<Some Lrittle-Known Native Ornamentals— IV. 
By Wilfred A. Brotherton. 
Giant Iron'weed. Vernonia Maxima Pabescens. grant. Excellent for moist sandy borders of orna- 
One of our grandest native ornamentals, in cultiva- 
tion, in good rich soil, 8-12 feet tall. Plant a huge 
clump, often a foot across and very heavy, sending, 
up many tall stems, bearing narrow dark green leaves 
and broad flat, branching clusters of handsome dark 
purple flowers. Don’t order it of a dealer unless you 
are willing to pay a good sized freight or express bill. 
If you look for a full grown plant of small size you 
will be much disappointed. Grand plant for parks 
or flower gardens, especially as isolated specimens. 
Drummond's Iron Weed. Vernonia Drummondii. 
Nearly as large. Whole plant grayish, hairy, leaves 
broader. Flowers paler purple. A good but much 
less handsome ornamental than preceding. Moistish, 
sandy plains. 
Actinomeris. Verbenia AUernifoUa. 
Another grand plant forming huge, very heavy 
clumps. In good soil reaches 7 or 8, even 10, feet 
high. Leaves long, narrow, decurrant on stem. Flower- 
heads very many in a large branching cluster, bright 
yellow, with long drooping rays. An odd, conspicu- 
ously showing plant like the Vernonias, forming large, 
very heavy clumps. If you ever order large clumps 
of this, don’t kick on your freight bill or express bill. 
Splendid as isolated specimens. 
Lizard Tail. Saum'has Cernuas. 
Some of our Mkhigan streams are splendidly bor- 
dered with this elegant plant, and I often wonder why 
it is not cultivated. It is a very odd plant, remarkable 
for belonging to an order of plants closely related to 
the one to which Black Pepper belongs. Grows in 
dense masses 2 or 3 feet tall, with deep green heart- 
shaped leaves and in the upper leaf axils are borne 
long, slender, tapering white spikes of flowers, the 
spikes shaped much like tails of some lizards, hence 
curious name Lizard Tail. Whole plant spicy, fra- 
mental waters. 
NarroTV-Lea-ved Cat-Tail. Typha c/lngustifolia. 
Who does not know the common cat-tail?- What 
city person fails to admire it ? But this species is far 
handsomer. Grows 1 1 feet high, with very long, nar- 
row, dark green leaves, and long slender spikes. Of 
a fine crimson color. When we see it growing along 
our larger lakes and rivers, we think of the Indian 
canoes that used to hide therein. A splendid plant 
for borders of waters in parks. 
PYRUS BACCATA FLORIBUNDA. 
BY JOSEPH MEEH.VN. 
Probably but few persons know how greatly indebted 
we are to Japan for so many of the ornamental trees 
and shrubs that adorn our lawns. In trees and shrubs 
of both deciduous and ornamental character and in 
vines and herbaceous plants nearly one-half of what are 
chiefly used in plantings is made up of the flora of Ja- 
pan. With this is an illustration of a gem among small 
trees, one of the many ornamental varieties of Japanese 
apples, as they are called in a commercial way, the 
Pyrus baccata floribunda. There are perhaps a dozen 
or more of these Japanese apples in cultivation, the 
most of them having both ornamental flowers and fruit. 
Tlie one illustrated is valued chiefly for its flowers. 
The photograph shows it fairly well, but, of course, 
viewing it on a lawn is better. It is a glorious sight 
when in perfection of bloom. The profusion of flowers 
almost hides the branches. In color they are of a light 
pink, changing to white as they commence to decay ; 
and they appear in the month of May. 
The position the one before us occupies is well suited 
to set it off nicely. There is a background of cherry 
and other leafy trees and shrubs, the dark green leaves 
of which are just what this Pyrus needs to set off" its 
flowers to the best advantage. 
