174 ALPINE PLANTS 
the white flowered variety,and Nathalie with deep mauve 
petals and bright orange anthers, are either of them very 
choice, and they make superb subjects for the alpine 
house. Seed provides the best means of propagation. 
RANUNCULUS.—Who loves a primrose loves a buttercup 
too, might well be taken as an axiom, and furthermore 
it may certainly be said that whoever loves flowers must 
delight in the charms of the many lovely buttercups that 
make springtime gay with their glittering gold and glisten- 
ing white. So far as cultural demands are concerned, 
practically the whole genus Ranunculus flourish with 
perfect ease so long as they have a fairly cool, partially 
shaded situation, and can be supplied with copious sup- 
plies of water during dry periods. In fact, the Ranunculus 
does well under just such conditions as best suit the majority 
of hardy primulas, and all the dwarfer kinds are admirably 
fitted for planting in the shady nooks of the rock garden 
or on the alpine bed. Several of the species also make 
excellent subjects for pans or pots, for flowering in the 
alpine house or in frames; here again, unstinted supplies 
of water, but free drainage being their chief requirements. 
R. glacialis may well be given first place, it being one of 
the sweetest little flowers we can plant in a cool recess of 
the rockery, where its spreading stems, fleshy, but prettily 
cut foliage, and dainty little blossoms, white with a blush 
of rosy pink, will make a brave and delightful show right 
through the middle of the summer. R. amplexicaulis 
must certainly be named as one of the best of the family. 
Its petals are of satiny lustrous white against which the 
rich golden anthers show up most beautifully, whilst the 
