an a SS EE ee ee 
SPILANTHES. 
palustris, H. multicaulis, and EF. acicularis ; and 
all bloom in July. 
SPILANTHES. A genus of tropical herbace- 
ous plants, of the sunflower division of the com- 
posite order. Seven or eight annual species, 
principally yellow-flowered and from 6 to 18 
inches high, have been introduced to Britain ; 
and one of these, 8. oleracea, is used in India as 
a culinary plant, and is known there under the 
name of the cress of Para. It is perfectly hardy, 
and ripens its seeds in the open air at Paris. 
SPINACH, —botanically Spinacia. A small 
genus of herbaceous plants, of the goosefoot fa- 
mily. The common pot herb species, Spinacia 
oleracea, is the well known culinary spinach, cul- 
tivated in kitchen gardens for sake of its large 
succulent leaves. It is of uncertain origin, but 
is known to have been cultivated in Britain 
since soon after the middle of the 16th century. 
It is an annual, and comprises two very distinct 
varieties, the prickly and the smooth. Its stems 
are hollow and branching, and rise to the height 
of about 18 or 24 inches; the leaves of the 
prickly variety are triangular and shaped like 
the point of an arrow, and those of the smooth 
variety are round and more succulent ; the male 
flowers come out in long spikes, and are apeta- 
lous and of a herbaceous colour, and shed a pro- 
fusion of yellowish pollen ; and the female flowers 
grow on separate plants, and sit in clusters close 
to the stem at every joint, and are small, herba- 
ceous, and apetalous, and comprise each a round- 
ish compressed germen, which afterwards turns, 
in the prickly variety, to roundish seeds armed 
with short acute spines, and in the smooth varie- 
ty to smooth seeds. Some subvarieties of the 
prickly kinds occur, with different size and 
shape of leaves, and with different degrees of 
prickliness in the seeds. The smooth variety is 
more impatient of cold than the prickly variety, 
and is raised for spring and summer crops, and 
loves a rich, moist, mouldy loam, in an open 
situation ; and the prickly variety is raised for 
autumn and winter crops, and loves a light, dry, 
moderately fertile soil, in an open situation in the 
warmer season of the year, and in a sheltered 
border in the colder season. The ground, in every 
case, ought to be well dug and very thoroughly 
pulverized. Sowings of the smooth variety may 
be made every week or fortnight or month from 
the beginning of February till the end of sum- 
mer, either broadcast or in drills nine or twelve 
inches apart ; and sowings of the prickly variety 
may be made for a main crop in the early part of 
August, and in successions for about a month, 
either broadcast or in shallow drills six or twelve 
inches apart. The seed should be sown thin, the 
broadcast sowings regularly raked, and the drill 
sowings thinned and weeded. 
SPINACH (New Zeauann). 
LAND SPINACH. 
SPINACH (Witp). See Goosnroor. 
SPINDLE-TREE,—botanically Zuonymus. A 
See New Zna- 
SPINDLE-TREE. 309 
genus of ornamental shrubs and small trees, of 
the stalf-tree tribe. One species, the European, 
grows wild in the hedges of Britain, and at the 
same time is a favourite plant in shrubberies and 
pleasure grounds; about twenty species have 
been introduced from North America, Austria, 
Caucasus, India, Nepaul, China, and Japan; and 
at least ten more are known. One or two of 
the introduced species are hardy evergreens ; 
several are frame or greenhouse evergreens ; and 
the rest are hardy deciduous shrubs. These 
plants have inconspicuous flowers, and carry 
them in axillary bunches; but most have very 
distinct and beautiful foliage, and make a pleas- 
ing figure in shape, habit, and general appear- 
ance. 
The European spindle-tree, Luonymus euro- 
peus, is a deciduous shrub, or low tree, not often 
found much above 12 feet in height, but some- 
times, in favourable situations, reaching even to 
30 feet, and upwards. It has smooth branches, 
and opposite, lanceolate-ovate leaves, very mi- 
nutely serrated, or saw-edged. The flowers are. 
small, greenish white, somewhat star-shaped, 
produced from the axils of the leaves, and usu- 
ally borne about three together on one peduncle 
or stalk; and they bloom in May; and are suc- 
ceeded by handsome rose-coloured fruit, which 
ripen in September. It is found plentifully in 
Britain, and throughout the middle and north of 
Kurope. There are four varieties of this species, 
EL. e. foliis variegatis, which has sickly-looking 
variegated leaves; Z.e. latifolius, with broader 
leaves than the normal plant; Z. e. nanus, a 
dwarf growing variety, altogether smaller; and 
Lf. e. fructu-albo, which produces white instead 
of rose-coloured berries. 
The broad-leaved spindle-tree, Huonymus lati- 
folius, is a deciduous shrub, or low tree, of excel- 
lent habit, with smooth branches, large broadly- 
ovate leaves, and axillary-branched peduncles of 
small greenish white flowers, which are produced 
in June and July, and are succeeded by handsome 
scarlet fruit. It grows 10 or 12 feet high, some- 
times more; and is one of the very handsomest 
of the genus, though, from being generally treated 
only as a small shrub, it is seldom to be found 
assuming its naturally interesting character. It 
is a native of Europe, and particularly of the 
south of Germany, and of France and Switzer- 
land. 
The warted-branched spindle-tree, Huonymus 
verrucosus, is a deciduous shrub, of rather a 
limited growth, seldom exceeding 10 feet, and 
assuming a conical outline, with warted branches, 
and ovate, serrated leaves. The flowers are 
borne about three on a peduncle, and have a 
greenish brown colour, and bloom in May and 
June. It is a native of Europe, particularly of 
Austria; Hungary, and Carniola. 
The dark purple flowered spindle-tree, Huony- 
mus atropurpureus, is a deciduous shrub of limited 
growth, introduced from North America, where 
