositifolvum. 



P. roseum. — A handsome but variable 

 species from Central Siberia with furrowed 

 stems 2-3 ft. high, and ascending linear 

 or lance-shaped leaves 8-5 in. long, the 

 upper ones opposite or in whorls of three 

 or more. The cylindrical rosy flowers, 

 about i in. long, appear in pairs from the 

 axUs of the leaves in May and June, and 

 are a contrast to the green foliage. 



Culture dc. as above. 



P. verticillatunt {Convallaria verticil- 

 lata). — A rare British species with angled 

 stems 2-3 ft. high, bearing whorls of 3-6 

 ascending, narrow, lance-shaped, sessile 

 leaves with ciliolate margins and veins. 

 The greenish flowers, about J in. long, 

 appear in June and July, and are con- 

 stricted in the middle, giving place to red 

 berries about j in. in diameter later on. 



Culture dc. as above. 



SMILACINA (False Solomon's 

 Seal). — A genus of herbaceous perennials 

 having slender creeping, or short, thick, 

 knotted rootstocks, and erect stems with 

 alternate ' shortly stalked ovate-Iance- 

 shaped or rarely narrow, never heart- 

 shaped, leaves. Flowers small on short 

 pedicels. Perianth with almost equal 

 spreading segments, distinct or sHghtly 

 united at the very base. Stamens 6, 

 hypogynous, attached at the base of the 

 perianth. Fruit a round pulpy berry, 

 containing a few seeds, often only one. 



Culture and Propagation. — Out of 

 about 20 species those described below 

 are the ones chiefly met with in gardens. 

 They flourish under the same conditions 

 as the ordinary Solomon's Seal, and may 

 be likewise increased by dividing the 

 rootstocks" in late summer or early spring. 

 They should not however be disturbed 

 imneoessarily, but if left too long in one 

 place require surfacing or mulching with 

 fresh soil or well-decomposed manure so 

 that the roots may thus obtain a fresh 

 supply of food. 



S. oleracea {Tovaria oleracea). — A 

 distinct species from the Sikkim Hima- 

 layas, with more or less erect simple 

 stems about 4 ft. high, and oblong taper- 

 pointed leaves 6-7 in. long, slightly downy 

 beneath. The roundish wliite flowers 

 tinged with rose are about j m. long and 

 broad, and appear in May and June in 

 terminal panicles, each one borne on 

 deflexed or ascending pedicels about \ in. 

 long. The specific name oleracea refers to 



