PRDIULA. 



P. x Floerkeana often appears in lists. This is the natural 

 hybrid of P. minima x P- ghttinosa either way round. It is a 

 most important and beautiful thing, but unfortunately the range of 

 variation is here so immense that no fewer than four distinct names 

 have been applied to different developments. All these forms inter- 

 breed and grade into each other, until there is now no choice but to 

 sweep the whole range into the one wide net of P. Floerkeana. This, 

 or rather that special form to which the name was originally applied, 

 is a most marked and magnificent thing at its best, having the habit 

 of P. ghttinosa, but forming wide dense masses, from which shoot up 

 3-inch scapes, each carrying three or four flowers as large as P. m in ima's, 

 but of a fulminating vinous rose, which glows like fire from afar 

 among the soft violet films with which P. glutinosa veils the high 

 granitic moors. It is a very robust grower, too, in any fight well- 

 mixed peaty soil, and a garden -plant of great value. It is, on the 

 whole, the commonest and most typical form of the cross. Then 

 comes another called P. Ruteri, tending more towards Minima, but 

 with violet flowers ; yet a third is offered often as P. salisburgensis, a 

 plant much closer to Glutinosa, but with two or three violet-red 

 flowers to the scape ; and last of all the rare P. biflora. which is almost 

 pure P. minima, but with two magnified blossoms to the scape. 



P. floribunda is, of course, useless out of doors. 



P. Forbesii was annual when first described, but has now developed, 

 from other seed, into a useful greenhouse perennial, without value 

 for the outdoor garden. The species varies indefatigably, and 

 among its named varieties or microforms are PP. androsacea, multi- 

 caulis, WiUmottiae, Duclouxii, delicata, pellucida (spehincicola and 

 debilis), and Barbeyana. None of these have separate value except 

 pretty neat P. androsacea, and this is no more hardy than the rest. 



P. Forrestii was received mto cultivation with a roar of acclamation. 

 Those shouts have now died down into silence after many sad and 

 expensive attempts to keep P. Forrestii in the land of the living. 

 Xever did a species look so robust and indestructible ; everyone felt 

 that the Polyanthus now had a rival. In point of fact P. Forrestii is a 

 sturdy suffruticose species, which forms enormous aged trtmked masses 

 in the hot .limestone cliff-faces of Yunnan ; and in cultivation it 

 proves to dread and detest superfluous wet in winter. In future it 

 must be grown purely as a saxatile subject, in high and dry crevices, 

 perfectly drained, of warm dry limestone rock, open to all the sun 

 there is. In appearance, indeed, the clump is misleading., owing to its 

 general resemblance to a gorgeous but orange-coloured Polyanthus ; of 

 which it has the solid crinkled, stalked leaves (but here oblong heart - 



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