seen outside botanic gardens in this country. They are easily propagated by division and by seed, which should be sown as soon as it is ripe; or if to be transported from their habitats in America, it should be bottled in water. It is best sown in pots-small ones-which may be dropped either to the bottom of the water in the position they are intended to occupy, or into any tank in a stove or greenhouse, to facilitate germination, afterwards to be transferred to their permanent quarters. Division may take place in autumn, winter, or spring. Water from 18 inches to 3 feet deep is the depth they like best.

P. angustifolia (Narrow-leaved P.) This species produces narrow lance-shaped leaves, with a cordate base, and bluntishpointed. The stalks clasp the stem, which varies in length according to the depth of the water. The flowers are small bright blue, in close spikes, and appear in summer and

autumn.

P. cordata (Heart-shaped-leaved P.)-This species is very similiar to the last, but is larger in all its parts. The leaves are oblong, heart-shaped, or nearly arrow-shaped at the base, and the flowers are larger than, but about the same colour as, the last, and appear about the same time.

COMMELINACEÆ.

This is a peculiar and interesting group of plants, some of which are very ornamental. The family abounds most in tropical or warm regions, and furnishes only a few species of Tradescantia and Commelina that are capable of enduring our climate. As the hardy species in both genera are all very much alike in colour, blue being the prevailing tint, and as there is no great diversity of habit or other characters, a limited selection from each will suffice.

Commelina cœlestis (Sky-blue C.)-A very pretty, free, and continuous-blooming plant from South America. It forms dense masses of much-branching stems, clothed with lively green leaves, oblong lanced-shaped, and sheathing the stems with their stalks. The corolla is composed of three oval bright azure petals, and the filaments are furnished with glands. There is a beautiful pure-white-flowered variety named C. c. alba, and both produce masses about 18 inches high, more or less profusely covered with blossoms from early summer till frost cuts them off. It delights in light, sandy, rich, well-drained

soil; peat and loam, well sharpened up with grit, is the most congenial compost. The roots are fleshy, and liable to suffer from severe frosts; it is advisable, therefore, to cover them on the approach of winter with coal-ashes or old tan to the depth of several inches. In cold wet districts the roots may be lifted and stored in a dry cold frame in dry leaf-mould or ashes, or the plant may be treated as a half-hardy annual, sowing the seed in heat, and pricking off into small pots as soon as the plantlets are fit to handle, hardening them off by degrees, till they may bear full exposure to the outer atmosphere, and finally turning them out into beds or borders about the end of May. The roots, if lifted and stored in winter, will be the better for a start in slight heat in spring, and may be increased by division.

Tradescantia virginica (Virginian Spiderwort).-A very elegant border-plant, exceedingly easy to cultivate. Like the last, it likes a rich, light, sandy, well-drained soil and warm position, but is much hardier, being capable of withstanding the rigour of British winters in any part of the country, provided the soil is well drained and light; in wet heavy soils it will be necessary to cover the roots with some such materials as are recommended in the case of the last subject. All the Tradescantias grow beautifully in pure sandy peat. They are propagated by division in spring. Their fittest place is the mixed herbaceous border, and they are good rockwork ornaments where the rock-garden is extensive. The present subject

grows about 18 inches high, branching freely. The stems and branches are clothed with lively green lance-shaped leaves, clasping the stem with their bases. The corolla consists of three purplish-blue petals, and the filaments are densely clothed with spreading hairs. The flowers appear from early summer till late autumn. There are several varieties differing in colour from the type the principal are: T. v. alba, the petals white, with the hairy filaments purple; T. v. flore-pleno, blue, or the colour of the type, but more continuous, and the individual flowers lasting longer; T. v. rubra and rubra florepleno, purplish red; T. v. rosea, beautiful rose; and T. v. violacea, violet-blue.

GRAMINACEÆ.

Grasses are rarely seen in combination with flowering plants in any class of gardens. If they are grown at all, it is only to

the extent of a few of the annual species, for the sake of the grace which their flowers lend to bouquets of everlasting and other flowers in the decoration of rooms in winter; and they are grown in beds set apart for this purpose, as indeed they should be; for the necessity for cutting and picking them irregularly, in order to have them preserved in the best condition for the purpose in view, is incompatible with that order and tidiness which should prevail in beds or borders devoted to arrangements for effect. But the majority of the annual species are not well fitted for associating with other plants in groups for effect, on account of their very generally brief season-most of them flower and are over in two or three months from the time of sowing. The perennial grasses, like most other perennial plants, are slower in arriving at, and continue longer in, the beauty of their maturity; and most of them, from early summer till late autumn, remain in a state of graceful attractiveness of foliage or flower, or both combined. One or two varieties of common field-grasses, with variegated or glaucous foliage, have been used in the flowergarden along with bedding plants; and Gynerium argenteum has occasionally been used in flower-gardening and for outstanding objects and groups about lawns and the margins of water; but there has been no very general adoption of the grace of the grasses along with the gay colours of the common occupants of the flower-garden. They are very easily cultivated, growing for the most part well in any good garden-soil, and none requiring peculiar soil or treatment are recommended here. They may be raised from seed; and as it is generally easily obtainable, that means is recommended as the best, especially in the case of Gynerium and other large grasses, which, when grown in light dry soils, are peculiarly difficult to divide successfully. The seed is best sown in small pots in a cold frame, and the plants, as soon as they are fit to handle, should be pricked off into sheltered nursing-beds; or, if circumstances admit of it, they may be kept under glass in cold frames, or be pricked out in a spent hotbed. The smaller perennial grasses and the variegated kinds may be propagated by division without any difficulty; and in the case of the latter, it is necessary to resort to this means in order to insure continuance of the variegation. Such species as Gynerium argenteum, Arundo conspicua, and A. Donax, delight in delugings of water during summer; but in the northern parts of Britain they require to be kept very dry during winter; and I have found them all improved in vigour, and less liable to become worn out in the centre of the tufts, by being annually lifted and replanted in fresh soil. The best time for doing this is after a little growth is made in spring, and that is also the

best time to divide the large-growing species, if it should be deemed desirable to increase them in that way; and in strong soils there is little difficulty in dividing them successfully if the divisions are not too minute.

Agrostis Steveni.—The general character of Agrostis as regards the inflorescence is grace, with a multitude of minute flowers in open slenderly-branched panicles; and this is a very elegant member of the family. It grows about 2 feet high, and is a graceful and attractive ornament of border or bed, and the flowers are valuable for mingling with other cut-flowers. Some of the annuals of this genus, such as A. nebulosa, are most elegant species.

Andropogon. The species of this group vary a good deal more than the Agrostis group in their superficial characteristics, and especially in stature. The inflorescence is either in crowded bearded panicles, or in graceful silky ones.

A. Bombycinus.-A dwarf species, with small silky drooping panicles. Height about I foot.

A. strictus.—A tall handsome species about 4 feet high, with graceful silky panicles.

Arundo conspicua.-A very handsome grass, resembling Pampas-grass, but scarcely so vigorous and bold in character; nor has it proven generally so hardy. Height about 4 or 5 feet.

A. Donax.-A gigantic grass growing 8 or 9 feet high, with broad, flax-like, glaucous leaves, and the stems often woody at the base. There is a beautiful striped white-and-green-leaved variety, named A. D. versicolor, but not common in cultivation; both forms require ample supplies of moisture in the growing

season.

Briza media. An elegant little British Quake-grass, that should have a place in every collection of ornamental grasses. It grows from I foot to 18 inches high, with open spreading panicles of pendent spikelets of flowers, which are continually in graceful agitation.

Dactylis glomerata variegata.-An elegant dwarf-grass, with white variegated foliage; very handsome for edgings, too, in the flower-garden. It is a variegation of the common Cock's-foot grass, so abundant in rough pastures all over Britain. The flowers must be cut away as soon as they appear, as they injure the foliage and are not ornamental.

Digraphis arundinacea variegata, syn. Phalaris arundinacea variegata. This is the common Ribbon-grass of gardens, and is an elegant plant. The flowers are not very ornamental, and should be cut away if the plant is cultivated for the leaves alone. The tufts in rich moist soil will reach the height of 2 feet.

Erianthus Ravennæ.-A vigorous-growing handsome species, with bold bronzy foliage and crowded plume-like panicles of flowers. Height about 3 or 4 feet.

Festuca ovina, var. glauca, syn. F. glauca.—A pretty dwarf grass, with deeply glaucous filiform leaves in crowded tufts about 6 inches high. The small panicles of flowers should be cut away as soon as they appear.

Gynerium argenteum.—A very handsome and not uncommon species, commonly known as Pampas-grass. It likes moist, deep, rich loam, a warm sunny position, and abundance of moisture in the growing season, but must be well drained in order to withstand the effects of winter in cold wet localities. There are different varieties of it, not permanent from seed, but all are beautiful, some having pure silvery plumes, and others being tinged with purple. The latter are the handsomest. Height from 6 to 9 feet.

Stipa calamagrostis. A handsome species of Feather-grass growing about 2 feet high; the awns are graceful, feathery, and yellowish. The flowers of this and those that follow are admirable for mixing in bouquets, but are not very enduring as border ornaments.

S. capillata.-About the same height as the last, with the awns about 6 inches in length.

S. pennata. The best known of the Feather-grasses, and a very beautiful plant, the feathery awns being very long and graceful. These Stipas, and the whole family, delight in warm, light, dry soil; in heavy wet clays they do badly, and they should not frequently be disturbed; they are years in many soils after severe division before they begin to grow well and flower.