POLYGONUM. 



our own P. BLstorta and the American P. bistortoeides may wander in 

 wild, wet places, with their poker-spikes of pink on tall, bare stems 

 (and P. peregriaum and P. amplexicaule are leafier in the same line). 

 And there are others to be found in catalogues. But the rock-garden 

 has its eye on smaller things only, and from this point it may be taken 

 that all species included in its glance are of neater habit, all of the 

 st culture anywhere, anyhow, readily to be divided or struck, and 

 usually flowering late in the season. 



P. ajfine (P. Brunonis), forms a quite dense wide carpet of almost 

 evergreen narrow leaves, from which, from August to October, rises 

 an interminable succession of neat little clear pink spikes on naked 



is of some 6 inches. It is an admirable coverer of the ground, and 

 always gives pleasure, in flower or out of it. (From Kashmir and 

 Kumaon, a high -alpine, up to 13,000 feet.) 



P. capitatum flops about with vulgar freedom, and has countless 

 little round pink heads of flower and spotted foliage. Somehow the 

 whole plant, though dwarf enough, has a coarse and ill-bred look, a 

 disproportion of the dimmy orbs to the rank and weedy dull foliage ; 

 so that one is consoled for learning that it is half-hardy, and closes 

 one's ears to the murmur that every fragment will strike if potted up. 



P. Emodi has the habit and the charm of P. affine. but that the 

 leaves are longer and narrower, making much more spindly stars, 

 therefore, as the plant runs over the ground, and throws up its red 

 spikes above a scantier carpet. It should always, in specially inclement 

 places, have a few sprays taken off and potted up in autumn, for it is 

 not so high an alpine as the other, coming from Bhotan and Daghestan, 

 where it is not found above 11,000 feet. 



P. equisetiforrne (P. scoparium) is a most beautiful Corsican species, 

 to be planted on the top of a high sunny cliff . From this it will fall and 

 foam and wave in a great wild surf of innumerable long wiry branches, 

 set with myriads of tiny white flowers, producing an effect of the 

 most bewildering dainty grace in late summer and autumn, suggesting 

 some of the finest tender white-flowered Brooms, but especially airy 

 and delicate in its spring}" spray, and with the added advantage of 

 being hardy. 



P. foiyachineme is a Japanese species, of more refined habit than 

 P. Bistorta. and, though with the same pink spike on a bare stem, taking 

 a median position between this and the habit of P. viviparum. 



P. perpuriUum is a minute species, in the way of P. sphaerostachyon, 

 but a hundred times more attractive. It forms a wee clump of matted 

 wee Leaves, very thin and narrow, recurving and smooth at the edge, 

 and almost stemless ; then from these are sent up bold little erect 



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