246 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



[Sess. 



Some Late-Flowering Gentians. 

 By Professor Bayley Balfour, F.R.S. 



(Read 14th February 1918.) 



There is a small series of Asiatic Gentians belonging to 

 the Section named Frigida by Kusnezow which are the glory 

 of the autumn garden, but which, as introductions of more 

 or less recent years, are not yet known as they ought to be 

 and will be. There is some confusion in their nomenclature, 

 and I shall take the opportunity to clear this up when 

 writing now, as I propose to do, upon the characters and 

 distinctions of the species. 



The species to which I refer are four : — 



(1. Farreri, Balf. t'. 



G. Lawrencei, Burkill. 



G. sino-ornata, Balf. f. 



Kansu. 



Siberia 

 (Baicalia). 



Yunnan. 



G. Veitcliioruni, Henisley. Sz.echwan. 



Discovered, Farrer and Purdonj, 

 1914. Introd. Farrer, 1914. 

 First flowered, Edinburgh, 

 191G. 



Discovered, Bocherel. Introd. 

 Leicht]in,1905. First flowered, 

 Sir Trevor Lawrence, 1905. 



Discovered, Forrest, 1904. Introd. 

 Bulley, lull. First flowered, 

 Ness and Edinburgh, 1912. 



Discovered, Wilson. Introd. 

 Veitcli, 1905. First flowered, 

 Veitch, 1905. 



They are prostrate forms spreading by stolons — '■ 

 reaching in G. sino-ornata some 18-25 cm. in length — 

 from a central rosette. Each stolon prostrate at first 

 ascends as its vegetative growth ceases and ends in a single 

 flower. These stolons may root, and at the point of rooting 

 start a new rosette whence new stolons are emitted. Thus 

 the plant may cover a considerable area in the garden. 

 G. Veitcldoruiii seems to be the least eflusive in its exten- 

 sion. The whole oi" tliem have paired leaves connate at 

 the base. By this cliaracter they are at once separated 

 from anotlier series of the Section Frigida, that of G. 

 ternifoUa, Fraucli., G. iebraplvijlla, Franch., G. hexa'phylla, 

 Franch., and G. Arethusa, Burkill, in which there are 

 always more than two leaves in the nodal whorl. In the 

 Ternifolia scries fjccur flowers no less beautiful and late 

 flowering than those of tlie series of which I am writing, 



