272 ALPINES AND BOG-PLANTS 
spikes of whitish flowers. This, however, with me at 
least, lives so far under water, and flowers so sparsely, 
that it really has no value for the garden. Azolla caro- 
lintana has the habit and the leafage of Alisma natans, 
without the brilliant flowers. Tapa natans, the water- 
Chestnut of Italian lakes, is another interesting aquatic, 
not perhaps absolutely hardy, with queer thorny edible 
nuts, contorted and devilish in outline. Then there are 
our own river-buttercups, Ranunculus aquatilis, in many 
varieties, with fine ferny foliage and abundance of big 
white blossoms. This, however, is so ramping a water-weed 
that it should never be admitted to any pond that is not 
measured by the mile. Much as the same applies to 
a cousin of the Gentians, Villarsia nymphacoeides, with 
leaves exactly like a wee Nymphaea, and solitary flowers, 
large, fluffy yellow cups, like golden, single-flowered 
Menyanthes. This is a fearful invader, and has choked 
up every piece of water into which it was ever admitted. 
On the other hand, its near, and prettier relation, Limnan- 
themum villarsiocides, is not trustworthy in point of 
rusticity. 
If you crave for curiosities, in sone wet spongy place 
of the inner bog, you might grow the Sarracenias and 
Darlingtonia californica. Both Sarracenia purpurea and 
Darlingtonia californica are hardy, if well treated, but 
the Pitcher-plants require a good deal of attention, and, 
to my taste, are not altogether worthy of it, though their 
deep swelling jugs of bronze, emerald, and purple are 
strange enough for anything, and only surpassed by their 
pendulous flowers, like enormous blind Poppies designed 
by Aubrey Beardsley, and carried out in lard, coloured 
with various shades of red, green, and yellow. These odd 
rare creatures require a great deal of moisture, a sheltered 
warm position, and very perfect drainage, if they are to 
be permanent. 
