nUSII (JAIU)KNTNG 



Notes. 



Podocarpus chilina. 



A NATlVK oi ('liili. tlii-^ is an cvci-grcHMi ivvv 

 suitable for tlic w'.miihm' j)aits of Irohuul. Tlic 

 leaves are narrow and tapered at botli iiids. 

 and many of them are curved. Male and female 

 flo^\'ers are borne on separate ])lants. and the 

 fruits, which I have not seen, are described as 

 egg-shaped, sometimes ])i-oduced in pairs. Tlie 

 s]ieeimeu illustrated from Penjenick, in Corn- 

 wall, is a very fine one about thirty feet lii^h : 

 a specimen at Kilmacurra<rh. Co. Wicklow. is 

 ]i<)ssih|y not far short of it. tlioiiuli 1 liave not 

 the actual measurements. 



B. 



Primula Werringtoneusis. 



Another of }<h\ Foncsts discoveries, this 

 may be described as a hardy P. obconica, since 

 it was found at an elevation of lO.OOO feet 

 and facing north. It remains to to be proved 

 hardy, bnt there is small doubt that many 

 Irish hardy plant enthusiasts will find a suit- 

 able position for it, and those lovers of Alpines 

 who all too rarely contribute their experiences 

 to Irish Gardening will scarcely be deterred 

 from giving it a trial from any doubts as to 

 hardiness. The flowers are rosy red, lint are 

 said to varv from seeds. 



Gaultheria Veitchiana. 



Introduced from China some 3'ears ago, this 

 has so far proved quite hardy and seems likely 

 to be a very useful evergreen either for a shady, 

 moist position in the rock garden or as a 

 carpet for other shrubs of the Heath family. 

 It is a low grower, the branches sj)reading out 

 horizontally and bearing in spring dense 

 racemes of white flowers. The leaves ivre 

 stiff, about two to three inches long and an 

 inch to an inch and a half broad. The plant 

 spreads freely by means of underground stems, 

 and is eminently suitable for moist, peaty 

 soil, and would probably thrive in sandy 

 loam mixed with peat or leaf-mould. 



Saxifraga Delavayi. 



From China, like so many new plants of recent 

 introduction, this iiew species belongs to the 

 Megasea section, and will probably soon rank 



as one of llie bi'sl . 'I'hc leaves ari' l»ron/,y-green, 

 and, though large, are not ^o coarse and aggres- 

 sive as ihosc of .some of the older s])ecies. The 

 handsome flowers are almost carmine-i)ink, and 

 look very pretty hanging fiom the stout sca])e. 

 Planted in nuasses on slo])ing banks oi' in fiont 

 of shrubberies and plantations this should !)(• one 

 of the flrst herbaceous ])lants of the yeai- to 

 make a flne display of colour, flowering well in 

 the un'ddle of .\])i'il and ]irobably cai'liei' in a 



Saxifraga cernua. 



A \KRV pretty ])lant. the mci'its of which are 

 not siifliciently recognised. Growing about six 

 inches high, it is, during May, a beautiful 

 object when surmounted by its compara- 

 tively large white flowers. The flower stems 

 arise from among small glossy green-lobed 

 leaves, while in the axils of the stem leaves 

 tiny red bulbils are produced which add not a 

 little to its charm. S. cernua is found wild on 

 the summit of Ben Lawers, in Scotland, and 

 thrives in a small bog at Glasnevin, where it 

 is lightly shaded by the thin branches of an 

 old pine tree. During May a group some 

 fifteen inches across has been an object of 

 much interest and beauty. 



Primula silvicola. 



This is a new Chinese species, stated by Mr. 

 Forrest to have been found by him in shady 

 thickets at 9,000 feet elevation. A specimen 

 in the Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin has 

 flowered lately in a pot, and gives promise of 

 being a good doer though yet to be tried in 

 the open. The flowers are produced in whorls 

 on a tall stem, said to reach from two to three 

 feet high in nature. The flowers are reddish- 

 pur j)le, but probably vary according to ex- 

 posure. Though untried as to hardiness, it 

 is possible that when stock has been raided 

 it may prove hardy in a sheltered nook in 

 the rockery, and may iwobably be found use- 

 ful for planting in colonies under trees where 

 it would set shelter from above. 



Lithospermum Gastoni. 



Though less showy than L. prostratum, this is 

 nevertheless a pretty and interesting species. 

 The flowers are produced in clusters at the; ends 

 of the shoots, and are of a good clear blue, with 

 a white centre. The leaves are larger than those 



