182 ALPINE PLANTS 
SCHIZOCODON SOLDANELLOIDES.—This is a plant that 
belongs to the mountain heights of Japan. It is one of 
the rarest and perhaps one of the most uncertain of plants 
that come within the scope of this book, but its beauty 
is such that no effort can be accounted too troublesome 
to achieve success with it. What was formerly the greatest 
difficulty has now to a great extent disappeared. Twenty 
years or more ago the trouble was that to obtain plants 
of Schizocodon we had frequently to buy newly-imported 
plants which during their long journey from Japan had be- 
come so dried and weakened that only a bit here and there 
could rally, and unless these were very carefully nursed 
the first winter proved too severe a strain for them. By 
perseverance specialists have at length succeeded in develop- 
ing and propagating stock that has become well acclima- 
tized, and with home propagated stock which can be 
transplanted from pots, we have an infinitely better chance 
of success. The best conditions to provide for Schizocodon 
may be summed up as a sheltered but only partially- 
shaded spot, a soil made up of good loam, peat, coarse 
grit, and broken charcoal. If the soil is as porous as a 
filter plenty of water will be appreciated, but on a close 
soil where drainage is sluggish trouble will not be long 
delayed. The foliage of this plant is brightly tinted with 
some of the metallic shades one finds on some irises, and 
the prettily fringed blossoms are of deep pink in the centre 
shading off until almost white at the fringe. 
SENECIO.—With the common names of “ groundsel”’ 
and “‘ragwort’”’ the genus Senecio is reputed to contain 
a larger number of species and varieties than any other 
