POLEMONIUM. 



On old clumps you may see a dozen at a time, glowing and swaying 

 from the stalks that look so slight to hold them. Even taller is P. Emodi 

 majus, and there is now news of yet a third giant provisionally 

 called P. Leichtlini. Smaller than these is P. peltatum, from America, 

 with leaves more deeply lobed, and flowers more rilled with stamens, 

 and fruit of yellowish tone ; but stout and stately are P. pleianthum, and 

 P. versipelk, both from China, with leaf-lobes very deep, and hanging 

 clusters of rather smaller flowers of dark and dusky red. All these 

 can freely be raised from the seeds that lie buried in the large fleshy 

 pods ; and in time can easily be divided at the end of summer. 



Polemonium. — As this alphabet advances towards the appalling 

 shadows of Primula and Saxifraga now darkening giimly across its 

 path, it is met once more and impeded by many races asking for 

 especial attention. And here is one ; the Jacob's Ladders are so 

 beautiful, so useful, so pleasant and deserving of their general popu- 

 larity, that they must needs be dwelt with awhile, and have their 

 creases of confusion rolled out and their names set straight. Fortu- 

 nately culture offers little trouble ; the greater number seed like 

 cresses, and can be grown perpetually in any light open and rather 

 rich loam, not parched or water-logged, where they make a practice 

 of profusely blooming in high summer, and on into its later months, 

 and can at need be taken up in autumn and have their clumps divided 

 and put back again. The race is predominantly American, wholly 

 alpine and sub-alpine, with at least one species not only native to the 

 Old World but extraordinarily pervasive and variable there, in all its 

 mountain chains. The following list contains every species known up 

 to date ; no others are genuine. 



P. antardicum has a stimulating name, but no other merit of 

 any sort. 



P. Brandegeei (Qilia Brandegeei) comes from Colorado, and there 

 forms a neat tuft of wholly sticky foliage, from which rise unbranched 

 stems of a foot at the most, but usually less, carrying a leafy spire of 

 narrow-tubed golden flowers, with an inch-long, very narrow tube, 

 and a delicious fragrance. 



P. carneum is a rather rank grower, but attractive for a remoter 

 comer, where its ferny masses of foliage may have full sway, and its 

 carillons of abundant long flesh-coloured and creamy and rosy bells 

 may hang and sway in full luxuriance without suffering the hurtful 

 challenge of some neat austere alpine. Indeed, so lush is the plant 

 that seed should surely be annually collected. 



P. coeruleum ranges over the mountains of the Old World, North, 

 South, East, and West, greatly varying as it goes, in stature, colour, 



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