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PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS gynebium 



ginicus from N. America, all more or less 

 ornamental and requiring similar treat- 

 ment. 



ERIANTHUS Ravennae.— A beauti- 

 ful and picturesque Grass from Southern 

 France, with tufts of leaves gracefully 

 arching and recurving like those of the 

 Pampas Grass, only smaller, and tinged 

 with violet when young, and becoming 

 greyish silky white when old. The flower 

 stems reach a height of 4-6 ft. or more 

 in good rich soil and warm sheltered 

 situations, often tinged with violet when 

 young, and bearing erect or gently nodding 

 violet plimies, with silky hairy pedicels. 



Culture and Propagation. — Unfortu- 

 nately this fine Grass only attains luxuri- 

 ant proportions in the mild southern parts 

 of England and Ireland in warm situa- 

 tions. It may be grown in isolated tufts 

 on the grass or lawn in the same way as 

 the Pampas Grass, and when in flower 

 has a grand effect. It may be increased 

 by division best performed in spring. 

 Seeds may also be sown in gentle heat in 

 March and April, and grown on until the 

 following year before transferring to the 

 open ground. 



FESTUCA (Fbscue Grass).— A large 

 genus of Grasses with roundish spikelets 

 in racemes or panicles. Only a few are 

 of any garden value. The most distinct 

 is F. glauca, a variety of the Sheep's 

 Fescue (F. ovina), a native of dry hilly 

 pastures, woods &c. in parts of the British 

 Islands. F. glauca has tufts of glaucous- 

 blue bristle-like leaves, the lower ones 

 often recurved, and stiff cylindrical stems 

 8-12 in. high, produced in great abun- 

 dance, and ending in an erect narrow 

 slightly branched spike. This plant is 

 useful for edgings and parts of the 

 rockery, and flourishes in ordinary soil, 

 forming fine glaucous tufts. When used 

 for edgings, the flowers are not so 

 essential, and may be picked off as the 

 spikes appear. The plants are easily 

 increased by dividing the tufts in spring 

 or autmnn. Seeds are not freely produced. 

 When obtainable they may be sown in 

 early autumn or spring in a cold frame, 

 and transferred to the open ground in 

 autumn or spring, according to the time 

 of sowing. F. temdfoUa is closely related 

 to glauca, but has green leaves. 



F. scoparia. — A pretty Pyrenean per- 

 ennial with thick, bright green, short, 



stiff leaves, which make it useful for 

 edgings to borders in dry poor soil. In 

 rich soil the leaves and stems become 

 longer, but are not then so commendable 

 for edging purposes. The plants may be 

 increased by dividing the tufts in spring 

 or autumn. 



GYNERIUM (Pampas Grass).— G^. 

 argenteum is probably better known 

 than any other Grass in cultivation. Like 

 many other fine garden plants, it has 

 been allowed to pass unmolested by the 

 botanist for many years. Recently, how- 

 ever, the genus has been overhauled, and 

 the Pampas Grass has been separated 

 from the Gynerimns proper and made 

 into a genus by itself, called Cortaderia. 

 It is a native of temperate S. America 

 (Paraguay &c.), and is remarkable for 

 having dioecious flowers forming large 

 wavy plumes. The arching leaves about 

 6 ft. long are glaucous-green, with rough 

 edges. They form dense tufts 4-6 ft. 

 high, and as much across. The flowers 

 are borne in autumn in a large, dense, 

 silky, feathery plume 1 ft. or more long 

 at the end of an erect stalk 6-12 ft. high, 

 and last for several months in a state of 

 perfection, but they are often spoiled near 

 Loudon with dirty fogs and rain. 



Several seedling varieties have arisen ; 

 hence a good deal of variation noticeable 

 in the plants, some being dwarfer than 

 others, while others have broader and 

 longer leaves. The plumes also vary a 

 good deal in fulness, the densest and 

 longest being the most valuable. There 

 is a very fine variety called purpureum, 

 which has soft rosy -purple shining 

 plumes, and there is also a form having 

 ,the leaves striped vsdth white. 



Culture and Propagation. — Few 

 plants can equal the Pampas Grass for 

 fine effect on the lawn or for sub-tropical 

 gardening. Its graceful habit and tall 

 plumes waving in the breeze at once 

 characterise it as a stately and valuable 

 plant for ornamental purposes. It flour- 

 ishes in light rich soils, and likes a good 

 supply of water during the summer 

 months. New plants are easily obtained 

 by dividing the tufts in spring and re- 

 planting them in rich light soil, afterwards 

 mulching them with well - decomposed 

 manure, and giving a thorough soaking 

 with water. 



Seeds may also be sown in heat about 

 February and March, and by the end of 



