2l6 SCROPHULARIACE^. 



Britain, on walls and moist stony places, and is now included 

 in our floras as a naturalised native. The leaves are roundly- 

 heart-shaped in outline, usually five-lobed and bright green. 

 The flowers are produced singly in the axils of the leaves, and 

 are various shades of purple ; and some are white — that is, in 

 individual plants. It is not a showy plant, but valuable for the 

 facility vnth. which it may be established in stony, moist, or 

 shady spots, and on old walls or new as well. Easily increased 

 by division or cuttings of the trailing stems. There is a good 

 variegated-leaved form. 



L. triornithopliora {TJwee-bird Toad-flax). — This is a pecu- 

 liar and beautiful plant, growing about 9 inches or i foot high, 

 the stems somewhat decumbent. The leaves are lanceolate, 

 in whorls, usually of three. The flowers are large, purple, and 

 curiously formed, the divisions of the mouth of the corolla 

 being arranged so as to suggest the idea of a little bird being 

 perched on the stalks ; the spurs, being long and conspicuous, 

 complete the idea by furnishing the tails. They are arranged, 

 as the leaves, in whorls of three, so that the specific name is 

 fairly descriptive. It is only adapted for culture on rockwork, 

 in well-drained sandy peat and loam. Flowers appear through- 

 out summer and autumn. Native of Portugal. 



L. vulgaris ( Co??i??w?i Toadflax). — The ordinary form of this 

 wild plant, so common in many parts of Britain and Ireland, 

 may not be deemed worthy of a place amongst choice orna- 

 mental plants, and yet it is a free-flowering and handsome 

 object in cultivation, and not at all to be despised. There is a 

 variety, however, at once curious and beautiful, named Z. v. 

 Feloria, which deserves a place in every collection of orna- 

 mental border-plants. It is by no means common in gardens, 

 private or public, but should be both, on account of the abnor- 

 mal structure of the corolla, and its continuous blooming quality. 

 The plant grows about i foot high, with rather diffuse and often 

 decumbent stems. The leaves are linear, glaucous, and crowded. 

 The flowers are produced in crowded heads, and the corolla is 

 regular and five-spurred, and bright yellow, appearing in early 

 summer and lasting late. Succeeds in any well-drained good 

 garden-soil in the open border, and easily increased by divi- 

 sion. 



Mimulus {Mo Jikey flower). — These are very gay free-flower- 

 ing plants, admirably adapted for border ornamentation in any 

 good garden-soil, but preferring a moist situation, and often 

 doing well in shade or partial shade. For this reason they are 

 well fitted for making gay borders on the shady side of shrub- 

 beries, but they do not long thrive if the shade is overhead. 



