250 ALPINES AND BOG-PLANTS 
brown-purple, whose odour is so appalling that during their 
reign the garden is entirely unapproachable. Similar in 
name, Asarum now recalls itself to me; a low-growing 
race, forming mats of small, rounded, glossy leaves, with 
small brown bells of blossom huddling round the root. 
As may be imagined, the beauty of Asarum lies in its 
foliage; in Sieboldi the leaves are variegated and marbled 
in more than thirty varieties considered worthy of names 
by their Japanese admirers. This, with our own native, 
ewropaeum, is useful, if not startling, for a cool, out of the 
way, shady corner in the bog, or near it, but not prominent 
or choice. 
Notable among minute shrubs for the peaty bog are 
Kalmia alpina, Rubus pedatus, Rubus arcticus, Cornus 
canadensis. But all these must have a drier corner. The 
glorious blue showers too of Mertensia elongata seem to 
be produced as freely and happily in the wet bog as 
anywhere else in the garden, so delightfully accommodating 
is this most blessed of introductions. Virginica requires 
more care, and a selecter, warmer spot, not near the small 
things; primuloeides would seem to be a bog-plant from 
very great elevations, but must still go from my pages 
with the verdict non-proven. 
A pretty common annual, which looks after itself in 
cool shady places, not too choice, is Claytonia perfoliata, 
which, with its twin virginica, has almost established 
itself with us as a native. It has glossy, waxy rounded 
leaves, and delicate loose spikes of pearly stars. But all 
Americans are not so accommodating as this. Who is 
there that has not wailed over Viola pedata ? Now Viola 
pedata is one of the loveliest little plants that has ever 
timidly set root in our gardens—a small Violet, with 
claw-like, ferny leaves, resembling those of some choice 
Pteris, though of a greyish, leathery green. The large 
flowers are beautifully built and balanced, very freely 
