288 LILIACE^. 



it is well to have it planted in various aspects, as by that means 

 a lengthened succession of the flowers is enjoyed. There is 

 no better plant for forcing for the decoration of rooms and con- 

 servatories ; and for this purpose large supplies of roots are 

 annually imported by British nurserymen and florists at great 

 expense to meet the demand for it, which is great and increas- 

 ing. It may be naturalised in moist places in open woods 

 where the natural herbage is not rampant or can be kept 

 in check, and it may be introduced into spaces between 

 shrubs. There are several varieties — one with double flowers 

 is not worth growing beside the normal form ; there is also a 

 pretty rose-coloured variety which has often specific dignity put 

 upon it under the name C. 7'ub7'a; and there is a pretty striated- 

 leaved form well worth a place in borders for the sake of the 

 elegance of the yellow-and-green-lined foliage. 



Erythronium. — A small genus of low-growing, bulbous-rooted 

 plants, in which the leaves are all radical. The Dog's-tooth 

 Violet, E. dens-caiiis, is not an uncommon species, but not so 

 common as it deserves to be in gardens of all classes. They 

 are very accommodating as regards culture, thriving well in any 

 good rich loam, but preferring peat or a mixture of peat and 

 loam, and are easily propagated by offsets, which are freely 

 produced. Division should be attended to immediately after 

 the leaves decline. They are suitable for culture on the rock- 

 work in the mixed border, and for fringing beds of shrubs \ and 

 being spring-flowering plants, they are available and very suit- 

 able for spring "bedding-out." 



E. americanum ( Yellow Dogs-tooth Violet). — This form pro- 

 duces broadly lance -shaped brown - spotted leaves, whence 

 spring the short scapes supporting one large yellomsh flower. 

 The flowers appear in April, and last about a month. Native 

 of Xorth America. 



E. dens-canis {Common Dog's-tooth Violet). — This species 

 has broadly-ovate, brown-blotched leaves. The scapes are 

 rather longer and more slender than in the last, and each scape 

 supports a solitary flower with long lance-shaped petals, reddish- 

 purple in colour. They open in March and April. There are 

 two varieties in cultivation besides the typical sort, both worthy 

 of a place in collections for variety's sake — the one has dull 

 vv'hite, and the other paler purple flowers. Native of the alpine 

 countries of Europe. 



Another species formerly in cultivation, but now, I fear, lost, 

 is E, giganteum^ a native of North America. It has broad, 

 blunt, ovate, brown-spotted leaves. The flowers are white, 

 with a yellow centre, and are produced two or three together 



