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potash-plant.” Langethal says:—“ I t surpasses in easy range
of cultivation all other root-crops. Its culture suppresses
weeds and opens up the soil, besides preparing the land for
cereals.” Seeds of the Potato-berries should be sown in
adapted places by explorers of new countries. The most formidable
Potato-disease of the last thirty years from the Pero-
nospora infestans seems to have originated from the use of
objectionable kinds of guano, to the introduction of which the
murrain was contemporaneous.
Solanum Uporo, Dunal.
In many of the islands of the Pacific Ocean. The large red
spherical berries of this shrub can be used like Tomato.
Solanum vescum, F. v. Mueller.
The Onnyang. South-East Australia. A shrub yielding edible
berries, which need, however, to be fully ripe for securing absence
of deleterious properties.
Solanum xanthocarpum, Schrader and Wendland.
North Africa and South Asia. A perennial herb. The berries
are of the size of a cherry, and either yellow or scarlet.
Sophora Japónica, Linné.*
A deciduous tree of China and Japan, resembling the
Laburnum, up to sixty feet high; wood hard and compact,
valued for turner’s work. All parts of the plant purgative;
the flowers rich in a yellow dye, used for silk.
Sophora tetraptera, Aiton. Var. Macnabiana, Graham.
The Pelu of Chili and Patagonia. A small tree with exceedingly
hard and durable wood, much used for cog-wheels and
similar structures. The wood difiers much from that of S.
Toramiro of the Easter Island (Dr. Philippi).
Spartina cynosuroides, Willdenow.
Eastern part of North America. A perennial grass of freshwater
swamps, there often-called Prairie-grass; it can be
utilised for fodder, and its value as paper-material seems
equal to tb a t of Esparto.
Spartina júncea, Willdenow.
Salt marshes of North America. A grass with creephig
roots; it can be utilised to bind moist sand on the coast. A
tough fibre can readily be obtained from the leaves. S. poly-
stachya (W.) is a stately grass, adapted for saline soil.
Spartina stricta, Eoth.
Countries at the Mediterranean Sea, extending to Britain
and also to North America. The twin-spiked Cord-grass. A
rigid perennial with creeping roots, recommended for fixing
and rendering solid any mud-fiats on low shores and at the
mouth of rivers; only suitable for brackish ground.
Spartium junceum, Linné.
Countries around the Mediterranean Sea. The fiowers of this
bush provide a yellow dye. A textile fibre can be separated
from the branches.
Spergula arvensis, Linné.
All Europe, North Africa, West Asia. This annual herb,
though easily becoming a troublesome weed, is here mentioned
for the desirable completeness of this enumeration.
The tall variety with large seeds (S. maxima, Weihe), can be
chosen with advantage for the commencement of tillage on
any sandy soil, too poor for barley. I t takes np the land
only for about two months, if grown for green-fodder, and
increases much the yield of milk. I t serves also for admixture
to hay (Langethal).
Spigelia Marylandica, Linné.
North America, north to Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. A
perennial handsome herb, requiring as a vermifuge cautious
administration. S. anthelmia (L.) is an annual plant of
tropical America and possesses similar medicinal properties,
in which probably other species likewise share.
Spilanthes olerácea, N. Jacquin.
The Para-Cress. South America. An annual herb of
considerable pungency, used as a medicinal salad.
Spinacia olerácea, Linné.
Siberia. Tbe ordinary Spinage. An agreeable culinary
annual of rapid growth. I t is of a mild aperient property.
Two varieties are distinguished, the Summer and tbe Winter
Spinage, the former less inclined to run into seed but also
less hardy.
Spinacia tetrandra, Stev.
Caucasus. Also annual and unisexual like the preceding
plant, with which it has equal value, though it is less known^
Spinifex hirsutas. La Biliardière.
On the whole coast of extra-tropical Anstralia. Highly
valuable for binding coast-sand with its long creeping roots.
Spinifex longifolius, B. Brown.
On tbe tropical and western extra-tropical coast of Australia.
Available like the former.
Spinifex squarrosus, Linné.
India. Useful, like the two preceding plants. Tennent
remarks, th a t the radiating heads become detached when the
seed is matured, and are carried by the wind along the sand,
over the surface of which they are impelled by their elastic
spines, dropping their seeds as they roll along. The heads
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