SEN 
SIP 
Ord. Crussulaceee. A close affinity exists 
between this and the last-mentioned 
genus in their general character and 
management, except that the majority 
of these instead of being hardy require 
protection. Many of the species are 
truly handsome, and where rockeries 
are introduced in the arrangement of 
the conservatory, there the Semper- 
vivurn is at home. The common house- 
leek ( S . tedorum ) is a familiar instance 
of the manner in which all the species 
grow, and then love of a well-drained 
position, and what would appear a 
scanty supply of food; when grown in 
pots, as is necessary, if intended for 
out-of-doors decoration in summer, 
they should have the pot filled ’with 
drainage, and the remainder sandy loam 
and crushed potsherds; a very little 
water will serve them a long time in 
■winter. 
SENECIO (Lnru.) Nat. Ord. Com¬ 
posite. This is a large genus of 
varied character, though but one 
species is considered sufficiently orna¬ 
mental to be at all generally adopted: 
this one is the S. elegans , or American 
Groundsel; it is correctly an annual, 
though easily kept as a perennial, and 
made to assume almost a shrubby ap¬ 
pearance. Seed should be sown in 
March in heat, and the plants placed 
in the open borders in May; they will 
begin to bloom in the next month, and 
continue till cut off by frost; from 
among 1 these the most double may be 
selected, and perpetuated by cuttings, 
which strike freely in pots of sandy 
soil under glass, and the plants thus 
obtained, after being potted separately, 
are easily preserved through the winter 
in a greenhouse. There are several va¬ 
rieties of this plant, as the double white, 
the double purple or double red, all 
pretty, and useful for them long-con¬ 
tinued flowering. 
SILENE (Lixx.) Natural Order 
Silenacea. This, the type of an exten¬ 
sive and highly interesting order, is in 
itself a genus of much beauty; it num¬ 
bers above a hundred and fifty species, 
which are chiefly hardy herbaceous 
plants, or annuals of the same character. 
The latter, however, contain many 
which are mere weeds. Red of various 
shades is the prevailing colour of the 
flowers, though both white and purple 
are found in it. S. viscosa is a popular 
biennial, frequently grown for the backs 
of large borders, and the old Lobels 
Catchflv (S. armeria ), is still occasion¬ 
ally met with. A recent introduction, 
S. schafta , combines every good 
quality to be desired in border flowers ; 
it is hardy, herbaceous, trailing closely 
to the ground, and bearing a profusion 
of lovely crimson red flowers, easy to 
grow either as a pot plant or in the 
open ground, and will, doubtless, occupy 
a prominent place when sufficiently mul¬ 
tiplied. The shrubby species of this 
genus are easily increased by cuttings, 
and though hardy enough to resist al¬ 
most any amount of frost, are some¬ 
times injured by excessive wet, and for 
this reason a few should be potted and 
kept hi a cold frame. Such of the an¬ 
nuals as are worth cultivating need only 
to be sown where they are to flower. 
The English name, Catchflv, is derived 
from the circumstance of most of the 
species being covered with a viscid juice, 
by which flies are frequently entrapped. 
SINNINGIA (Nees vox Essex- 
beck.) Natural Order Gesneriacene. Like 
the whole of the order, these plants 
deserve everv attention, for the great 
number of beautiful flowers a single 
specimen will produce, and the richness 
of their foliage, render them desirable 
in every collection; the treatment re¬ 
commended for Gloxinia, or Gesneria , 
will also grow these plants in a satis¬ 
factory style. S. guttata and velutina 
are the best. 
SIPHOCAMPYLOS (Pohl.) Nat. 
Ord. Lobeliacene. This genus has re¬ 
cently received several valuable acces¬ 
sions, and is now one of the best among 
soft-wooded plants for greenhouse pur¬ 
poses ; the species are all of the easiest 
culture, growing freely in light loam 
and peat, and will extend themselves 
rapidly if placed in'large pots; they are 
properly of a subscandent character, and 
are very effective for covering pillars, 
&c., but may be made to assume an 
