IRISH GARDENING. 



77 



p. liehiangensis, also in cultivation, is in the 

 way of P. V^eitchii but less hairy; it is just find- 

 ing its way into gardens. 



P. sinolisteri is ui eultivation but has not proved 

 altogether satisfactory in the open at Glasneviii. 



In the so called Muscarioides section are 

 several species of interest and which are now to be 

 found in gardens. P. deflexa forms rosettes of 

 leaves and bears purplish blue flowers arranged 

 in a close spike on a fairly tall scape; it is not 

 a plant of great decorative merit, the flowers 

 being small and deflexed, as the name suggests. 

 P. Giraldiana is another of the same set, at first 

 called P. Muscarioides owing to the Muscari-like 

 flower spike. P. Littoniana is the be-?t and most 

 striking of the lot, producing from the rosette of 

 hairy leaves a remarkable spike of flowers with 

 red calyx and blue corolla; in its opening stages 

 this is a remarkable and pretty plant. All of 

 them require to be raised frequently from seeds. 

 They flourish in a mixture of loam and peat, 

 but it must be well drained. P. Forresti and P. 

 rufa are two delightful yellow-flowered species. 

 The former has an unhappy knack of dying off 

 in winter and is evidently averse to our moist 

 winter climate, but P. rufa is more satisfactory. 

 The two species are remarkably alike in other 

 respects. They seed freely and the seeds 

 germinate readily. 



P. Knuthiana Iuk powdery leaves and heads 

 of pale lavender flowers. It has not succeeded 

 out of doors and is only doing moderately well in 

 pots. 



P. Maxiraowiczii is disappointing, forming as it 

 doe? a rosette of handsome leaves but producing a 

 tall scape bearing several whorls of chocolate-red, 

 poor flowers; it has no decorative merit. 



P. nutans when well grown is a fine species, 

 bearing several comparatively large blue flowers, 

 but it has not been an unqualified success in the 

 open at Glasnevin. Perhaps it was planted in 

 too moist a position. 



P. pulchella and P. pulchelloides are both good 

 and worth persevering with, but they have not 

 proved good doers here; they grow freely enough 

 in sunnner but the crowns invarial)ly damp off in 

 winter, even in pots in a cold frame. 



P. secundiflora is an interesting and pretty 

 plant with drooping purplish red flowers, but 

 it has an irritating habit of failing to appear in 

 spring. 



P. sinopurpurea gave great promise at first, 

 flowering freely both out of doors and in pots; it 

 did not appear the following spring after flower- 

 ing on the rock garden though pot plants con- 

 tinue to grow. It is an attractive species densely 

 furnished with golden farina and carrying a head 

 of large flowers, violet coloured with a white 

 " eye." It is possible, of course, that, like many 

 others, it fails after flowering. On this and other 

 points we have much to learn regarding many of 

 the newer species from China, and first results are 

 not to be taken as conclusive. 



P. vinciflora comes freely from seeds; large 

 quantities were raised here a year or two ago, 

 carefully pricked out in boxes and wintered in a 

 cool house. They never reached the flowerinir 

 stage. A second attempt is in progress now and 

 youngsters pricked out last summer have survived 

 so far and are beginning to grow; P. pinnatafida 

 is in the same state. 



P. Willmottiae, like a small P. Forbesii. 

 flowered once in a pot and vanished without pro- 



ducing seeds; I cannot speak of it, therefore, as a 

 garden plant. 



In the collection at Glasnevin there are 

 numerous other Chinese species more or less in 

 the experimental state and from a cultivator's 

 ponit of view I cannot say much of their garden 

 value. That many of them are beautiful tliero 

 is no denying, but up to the present there is diffi- 

 culty in keeping them, our damp winter being 

 the chief drawback. P. Menziesii was raised 

 under the name of P. tibetica but is quite different 

 from that species, which is a minute plant bear- 

 ing tiny pink flowers. P. Menziesii on the other 

 hand forms rosettes of hairy leaves and produces 

 tallisli flower scapes surmounted by a loose head 

 of rather large blue flowers, which are sweetly 

 scented. Seeds are usually produced in fair 

 al)undance; l)ut the plants are not so good after 

 flowering though a few form new rosettes and 

 grow again the next year; it is best, however, to 

 sow seeds whenever they can be got. 



American Primulas. 



These are few in number, and fewer still are 

 connnon in gardens. 



P. farinosa var. magellanica alluded to under 

 farinosa is easily grown from seeds and grows 

 well under conditions that suit the type. 



P. Parryi, from the Rocky Mountains, has 

 reddish, purple flowers each with a yellow eye; 

 they are borne in umbels on stems springing 

 from among fairly large leaves. It' flowers in 

 spring and should be planted in loamy soil in a 

 half shade situation. 



P. Rusbyi is an attractive species from New 

 Mexico and is rather sensitive to winter damp. 

 The flowers are reddish pui'ple, each with a yellow 

 eye and a mealy calyx; they are borne in umbels 

 of six or more on stems eight or nine inches high. 

 It is easy to grow in a pot, and seeds freely when 

 pollinated. On the rockery, as stated, it often 

 fails in winter. 



P. suffrutescens is a most interesting species of 

 a sub-shrubby nature, and hailing from the Sierra 

 Nevada. For some reason it does not succeed 

 well at Glasnevin, even as a pot plant. Good 

 specimens have been obtained on several occa- 

 sions but in a short time they begin to lose 

 colour and drop the leaves. One is inclined to fall 

 back on the " lime hating " excuse, but further 

 trial is perhaps necessary. It has been tried in 

 peat but was no happier there than in loam, and 

 no better in sim than in shade. When doing 

 well it bears fine trusses of pink flowers and 

 narrow leaves on rather woody stems. 



J. W. B., Glasnevin. 



Anemone apennina. 



In the list of herbaceous plants for shady places 

 (Irish Garuening. page 18) the above is included. 

 Anemone apennina deserves more than passing 

 notice. For planting in the grass, partially 

 shaded by trees or shrubs, it is a fine subject and 

 is most effective when established. It is equally 

 effective in the semi-wild garden at Stormans- 

 town House, Co. Dublin. Grown under such 

 conditions the Anemone is a glorious sight at the 

 present time (mid-April). ^- 



