IRISH GARDENING 



V^OLUME X 



No. 113 



Editor C F. Ball 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE 



ADVANCEMENT OF HORTICULTURE AND 



ARBORICULTURE IN IRELAND 



JULY „pw TO«K , 



'9'5 >*TANlCAfci 



Some Androsaces of Recent Introduction* 



This popular genus lias within the last decade 

 or so received several notable additions which 

 may yet become fashionable in rock gardens, 

 and in most cases will add considerably to the 

 interest of that department of the garden. 



Androsace bulleyana 

 is, perhaps, the most 

 striking of the lot, but 

 is, unfortunately, only 

 a biennial. It forms 

 thick woody roots, 

 the leaves arranged 

 in a rosette, sessile, and 

 in shape .spathidate. 

 an inch or more long 

 and about a third of 

 an inch wide, glaucous 

 andciliate. The flower 

 stems are numerous, 

 erect, reaching five 

 inches in height, and 

 l)earhig many flowered 

 umbels of vermilion- 

 coloured flowers. This 

 is a somewhat miffy 

 species to handle so 

 far, and should be 

 ])ricked out in per- 

 manent positions when 

 small, as the young 

 plants resent subse- 

 (| went disturbance, and 

 usually damp off. 



A. bulleyana was 

 collected by Forrest in 

 1900 in North Western 



Yunnan, and j)re- Axdkosa^ 



viously by Wilson in 



Western China in 1904. It is closely allied 

 to, if not identical with, A. coccinea of 

 Franchet, but is probably less hairy than the 

 latter. 



A. geranifolia, as tlio name implies, has leaves 

 much resembling those of some Geranium 

 species. They are produced from a common 

 centre on long petioles, and lie close to the 

 ground, the whole i)laut Ix'ing I'ather hairy. 



The flowers are borne in loose umbels on long 

 peduncles, Avhich also incline to be prostrate. 

 The flowers vary from white to pale pink in 

 colour. Numerous rimners are produced from 

 each plant, which form rosettes at their ex- 

 tremities, and soon 

 form roots and become 

 estabUshed. 



A. Henry i is another 

 ( 'hinese species dis- 

 covered in Western 

 and Central Chma in 

 1904 by Mr. Wilson, 

 and also previously by 

 Professor Henry, now 

 (if the Royal College 

 of Science, Dubhn. It 

 l)ears Heuchera-like 

 leaves on short stalks, 

 and umbels of white 

 flowers varying to pink 

 So far it has not shown 

 any disposition to in. 

 crease rapidly by 

 offsets, and notlung 

 definite can yet be said 

 as to its seeding pro- 

 cli\aties. It is, how- 

 ever, so distinct in 

 habit and appearance 

 as to render it desir- 

 ablefor the rock 

 garden 



A. si^iuulifera is a 

 robust species co\ered 

 with a silvery pubes- 

 cence. In the winter 

 state it forms a Seui- 

 peivivuni-like tuft, the other leaves as they 

 expand in spring growing from three to six 

 inches long, broader at the top and tapering 

 to the base. The flower scapes attain a 

 height of from six to ten inches, bearing an 

 umbel of rose-pink flowers, each with a yellow 

 eve. It is a native of East Tibet and Yunnan, 

 and was collected b\- G. Forrest in North Western 

 ^'llnlla^ in .Ma\-. I'.tOO. at an altitude of 10,0011 



II 



