340 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



under notice is one of the loveliest little gems of this earth — a 

 perennial miniature shrub, belonging to the natural order Gruciferce, 

 growing a few inches high. It is a little spreading evergreen, or 

 I should say everblue shrub, for it has foliage so decidedly glaucous 

 as to appear of a metallic blue, like no other plant I can call to 

 mind. This glaucous leafage clothes densely every part of the 

 plant, so as to render it extremely beautiful at all seasons. Early 

 in spring every branch of this tiny shrub is terminated by small 

 corymbs of lively pink or rose-coloured flowers, not unlike those of 

 a Pimelia. The dense foliage, peculiar colour, and very compact 

 habit of this beautiful plant, will, I am sure, render it very useful 

 as a massing or edging plant for tracery, or where extreme delicacy 

 is required. 



Another use of this little low-spreading plant is its adaptability 

 for shallow small vases, on terrace walls, in very windy places, where 

 nothing else would grow, as every portion of it is as tough as brass 

 wire ; indeed, weather has no effect on it. I need scarcely add, as a 

 pot plant or a rockery plant, it has scarce a rival, and those who may 

 possess it now or hereafter, will find the above notice of it rather 

 meagre than otherwise, for it merits more than I have said in its 

 praise. 



MOTES ON THREE SCARCE SHRUBS. 



BY THOMAS WILLIAMS, 

 Bath Lodge, Ormskirk. 



INDIGOFEEA DOSUA. 



THIS is a very beautiful, half-hardy shrub, rarely met with. 

 Generally where known it is treated as a conservatory 

 plant, but is hardy, even in North Lancashire on a 

 wall, which, perhaps, is the best place for it in all cases. 

 As will be seen by its name, it is a leguminous plant, 

 of a graceful, slender, mimosa-like habit, with finely-divided 

 pinnate foliage, of a silvery-grey colour, very free of growth, pro- 

 ducing a multitude of long, slender, drooping branches throughout 

 the summer. It is beautiful even in this state, but as it flowers 

 on the young wood of the current season, and every twig bears in 

 succession small, laburnum-like bunches of rosy-red flowers, it is 

 more beautiful still. 



All the Indigoferas are interesting. "What an exquisite, refined, 

 dandy-like plant is I. decora, and a wall covered with the plant 

 under notice is a fine sight. It will grow on any aspect. My 

 plant is on an east aspect, and I have no doubt it would thrive on a 

 north one. "Whoever may wish to give this fine plant a trial should 

 train the young plant to the wall as we would a peach, laying in the 

 long flexible shoots at full length. Cover with a mat for a season or 

 two, till the old wood becomes fairly hardened. In spring it will be 



