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PRACTICAL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS punkia 



H. Middendorfi. — A handsome Day 

 Lily, native of Siberia and Japan, and 

 somewhat resembling H. DumorUeri. It 

 has, however, broader leaves, more or 

 less gracefully recurving, and its paler 

 golden-yellow funnel-shaped blossoms 

 are borne 2-3 together on tall scapes 

 well above the foliage in summer. 



Culture dc. as above. 



H. minor (H. grainvnea). — A distinct 

 and beautiful dwarf species 4-8 in. high, 

 native of Siberia, N. China, and Japan, 

 and readily recognised by its very narrow, 

 keeled and pointed grassy leaves of a 

 bright green colour. The fragrant yellow 

 flowers, sUghtly tinged with green, are 

 somewhat smaller than those of H. fla/va, 

 but are large for the size of the plant, 

 having the 3 inner perianth segments 

 wavy. They appear in June and July, 

 and each one lasts two or three days. 



Culture rfc. as above. A suitable plant 

 for the rock garden, margins of shrub- 

 beries, borders &c. 



H. Thunbergi. — This is a beautiful 

 Japanese plant, closely related to and 

 probably only a variety of H. flava. It 

 has trusses of soft yellow flowers in July, 

 which look very handsome against the 

 green of the foliage. 



Culture dc. as above. 



PHORMIUM (New Zealand Flax 

 Lily). — A genus of large bold Iris-like 

 plants having a short thickened rootstock 

 with masses of thick fleshy roots, and 

 long radical sword-shaped leaves, very 

 tough and leathery in texture. Flowers 

 in terminal panicles, having a tubular 

 curved perianth with 6 segments, the 3 

 inner ones spreading at the tips. Stamens 

 6, protruding. 



Culture cmd Propagation. — The Flax 

 Lilies can be regarded as hardy only in 

 the south and south-western parts of 

 England and Ireland, and even in these 

 localities the plants in some gardens will 

 suffer in severe winters, while in others 

 they escape uninjured after standing the 

 ordeal of several degrees of frost. Planted 

 in beds on the grass or in sheltered nooks, 

 they have a very distinct and attractive 

 appearance. Even in less favoured parts 

 of the kingdom the plants may be grown 

 in large pots or tubs in the greenhouse in 

 winter, and placed out of doors at the 

 end of May until autumn. The plants 

 like a rich, well-manured, sandy, loamy 



soil, and may be increased by dividing 

 the tufts in spring just before growth 

 commences. They may also be increased 

 by seeds sown under glass when obtain- 

 able. There are only 2 or at the most 

 3 species known, but there are many 

 varieties, aU worth growing, and all 

 natives of New Zealand. 



P. cookianum (P. Colensoi ; P.foate- 

 rianum). — Small Flax Lily. — A hand- 

 some plant resembling P. tenax, but with 

 much smaller and more pointed leaves 

 2-3 ft. long. The yellowish flowers, 

 tinged with green on the outside, are 

 borne on scapes 3-6 ft. high in summer, 

 the inner tapering segments being reflexed. 

 The variety variegatum has rather nar- 

 rower deep green leaves with one or two 

 stripes of creamy white near each margin. 



Culture dc. as above. 



P. tenax [Common New Zealand 

 Flax). — A free-growing vigorous species 

 with stiff erect dark green leaves 8-6 ft. 

 or more in length, having reddish-brown 

 edges, and always splitting at the tips 

 when old. The yellow or reddish flowers, 

 about 2 in. long, appear about August on 

 scapes 10-12 ft. high. 



There are several forms, such as atro- 

 purpureum, in which the leaves are of a 

 beautiful purple suffused with red ; nigra - 

 pictum, a compact-growing variety with 

 deep green leaves about 2 ft. long, nar- 

 rowly edged with blaokish-pinrple, especi- 

 ally near the base ; variegatum is like 

 the type, but has its deep green leaves 

 striped with creamy white and yellow ; 

 veitcManum is also a form in which the 

 narrower pea-green leaves are broadly 

 striped with creamy-white from base to 

 apex. 



P. tenax is a very popular plant in 

 Paris, where about 10,000 plants have been 

 used for decorating the H6tel de ViUe. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



FUNKIA (Plantain Lily).— A genus 

 of ornamental herbaceous plants with a 

 short thick woody rootstock and clusters 

 of thickish roots. Leaves large, radical, 

 stalked, oblong lance-shaped, ovate or 

 cordate, with distinct parallel curved veins. 

 Flowers showy, white or blue, more or less 

 drooping on tail naked scapes, each one 

 with a large bract at the base. Perianth 

 funnel-shaped, with a short or long tube, 

 widening at the throat, and having 6 lobes. 

 Stamens 6, attached to the tube or beneath 

 the oblong 8-oelled ovary. 



