954 



PBACTIGAL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS peltandba 



requires to be grown in warm sheltered 

 spots in borders or shrubberies. 



A. Dracunculus (Draciimculus vul- 

 garis). — Dragon Plant. — A native of S. 

 Europe 2-3 ft. high, with pedately lobed 

 leaves and fleshy stalks and stems, 

 mottled with black. The flowers appear 

 in June and July on an erect brownish- 

 red tapering spadix, issuing from a large 

 ovate-lance-shaped spathe contracted at 

 the base, and of a rich deep purple or 

 claret colour on the inner surface. 



Culture dc. as above. This plant has 

 a very disagreeable odour when in bloom. 

 It flourishes in sandy soil in a warm 

 border. Increased by offsets. 



A. italicum. — A native of the Channel 

 Islands, S. England, and S. Europe. It 

 grows 9-24 in. high, with triangular- 

 hastate leaves appearing before winter. 

 The flowers appear in spring on a creamy- 

 white or yellowish spadix, enclosed in a 

 hooded greerdsh-yellow or whitish spathe. 

 In autumn when the leaves have withered 

 the clusters of scarlet berries on the 

 stems are very beautiful and attractive. 

 This species may be naturalised in grassy 

 places or shrubberies, and increased by 

 seeds or offsets. The variety marmora- 

 tuni has the leaves blotched or marbled 

 with yellow. 



Cultwre dc. as above. 



A. maculatum. — This is our common 

 Lords and Ladies or Cuckoo Pint found 

 in woods, hedges, and dry ditches in most 

 parts of the country. It has hastate-cor- 

 date leaves often spotted with black, and 

 yellowish-green spathes, edged and often 

 spotted with purple, enclosing a dull pur- 

 ple or rarely yellow club-shaped spathe. 

 In autumn the bright scarlet berries look 

 very handsome. 



Culture dc. as above. Useful for na- 

 tm'alising in waste places. Increased by 

 offsets and seeds. 



A. palsestinum {A. sanctum). — A very 

 attractive species, native of Palestine, and 

 very much resembhng the white and 

 well-known Arum Lily in foliage and 

 appearance. The large bright shining 

 green leaves are hastate in shape, and 

 the flower stems are thrown well above 

 the foliage in early summer. The spathe 

 is 6-8 in. long, greenish-yellow washed 

 with red outside, but deep almost blackish 

 velvety purple on the inner surface. 

 From the centre springs a blackish spadix 



about 6-8 in. long and rather thicker than 

 an ordinary penholder. 



Culture dc. as above. This species 

 requires protection with a covering of 

 leaves &c. in winter, and may be grown 

 in warm situations such as imder a south 

 wall. It likes sandy loam and leaf-soil, 

 and excellent drainage, as stagnant 

 moisture at the root in winter is likely to 

 rot the tubers. 



ACORUS (SwBET Flag).— A small 

 genus of herbaceous plants with creeping 

 rootstocks andradioal sword-shapedleaves. 

 Spathe continuous with the flattened 

 scape. Spadix lateral, round, narrowed 

 upwards. Perianth segments 6, free. 

 Stamens 6, with flattened filaments. 



Culture and Propagation. — The 

 Sweet Flags flourish in a moist soil or 

 by the edges of ponds, lakes, ditches, and 

 even in shallow water. They are easily 

 increased by division of the rootstocks in 

 spring. 



A. Calamus. — A British marsh or 

 water plant with cyhndrical, channelled 

 and very fragrant roots and erect, sword- 

 shaped leaves 3-6 ft. long, with thick 

 midribs and wavy margins. Flowers 

 yellowish, borne in June and July on a 

 curved spadix 8-6 in. long. There is a 

 pretty form having golden stripes down 

 the leaves. 



Culture dc. as above. 



A. gramineus. — This is a Chinese 

 species with a slender creeping rootstock 

 and tufts of grassy leaves 4-6 in. long. 

 The variety variegatus in which the 

 leaves are striped with white is very 

 handsome. 



Culture dc. as above. 



PELTANDRA (Akkow Aeum). — A 

 small genus of marshy perennials with 

 slender rootstocks and somewhat peltate 

 hastate leaves with long sheathing 

 stalks. The flowers are densely crowded 

 on a slender, erect, cylindrical spadix, 

 protected by a convolute spathe with 

 wavy margins. 



P. virginica (Caladium virginicum). 

 A North American marsh plant chiefly 

 valuable for its ornamental large green 

 sagittate leaves with netted veins near 

 the edges. The plant grows 2-3 ft. high, 

 and flowers in July. 



Culture dc. as above for the Sweet 

 Flags. It may be planted at the edge of 



