at
rosette form, and for the most part prostrate; many of them are quite a
foot long and 5in. broad, or long egg-shaped; they are wavy, of leathery
substance, and a dark shining green colour.

Of all the genus, this is, perhaps, the most useful of the hardy
species. Either in a growing or cut state, the flowers are much admired;
cut, they need not be placed in water; and for a year, until the plant
yields fresh supplies, they will remain presentable and even bright. Its
culture is simple, though there are positions where I have found it to
simply exist, viz., on rockwork, unless it was given a part where
moisture would be abundant about the roots, in search of which its long
woody roots go deeply; if planted in deep loam of a light nature, there
will be little fear as to its thriving, but if well manured and mulched,
specimens would grow to nearly double size. Propagated by root division.
But often the crowns are all on one stout root, and then it is not a
safe or ready operation; still, with a sharp knife, the woody root may
be split its whole length--this should be done in spring, when the
divisions can begin to grow at once. Another and safer plan would be to
divide the root for an inch or more from the crowns downwards, insert a
few pebbles to keep the parts open, and put back the specimen in freshly
dug earth, where, during a season of growth, the cut parts would produce
vigorous roots.

Flowering period, August to October.

Statice Profusa.

PROFUSE SEA-LAVENDER; _Nat. Ord._ PLUMBAGINACEAE.

A hybrid hardy form, not to be confounded with the hairy-leaved and
tender kind commonly grown under glass, which has the same name. All the
Sea-lavenders are profuse blooming, but the one now under notice is more
especially so, as may be seen by the illustration (Fig. 100). The seed
of this genus is prolific in varieties, and, although the name of this
variety, or even the plant, may not be generally known, and the
parentage, perhaps, untraceable, it appeared to such advantage, when
grown by the side of such species as _S. bellidifolia_, _S. echioides_,
_S. gmelina_, _S. incana_, _S. latifolia_, _S. sereptana_, _S.
speciosa_, _S. tatarica_, _S. tormentilla_, _S. virgata_, _and_ _S.
Wildenovi_, that I considered it worth a short description, more
especially as the object of this book is to speak of subjects with
telling flowers or attractive forms. It is well known that the Statices
have insignificant blossoms, t