GLY'CINE. 



123 



GNAPHA N LIUM. 



ria Consequana, chinensis, or sin- 

 ensis, sometimes called by its "old 

 name of Glycine sinensis, is one of 

 the most valuable climbing trees that 

 "will grow in the open air in Britain. 

 This tree, which, though now so com- 

 mon, was only introduced in 1816 or 

 1818, is a native of China, and ap- 

 pears to be quite hardy in the neigh- 

 bourhood of London. Its large 

 bunches of beautiful shaded lilac 

 flowers, which are fragrant, are ex- 

 actly like those of the common la- 

 burnum, except in colour ; and they 

 are produced most abundantly, the 

 tree, in favourable situations, often 

 bearing a second crop. 



The Wistaria sinensis will grow 

 in any common garden soil ; but it 

 does best when the soil is light and 

 rich, and the plants are abundantly 

 supplied with water. It is often 

 several years before it flowers, as it 

 takes a long time to establish itself ; 

 but the period of its flowering may be 

 hastened by watering it regularly with 

 liquid manure, or by telling the house- 

 maid to empty the slops and soap-suds 

 on the ground near it — taking care to 

 pour the liquid on the ground at a 

 distance from the stem of the plant, 

 as it would injure the collar if poured 

 on it. All watering is, indeed, most 

 effectual when it is given at some dis- 

 tance from the stem of the plant, as it 

 is only the spongioles at the extreme 

 points of the roots that can take up 

 the moisture so as to be of any ser- 

 vice ; and water, if poured on any 

 other part that is under ground, is in 

 danger of rotting both the epidermis 

 and the cellular tissue. "When once 

 established, the Wistaria grows vi- 

 gorously, and the plant in the Hor- 

 ticultural Society's garden at Turnham 

 Green being checked in its height by 

 that of the wall against which it grows 

 being only eleven feet, has spread so 

 far on each side, as to cover a space 

 of above three hundred feet in extent. 



It is easily propagated by layers, as 

 the shoots, if laid down, will throw out 

 roots at every joint. It may also be 

 propagated by cuttings of the roots 

 and branches, and even by leaves, 

 which will take root if planted in 

 sand and peat, and covered with a 

 glass, provided care, has been taken to 

 break the petiole off the branch with- 

 out wounding the protuberance at its 

 base. Seeds of this plant are very 

 rarely ripened in England ; but when 

 they are, they vegetate as readily as 

 those of the common laburnum. The 

 plant requires a wall or trellis-work 

 to support it ; but any aspect will do. 

 Mr. Pamplin, of the Lavender Hill 

 Nursery, has a plant which is trained 

 against three sides of his house ; viz. 

 the north, the east, and the south ; 

 and the only difference he perceives 

 is, that the flowers on the south 

 wall expand first, but are the weakest 

 and palest, and that those on the 

 north, though they are the latest, 

 are the darkest and most vigorous. 

 The Wistaria sinensis, though so 

 beautiful, is by no means dear, as a 

 plant costs from Is. 6d. to 2s. 6d. in 

 the nurseries, according to its size — 

 a plant of the latter size being the 

 largest that can be transplanted with 

 safety. 



Glycyrrhi v za. — LeguminbscB. — 

 The Liquorice. A perennial plant 

 with small pale blue flowers, a native 

 of the south of Europe. The liquorice 

 is made by boiling the root (which 

 resembles that of the ginger in ap- 

 pearance) a long time, and letting the 

 moisture evaporate from the sediment. 

 The plant is not worth cultivating 

 except from curiosity ; but when it is 

 grown, it requires a very rich mould. 



GnaphYlium. — Composites. — 

 Cudweed. This genus now includes 

 only about half the number of species 

 that it formerly did, six or seven new 

 genera having been formed out of it. 

 The British species are cottony look- 



