194 HARDY PERENNIALS 
tinted flowers. The latifolia, limonium, and gme- 
lini types are of lavender blue, the incana, tartarica, 
and eximea types having flattened, spreading panicles 
with white calyces studded with starry corollas of 
pink and red shades. It must be admitted that 
the stocks of many nurseries are somewhat confused 
in regard to nomenclature, and often plants supplied 
as latifolia or limonium, or gmelini are indistin- 
guishable one from the other. So, too, with 
incana, eximea, and tartarica, the confusion being 
added to by reason of the variability of either species 
when raised from seed. For ordinary garden pur- 
poses the species selected is not really so important 
as getting a really good form, and this is by no means 
a certainty if seedling stock is procured. 
To raise a batch of Statice from seed is not quite 
the task for the owner of a small garden. The 
seed must be new, and well ripened to ensure good 
germination. The seedlings take about three years 
to attain strength and true character, and in all 
probability only a small proportion will be of really 
good form. When, however, a plant is found to 
be vigorous and free, throwing up large well-branched 
heads with flowers of a pleasing shade of colour, that 
plant should be marked for propagation. By the 
time the plant is four years old, it will, if it has 
grown undisturbed on a deep, fairly rich soil, 
have made a number of long whip-like roots, about 
the thickness of a lead pencil. By digging deeply 
round the plant and lifting carefully, these roots 
