LYSIMACHIA. 
Lysimachia.—Almost all of this huge race escape our province 
by their stature, being tempestuous big weeds for the wild garden. 
Among the rocks our most useful friend in the race is still the old 
Creeping Jenny in its grandiflora-form, a useful ramping carpet for 
worthless cool corners. LL. secunda or lobelioeides, which has similar 
weak stems and large white flowers, might also be tried ; but L. Henry, 
often passionately proclaimed, is neither hardy nor choice—a lush 
leafy little thing with yellow flowers. There is, however, so vast a 
choice remaining in the hills of China that possibly in time more 
worthy candidates may present themselves for admission to the 
rock-garden. JL. violascens, for instance, is a tall purple beauty, much 
to be desired. Seed will stock you with these, and they all bloom 
from midsummer. 
Lythrum.—The sham Loose-strifes, like their predecessors in 
this alphabet, the true ones (but why or how they soften strife, who is 
there that can tell? in the garden they bring not so much peace but 
renewed war, of battling horrible colours; and in the end an Arma- 
geddon of the spade in the effort to be finally quit of them) are too big 
for our subject. The handsomest is L. alatum, a fine spreading plant, 
with long sprays of large magenta-purple blossom. Especially branch- 
ing is also the neater and clearer pink L. virgatum; while our own 
L. Salicaria, besides hybrids with the last, has yielded various named 
catalogue-forms in which the colour claims to be sensibly mitigated. 
M 
Machaeranthera.—A race now vanished into Aster, with two 
beautiful species, MW. latifolia and M. canescens, both having big purple 
flowers in late summer, on stems of 9 inches or so; but both having a 
desire for warm sandy soils, and a biennial temper into the bargain. 
M. Pattersoni, on the other hand, has a quite different character, and 
has already appeared as Aster Pattersonit. 
Macrotomia, including Arnebia.—A family of Borragineae, 
containing some plants of rare beauty, and at least one that is easy 
to grow, though all are grateful for light rich soil in full sun. They 
are to be raised from seed, or divided in spring, and bloom from early 
summer onward. 
M. Cephalotes has begun to be advertised at prices too terrible 
for temptation, especially as it is confessedly coy and hard to 
please. And yet it has a wide range, being described even by the 
468 
