962 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS pennisetum 



stiffish awns. It is a rather tender plant 

 and requires warm sheltered situations. 

 Culture dc. as above. 



MISCANTHUS.— A genus contain- 

 ing about 8 species of tall-growing Grasses 

 with narrow and often flattened leaves, 

 which constitute the chief attraction from 

 a garden point of view. Those in culti- 

 vation are much better known under the 

 name of Eulalia, which has now been dis- 

 continued by botanists. 



M. japonica {Eulalia japonicd). — A 

 graceful and ornamental Japanese Grass 

 6-7 ft. high, with elegant arching leaves, 

 above which appear in sxtmmer and 

 autumn plumes of velvety red flowers, 

 each of which contains 4 glumes and 3 

 stamens. The variety variegata is a 

 prettier plant, the leaves of which are 

 striped with white and green lengthwise ; 

 and the variety called zehrina is remark- 

 able for having the leaves transversely 

 banded with white or pale yellow, al- 

 though often the marking is very poor 

 and indistinct. 



Culture and Propagation. — These 

 beautiful Grasses flourish in ordinary 

 good garden soil, and when grown in 

 bold masses are very effective on lawns 

 and grass land generally. They are 

 easily increased by division of the tufts 

 in spring, but until plants become too 

 large they should not be disturbed. 

 Seeds may also be sown in spring in 

 gentle heat in the same way as recom- 

 mended for the Pampas Grass (Gynerium), 

 see p. 960. 



M. sinensis {EulaKa gracilUma). — 

 This is a pretty Chinese and Japanese 

 Grass 3-5 ft. high, with gracefully re- 

 curved deep green leaves. The variety 

 unmittata is better known owing to the 

 white band which runs down the centre 

 of each leaf. 



Culture rf-c. as for M. japonica. 



PANICUM (Panick Geass).— An ex- 

 tensive genus of annual and perennial 

 Grasses, only a few of which, however, 

 are suitable for the hardy flower garden. 

 These flourish in ordinary garden soil, 

 and may be increased by seeds or divi- 

 sion. 



P. altissimum. — An elegant Grass, 

 native of Central America, attaining a 

 height of 3-6 ft. in cultivation, but much 

 larger and tree-like proportions in a 

 native state. The lance-shaped linear 



tapering leaves are over 1 ft. long, and 

 finely toothed on the edges. The flowers 

 are borne in large panicles composed of 

 long verticillate branches, each of which 

 is again branched and terminated by oval 

 tapering spikelets of a deep red or maroon 

 colour. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 species is best in warm parts of the 

 country, and in rich light soil. It may 

 be increased by division in spring and also 

 by sowing seed in the open ground in 

 April and May. 



P. capillare. — A pretty annual, 1^2 

 ft. high, native of the North temperate 

 hemisphere, and perfectly hardy. It 

 produces large pyramidal panicles of 

 flowers well above the tufts of flat leaves 

 which are scattered on the stems. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 species is increased by seeds sown in 

 spring or autumn in the open groimd. 



P. virgatum. — An ornamental per- 

 ennial Grass, 3-5 ft. high, native of N. 

 America, producing large tufts of hand- 

 some linear leaves 1 ft. or more long, 

 and more or less gracefully arching and 

 recurved. The feathery panicles appear 

 in summer, and are at first erect or 

 ascending, but afterwards much spreading 

 or drooping. This species may be grown 

 in tufts on grass, and one of its great 

 charms consists in the numerous flower 

 stems it produces. These may be picked 

 for decorative purposes with the foUage 

 without detracting in the least from the 

 beauty of the plant. 



Culture and Propagation. — Plants 

 may be increased by division in autumn 

 or spring. Seeds may also be sown in 

 the open air about April. 



PENNISETUM.— A large genus of 

 Grasses, some of which are of an orna- 

 mental character and suitable for the hardy 

 flower garden. 



P. latifolium (Qymnothrix latifolia). 

 A very handsome tufted Grass 9-10 ft. 

 high, native of Monte Video. Its stout 

 cane-like stems are of a purplish-brown 

 at the base, and clothed with broadly 

 lance-shaped leaves, bright green, with a 

 whitish band down the centre. The 

 nodding flower spikes are not of a showy 

 character, the chief beauty of the plant 

 lying in its graceful Bamboo-like habit. 



Culture and Propagation. — Except in 

 such parts of the country as Devonshire, 



