S. CHAMAEDRIFOLIA (_syn S. ceanothifolia_).--Germander-leaved Spiraea.
South-eastern Europe to j.a.pan, 1789. Grows about a yard high, with ovate, p.u.b.escent leaves, and white flowers. It varies widely in the shape and size of leaves. S. chamaedrifolia ulmifolia (Elm-leaved Spiraea) a twiggy shrub, 3 feet high, with broad leaves and white flowers, is from Siberia. S. chamaedrifolia crataegifolia (Hawthorn-leaved Spiraea) is of stout, half-erect growth, with rather stiff glaucous leaves that are oval in shape, and bright red or pink flowers in fastigiate panicles. From Siberia 1790, and flowering at mid-summer.
S. DEc.u.mBENS (_syn S. nana_).--Dec.u.mbent Spiraea. Tyrol. This is the smallest-growing of the shrubby Spiraeas, rarely attaining to a greater height than 12 inches. It is a neat growing plant, with small oval leaves, and white pedunculate flowers. For planting on the rockwork or in the front line of the shrubbery, this is an invaluable shrub, and soon forms a neat and pretty specimen. It is perfectly hardy.
S. DISCOLOR ARIAEFOLIA (_syn S. ariaefolia_).--White Beam-leaved Spiraea. North-west America, 1827. This forms a dense, erect shrub about 6 feet high, with elliptic-oblong leaves, and clothed beneath with a whitish tomentum. The flowers are in large, terminal, slender-stalked panicles, and white or yellowish-white. It is one of the handsomest species in cultivation, the neat and yet not stiff habit, and pretty, plume-like tufts of flowers making it a general favourite with the cultivators of hardy shrubs. Flowers about mid-summer. In rich soils, and where partially shaded from cold winds, it thrives best.
S. DOUGLASII.--Douglas"s Spiraea. North-west America. This has long, obovate-lanceolate leaves, that are white with down on the under surface, and bears dense, oblong, terminal panicles of rosy flowers. S.
Douglasii n.o.bleana (n.o.ble"s Spiraea) is a variety of great beauty, growing about a yard high, with large leaves often 4 inches long, and looser panicles of purple-red flowers. Flowering in July. The variety was introduced from California in 1859.
S. FISSA.--Split-leaved Spiraea. Mexico, 1839. A stout, erect-growing shrub, about 8 feet high, with rather small leaves, angular, downy branches, and long, loose, terminal panicles of small and greenish-white flowers. The leaves are wedge-shaped at the base, and when young have the lateral incisions split into a pair of unequal and very sharp teeth.
Flowering in May and June. In the south and west of England it thrives best.
S. HYPERICIFOLIA (_syn S. flagellata_).--Asia Minor, 1640. A wiry twiggy shrub, fully 4 feet high, with entire leaves, and small, white flowers produced in umbels at the tips of the last year"s shoots. It is a pretty and desirable species.
S. j.a.pONICA (_syns S. callosa_ and _S. Fortunei_).--j.a.panese Spiraea.
China and j.a.pan, 1859. This is a robust species about a yard high, with large lanceolate leaves, and small, rosy-red flowers arranged in corymbose heads. Flowering at mid-summer. There are several fine varieties of this species, including S. j.a.ponica alba, a compact bush about a foot high with white flowers; S. j.a.ponica rubra differs from the type in having dark red flowers; S. j.a.ponica splendens, is a free-flowering dwarf plant, with peach-coloured flowers and suitable for forcing; and S. j.a.ponica superba, has dark rose-red flowers. S. b.u.malda is a closely allied form, if not a mere variety of S. j.a.ponica. It is of dwarf habit, with dark reddish-purple flowers.
S. LAEVIGATA (_syns S. altaicensis_ and _S. altaica_).--Smooth Spiraea.
Siberia, 1774. A stout, spreading shrub about a yard high, with large, oblong-lanceolate, smooth, and stalkless leaves. The white flowers are arranged in racemose panicles, and produced in May.
S. LINDLEYANA.--Lindley"s Spiraea. Himalayas. A handsome, tall-growing species, growing from 6 feet to 8 feet high, with very large pinnate leaves, and pretty white flowers in large terminal panicles. It is the largest-leaved Spiraea in cultivation, and forms a stately, handsome specimen, and produces its showy flowers in great quant.i.ties. Flowering at the end of summer.
S. MEDIA (_syns S. confusa_ and _S. oblongifolia_).--Northern Asia, etc.
The pure white flowers of this species are very freely produced in corymbs along the shoots of the previous season during the months of June and July. The lanceolate-elliptic leaves are serrate, or the smaller ones toothed near the apex only. Within the past few years the species has been brought into prominence for forcing purposes, for which it is admirably suited. It forms an upright, branching bush usually about 3 ft. high, and is best known under the name of S. confusa.
S. PRUNIFOLIA.--China and j.a.pan, 1845. A twiggy-branched shrub growing 4 feet or 5 feet high, with oval, Plum-like leaves, and white flowers.
There is a double-flowering variety named S. prunifolia flore-pleno, which is both distinct and beautiful.
S. ROTUNDIFOLIA.--Round-leaved Spiraea. Cashmere, 1839. A slender-branched shrub, having downy shoots, and round, blunt leaves, flowering in July.
S. SALICIFOLIA.--Willow-leaved Spiraea. Europe, and naturalised in Britain. An erect-growing, densely-branched shrub, with smooth shoots, which spring usually directly from the ground. Leaves large, lanceolate, smooth, doubly serrated, and produced plentifully. Flowers red or rose-coloured, and arranged in short, thyrsoid panicles. It flowers in July and August. S. salicifolia carnea has flesh-coloured flowers; S.
salicifolia paniculata has white flowers; and S. salicifolia grandiflora has pink flowers as large again as the type. S. salicifolia alpestris (Mountain Spiraea) grows fully 2 feet high, with lanceolate, finely-toothed leaves, and loose, terminal panicles of pink or red flowers. From Siberia, and flowering in autumn. S. salicifolia latifolia (_syn S. carpinifolia_), the Hornbeam-leaved Spiraea, is a white-flowered variety, with leaves resembling those of the Hornbeam.
From North America.
S. SORBIFOLIA.--Sorbus-leaved Spiraea. Siberia, 1759. A handsome, stout species, 4 feet high, with large, pinnate, bright green leaves, and small, white, sweetly-scented flowers produced in thyrsoid panicles.
S. THUNBERGII.--Thunberg"s Spiraea. j.a.pan. The white flowers of this species smell somewhat like those of the Hawthorn, and are freely produced on the leafless, twiggy stems, in March or early in April, according to the state of the weather. They are borne in axillary cl.u.s.ters from buds developed in the previous autumn, and are very welcome in spring, long before the others come into bloom. The bush varies from one to three feet high, and is clothed with linear-lanceolate, sharply serrated leaves.
S. TOMENTOSA.--Tomentose Spiraea. North America, 1736. This species grows 2 feet or 3 feet high, has rusty tomentose shoots and leaves, and large, dense, compound spikes of showy red flowers. Flowering in summer.
S. TRILOBATA (_syn S. triloba_).--Three-lobed Spiraea. Altaian Alps, 1801. This is a distinct species with horizontally arranged branches, small, roundish, three-lobed leaves, and white flowers arranged in umbel-like corymbs. It flowers in May, and is quite hardy.
S. UMBROSA (Shady Spiraea) and S. EXPANSA (Expanded-flowered Spiraea), the former from Northern India and the latter from Nepaul, are well suited for planting in somewhat shady situations, and are very ornamental species. The first mentioned grows about a foot high, with rather large leaves, and cymes of white flowers on long slender footstalks; while S. expansa has pink flowers, and lanceolate and coa.r.s.ely serrated leaves.
There are other valuable-flowering kinds, such as S. capitata, with ovate leaves and white flowers; S. pikowiensis, a rare species with white flowers; S. cuneifolia, with wedge-shaped leaves and panicles of pretty white flowers; and S. vacciniaefolia, a dwarf-growing species, with small ovate, serrulated leaves, and showy, pure white flowers. S.
betulifolia and S. chamaedrifolia flexuosa are worthy forms of free growth and bearing white flowers.
STAPHYLEA.
STAPHYLEA COLCHICA.--Colchican Bladder Nut. Caucasus. This is a very distinct shrub, about 6 feet high, with large cl.u.s.ters of showy white flowers. Being quite hardy, and very ornamental, this species is worthy the attention of planters.
S. PINNATA.--Job"s Tears, or St. Anthony"s Nut. South Europe. This is a straggling shrub, from 6 feet to 8 feet high, with white, racemose flowers, succeeded by bladder-like capsules.
S. TRIFOLIA.--North America, 1640. This is distinguished by its larger white flowers and trifoliolate leaves. It is the American Bladder Nut, but, like the latter, can hardly be included amongst ornamental plants.
All the Bladder Nuts grow freely in good light dampish loam.
STAUNTONIA.
STAUNTONIA HEXAPHYLLA.--China and j.a.pan, 1876. This evergreen twining shrub is not to be generally recommended, it requiring wall protection even in southern England. The leaves are deep green and pinnate, while the greenish-white flowers are fragrant, and produced in the beginning of summer.
STUARTIA.
STUARTIA PENTAGYNA (_syn Malachodendron ovatum_).--North America, 1785.
This differs only from the S. virginica in having five distinct styles, hence the name. Under very favourable circ.u.mstances this is the taller growing species, and the leaves and flowers are larger.
S. PSEUDO-CAMELLIA (_syn S. grandiflora_).--j.a.pan, 1879. This is of recent introduction, and differs from the others in the flowers being rather larger, and of a purer white, and supplied with yellow instead of red stamens. It is quite hardy in Southern England and Ireland at least.
S. VIRGINICA (_syn S. marylandica_).--North America, 1743. This is a handsome free-growing shrub, of often 10 feet in height, with large, creamy-white flowers, that are rendered all the more conspicuous by the crimson-red stamens. The flowers--like those of a single Rose, and fully 2-1/2 inches across--are produced in May. Quite hardy, as many fine specimens in some of our old English gardens will point out.
Though, perhaps, rather exacting in their requirements, the Stuartias may be very successfully grown if planted in light, moist, peaty earth, and where they will be screened from cold, cutting winds.
STYRAX.
STYRAX AMERICANA and S. PULVERULENTA are not commonly cultivated, being far less showy than the j.a.panese species. They bear white flowers.
S. OFFICINALIS.--Storax. Levant, 1597. This is a small deciduous shrub, with ovate leaves, and short racemes of pretty pure white flowers. A not very hardy species, and only second-rate as an ornamental flowering shrub.
S. SERRULATA VIRGATA (_syn S. j.a.ponica_).--j.a.panese Storax. j.a.pan. A neat-habited and dense-growing shrub, with pretty white flowers that are neatly set off by the showy yellow stamens. It is an extremely pretty shrub, with long, slender, much-branched shoots, furnished with ovate leaves, and deliciously-scented, snow-white bell-shaped flowers, produced for nearly the full length of the shoots. So far, this shrub of recent introduction has proved quite hardy. S. serrulata variegata is a well-marked and constant form.
SYMPHORICARPUS.
SYMPHORICARPUS OCCIDENTALIS.--Wolf Berry. North America. This species has larger and more freely-produced flowers, and smaller fruit than the commonly-cultivated plant.
S. RACEMOSUS (_syn Symphoria racemosus_).--s...o...b..rry. North America, 1817. One of the commonest shrubs in English gardens, with small, oval, entire leaves, and neat little racemes of pretty pink flowers, succeeded by the familiar snow-white berries, and for which the shrub is so remarkable.
S. VULGARIS.--Coral Berry, Common St. Peter"s Wort. North America, 1730.
This is readily distinguished by its showy and freely-produced coral berries. There is a very neat and much sought after variety, having conspicuous green and yellow leaves, and named S. vulgaris foliis variegatis.
The s...o...b..rries are of no great value as ornamental shrubs, but owing to their succeeding well in the very poorest and stoniest of soils, and beneath the shade and drip of trees, it is to be recommended that they are not lost sight of. They grow and spread freely, and are therefore useful where unchecked and rampant shrub growth is desirable.
SYMPLOCOS.