1870.] HARDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 249 



NOTES ON HARDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 



Berberidace^:. 

 This natural order of plants comprises only a very limited number 

 of herbaceous genera, and none of these may be considered 

 plants of showy character ; for, unlike the majority of the shrubby 

 species, they are more remarkable for their curious structure than 

 for striking beauty. The most important herbaceous genus is 

 Epimedium, for the purposes of ornamentation : in it there is a very 

 happy union of grace in habit and foliage and beauty, as well as high 

 interest in the flowers. Jeffersonia is perhaps the only other genus 

 that may be admitted into collections other than botanical, and it 

 should be in every collection of choice beautiful plants, being at once 

 both curious and handsome. The culture of these two genera must 

 be the same. They succeed best in sandy loam and peat of consider- 

 able depth, and all the better if moist, though perfect freedom from 

 stagnation must be secured, and they prefer a little shade ; but that is 

 of less consequence than a properly- constituted soil. In the mixed 

 border they form elegant objects for the front lines, and they are very 

 fit also for rockwork, especially where the natural soil is unfit for them 

 — that is, heavy loam or clay. Some of the Epimediums, being ever- 

 green, are well adapted for furnishing the margins of beds of shrubs, 

 their dwarf elegant mode of growth bringing about a very pleasing 

 gradation from the shrubs to the ground edge, be it grass or box and 

 gravel. Once established in stock, and while doing well, these plants 

 should not be disturbed by annual deep diggings and transplantings ; 

 they dislike being much moved once they are established in a place; and 

 only when they begin to decline, or when it may be necessary to in- 

 crease stock, should they be moved. Division is the best mode of in- 

 creasing these, and it is best done, especially in counties north of the 

 Tweed, in early spring, just as activity begins to show itself returning. 

 Of other herbaceous genera of this curious and interesting order — Caulo- 

 phyllum thalictroides, with yellow and very f ugaceous flowers, from N. 

 America, andDiphylleja cymosa, with white flowers, also N. American, 

 and in both which the leaves are produced twin-fashion — there is little 

 seen even in botanical gardens in this country, and they are decidedly 

 more curious than beautiful ; fit subjects for botanical collections, in 

 fact. They require the same conditions in culture as Jeffersonia, to 

 which they are closely allied. 



Epimedium. — This family contains three or four distinct and 

 pretty species, some or all of which should be cultivated in every col- 

 lection of hardy border plants. They are hardy elegant plants adapted 

 to any purpose to which herbaceous plants may be turned. 



