1 8 RANUNCULACE.^. 



beds, borders, and rockwork in spring; few spring-flowering 

 plants, indeed, can compare with them when well managed as 

 to culture and grouping. A rich rather gritty loam is most 

 congenial to them, and they delight in slight shade, both foliage 

 and flowers appearing freshest and to the greatest advantage so 

 placed. They are propagated by division of the root-stock, 

 and the operation is best performed in autumn, after growth 

 has been made and the leaves are fully matured. When doing 

 well they should be left alone, as they are very averse to fre- 

 quent removals ; but the crowns are apt from annual increase 

 to rise too high above ground, and when such is the case they 

 are benefited by being hfted and replanted, introducing a 

 little fresh loam or leaf-mould about the roots in the operation, 

 and taking care to bring the crowns nearly level with the sur- 

 face of the ground. They should be annually refreshed by 

 means of a little old thoroughly-rotted dung pricked into the 

 surface of the ground around them with a fork; but digging, or 

 deep stirring as with a spade, is objectionable. The best time 

 to do this manuring is in spring, just as growth commences. 

 In cases where the summer flower-garden must be filled with 

 spring-flowering plants after removing the summer occupants, 

 the Hepaticas are best managed by being kept in pots in the 

 reserve ground. 



H. angulosa {Five-Ioied H.) — This is the finest of the species. 

 It forms luxuriant tufts about 9 inches high of pretty, five-lobed, 

 hairy leaves, from among which the large sky-blue flowers come 

 forth in great profusion in March and April. It is not nearly 

 so well known in gardens as its great beauty and spring-flower- 

 ing quality entitle it to be ; but it is yet comparatively rare 

 even in the trade, and consequently rather high-priced. Native 

 of North America. 



H. triloba {TJwee-lobed H.) — This is the most common 

 species, and there are few places in the country where spring 

 flowers are in request in which a greater or less number of its 

 beautiful varieties do not appear. They are all distinguished 

 by the three-lobed leaves, and the flowers, single or double, 

 being smaller than those of the preceding species. All the 

 varieties are worth cultivating, and all except the double blue 

 are cheap and plentiful. The following list enumerates all the 

 varieties at present known : — cceridea^ single blue ; ccenika 

 plejio, double blue ; alba, single white, with red anthers ; nivea, 

 single white of snowy tint, and white stam.ens ; rubra, single 

 red ; rubra ple7io, double red ; carnea, single pink ; Barlowi, 

 single mauve or light-red purple. Flowers in February, March, 

 and April. Native of Europe. 



