66 ALPINES AND BOG-PLANTS 
magentas. But the Aethionemas are really bright and 
lovely in their flowers, while their leaves are, for the 
most part, of a glaucous blue, which makes a dainty con- 
trast. Their habit is that of wiry, rather untidy little 
flopping bushes, carrying goodly spikes of bloom along 
the end of every twig. A strong generic likeness holds 
them all together, and their requirements are all the 
same, although there are now many recognised and a few 
unrecognised species. 
I grow Aethionemas under the following names :— 
grandiflorum, coridifolium, thomasianum (a rare annual, 
quaint, but not very pretty) diastrophis, creticum, ar- 
menum, iberideum, and persicum. Grandiflorum is far 
and away the best of the bigger species, and armenum, I 
think, of the smaller. As for jucundum, that also I seem 
to be growing well, and so far, in spite of Nicholson, 
it looks a different thing from coridifolium (if, indeed, 
Aethionema jucundum be not yet another synonym for 
Iberis jucunda, which is declared identical with Aethionema 
coridifolium!) But, as a matter of fact, there isa great deal 
of confusion among the Aethionemas, and nurserymen are 
far too careless about the naming of the stuff they send out. 
Against the whole race must be set the disadvantage 
that their hardiness is not absolutely above suspicion. 
A cold winter will not do them much harm, but a wet one 
kills them dead with me, unless they are planted high up 
on an exposed point, with very quick, perfect drainage. 
Grandiflorum, I think, is the only species which I can 
pronounce perfectly faithful and trustworthy. Damp 
winters have at one time or another forced me to replace 
all the others; and last winter killed me off armenum, 
which I loved. It made a little furry-looking grey bush, 
out of a cranny; and I thought it was safe. But no, the 
winds blew and the rain came down, and Aethionema 
armenum departed from such a soaking world. All the 
