16, 1901. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
459 
STAR CINERARIA (CINERARIA 
STELLATA). 
Between the Cineraria cruenta of gardens and the 
wild type of the Canary Islands is a wide gap, both 
in the stature of the plant and the size of the flower 
heads. The florists during many years past have 
busied themselves dwarfing the plant by selection of 
those seedlings which came nearest their ideas of 
perfection, and no one will deny that they have suc¬ 
ceeded beyond expectation in securing what they 
were aiming at; but the public has not been slow to 
recognise that these highly-developed garden forms, 
while possessed of a particular beauty and value of 
their own, have lost immensely, in decorative 
and artistic value. They are too dwarf and densely 
habited to produce that light and airy gracefulness 
colour they are likewise equally variable. The wild 
type has very small, starry, lilac or pale purple 
flowers; but here we have lilac, rose, purple, 
magenta, blue, and other seifs with flowers of two 
colours as well. The leaves are thinly disposed 
along the stems as well as at the base. All these 
facts go to show how well the plants are adapted for 
conservatory and greenhouse decoration, table 
decoration, and for brightening up groups of almost 
any description of plants. Single plants for small 
tables, and as many as may be required for standing 
along the centre of dining-room tables are wonder¬ 
fully effective, and acceptable on account of their 
lightness. They do not hide nor obscure anything, 
while their colours are well shown up by artificial 
light. In a cut state they stand well in water for a 
flower when other flowers are scarce. If planted in 
beds they require a loose rich soil, and late in spring 
the plants should be divided, from three to five buds 
being left on each root, planting them about nine 
inches apart. During the strong heat in summer 
the beds should be soaked with water once a week, 
so as to ensure a firm growth. In September they 
should be lifted, cleaned, and potted for winter use. 
They should be kept in a sunny position in any cool 
greenhouse, where they will flower without forcing, 
some coming early, others later, thus giving a fine 
succession of flowers for months. After flowering, 
the plants may be left in the pots and stowed away 
in a frame until the time comes for dividing and 
planting out of doors again.—T. S. Dick. Castlemilk, 
Lockerbie. 
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Cineraria stellata (Star Cineraria). 
Copyright S. & S. 
so much desired in flowers for decorative purposes 
at the present day. 
The accompanying illustration of Cineraria stel¬ 
lata, placed at our service by Messrs. Sutton & Sons, 
Reading, will serve at a glance to show what we 
mean by the light and airy gracefulness of this 
decorative strain of Cinerarias, at which the Messrs. 
Sutton have been working for some years past. The 
open and starry nature of the rays of these compo¬ 
site flowers explains the meaning and origin of the 
name. The strain may be regarded as intermediate 
between the wild type (3 ft. to 5 ft. high) and the 
garden race (1 ft.). Our readers cannot fail to note 
that some of them have short and narrow, others 
short and broad, while others still have long and 
narrow rays to the flowers, which are variously 
arranged as to density and profusely produced. In 
long time, and when cut with long stems they may 
be arranged with other subjects in vases. The 
whole range of variation may be had from a packet 
of seed. 
SCHIZOSTYLIS COCCINEA. 
Many plants of the Iris family are useful for winter¬ 
flowering, and among these none is more graceful 
and free flowering than this bright and showy 
African plant, often called Crimson Flag. In its 
habit of growth it resembles many kinds of Iris, the 
leaves being long, narrow, and sword-shaped. The 
time of flowering is from October till January, the 
flowers remaining in perfect condition fora consider¬ 
able time. It does well out of doors planted in beds 
across a border, but it comes in more useful fcr 
pot-work, and should be grown chiefly for cut 
CIIORIZEMA VARIUM 
Is one of the beautiful hard-wooded plants which has 
fallen into neglect; the reason certainly cannot be 
assigned to its qualities, for it has a distinct charac¬ 
ter, is very floriferous, and has a variety of uses. 
Above its Holly-like foliage rise brilliant racemes of 
Pea-shaped flowers of an unusual colour, the stan¬ 
dard being tawny orange with a yellow eye, and the 
keel a bright carmine. In a temperature of 40° to 
45 0 the flowers open continuously from February to 
May, small plants 12 in. high being as free flowering 
as those 3 ft. in height. As it is of a sub-climbing 
habit, the best effects may be obtained by training 
on a small pillar, trellis, or in a basket, but it ought 
not to be formally tied in as it thereby loses the 
gracefulness imparted by the pendulous shoots. It 
also forms free growing bushes, which should be 
