4r60 
AMERICAN AGRICULT URIST. 
[December, 
The Zebra-striped Eulalia. 
One of the most beautiful of ornamental 
grasses, is the variegated Eulalia Japoniea, 
which was sent from Japan several years ago 
by Mr. Thomas Hogg. It 
was illustrated in “ Hearth 
and Home” in 1871, and 
a year or two later was 
placed in the trade. It is 
a robust perennial grass, 
forming, when well estab¬ 
lished, large clumps, with 
firm but graceful leaves, 
which are marked with al¬ 
ternate stripes of creamy- 
white and green, much 
after the manner of the 
old “ Ribbon, or Striped- 
grass ” of the gardens, 
and presenting cpiite as 
much variety in the strip¬ 
ing. This is taller and 
more erect than that, and 
the leaves are longer and 
more robust. The flower 
stalks appear in Septem¬ 
ber, and the plant at this 
time is from four to six 
feet high. The flower 
panicles are at first brown¬ 
ish, with erect branches, 
and not at all showy, but 
as the flowers open, the 
branches of the panicle 
curve over gracefully in a 
one-sided manner, and 
bear a strong resemblance 
in form to what is known 
as a “Prince of Wales’ 
feather;” each of the in¬ 
dividual flowers, which 
are very numerous upon 
each branch of the cluster, 
has at its base a tuft of' 
long silky hairs, and these 
contribute greatly to the 
feathery lightness of the 
whole. This plant, which 
long ago ceased to be a 
novelty with us, although 
it has not ceased to be a 
prime favorite, is just now 
attracting attention in 
England, and has recently 
been figured, though very 
poorly, in one of the Eng¬ 
lish horticultural journals, 
It is offered by some 
dealers under the incor¬ 
rect name of Imperata. 
'When Mr. Hogg sent this, it was accompanied 
by another variety of the same grass, which 
did not survive the effects of the journey. 
Upon a second visit to Japan, he procured 
other plants of this last variety, which reached 
this country in good condition. This variety, 
which it is proposed to call Eulalia Japoniea , 
var. Zebrina , the “ Zebra-striped Eulalia,” in all 
that relates to form, habit, and its flowers, is 
quite like the other, but differs most essentially 
in the manner of its variegation. In the older 
variety the leaves, according to the usual man- 
nei of variegation in grasses, have the mark¬ 
ings run lengthwise of the leaf, while in this 
Zebrina variety, they run cross-wise. The leaves, 
as shown in the engraving, present alternate 
width, but with the colors quite well defined 
and producing a most singular effect. The en¬ 
graving shows also a flower cluster, which is a 
little less regular in form than they usually are. 
Japan is remarkable for the great number of 
plants with variegated foliage that it has cou- 
the zebra.-striped eulalia.— {Eulalia Japoniea, var. Zebrina.) 
tributed to our collections, but rve have not 
bands of green and cream-white, of 
varying 
seen any variegation that interested us so much 
as this peculiar grass. We have seen but one 
other plant with its variegation so singularly 
disposed, and that was also from the same 
country. In the quaint little garden attached 
to the Japanese Bazar at the Centennial Exhibi¬ 
tion, w r as a Bulrush, (Scirpus), the cylindrical 
stems of which were marked transversely, 
though the markings were much less positive 
than in the grass in question. Aside from the 
ornamental effect of its peculiar transverse 
markings, this variety has great interest for us 
in a physiological, or pathological, point of 
view. It is claimed by some that all variega¬ 
tion of foliage, or at least that in which the 
green of the leaf is changed to white or yellow, 
is an indication of disease, and this view is 
strongly maintained in spite of the numerous 
instances in which the variegated plants are 
more vigorous and hardy than typical plain 
green ones of the same species. To those who 
hold this view—that variegation is due to dis¬ 
ease—this Zebrina variety 
of Eulalia presents a dif¬ 
ficult problem. As the 
circulation of the juices 
of the leaf must take place 
in a lengthwise direction, 
the nutriment for each 
green portion of the leaf 
must pass through one of 
the colored sections, and 
those who regard these 
white, or -whitish, bands 
as marks of disease, will 
be puzzled to account for 
the occurrence of green 
sections of the leaf w'liich, 
though placed directly be¬ 
tween two “diseased” 
portions, remain in per¬ 
fect health throughout the 
wfliole season of growth. 
We have no doubt that 
this variety will, like the 
other, prove perfectly 
hardy, and will form a 
handsome and curious ad¬ 
dition to our gardens, 
and is so unlike the ordi¬ 
nary form that it would 
make a pleasing contrast 
with that. We have now 
among hardy species, 
the low-growing Festuca 
glauca , the Panicum vir- 
gatum (mentioned in the 
next article), the Ravenua 
Grass, and the Conspicu¬ 
ous Reed ( Arundo conspi- 
cua), and with these 
Eulalias can be made to 
form a striking group. 
Mr. Peter Henderson has 
purchased the whole stock 
of the plant, and will, we 
presume, offer it next 
spring. It usually hap¬ 
pens w'hen we publish an 
account of a new plant, 
that a number of persons 
write to us for it, or to 
ask where they can get it, 
notwithstanding that we 
state distinctly the source 
from which w r e obtained 
it. It is necessary to state, 
emphatically, that we can 
not supply the plant, and that the whole 
stock is in the hands of Mr. Henderson. 
A Illative Ornamental Grass— Tlie Tall- 
Smooth Panic. 
- o- 
A few years ago, as we were at the establish¬ 
ment of a florist who is noted for the great va¬ 
riety of his collections, and for trying what¬ 
ever is offered abroad, the proprietor called at¬ 
tention to a clump of grass by the road-side, 
and asked what it w T as. Upon our informing 
him that it was Panicum virgatum, he uttered 
an exclamation of surprise, and then informed 
us that, seeing this grass highly praised in Eng¬ 
land, he had that , morning ordered a lot of it 
