132 CARNATIONS AND PINKS 



I propose to follow this order, although it is not 

 strictly scientific. 



In the first division we will treat of those species, 

 proper to rock and mountain, that we call Saxatile. 

 It comprises some of the most interesting and 

 brilliantly coloured, though we shall only name 

 those that are the most suitable for use in garden 

 and rockery. 



Dianthus alpinus {L.). — A beautiful small plant, 

 low-growing, and flattened upon the soil, where 

 it forms bright green tufts of shining foliage, covered 

 with large, nearly sessile flowers. In any case the 

 flower-stem is short. The corolla is of a bright 

 rosy-carmine colour, with spotted centre and throat 

 set with closely packed hairs. Leaf channelled and 

 widely linear. April and May is the flowering time ; 

 July in the mountains, where the plant is entirely 

 covered with flowers. Eastern Alps, from the Tyrol 

 to Transylvania. It is in error that Williams ^ ascribes 

 it to Switzerland and arctic Russia. A white variety 

 has been known, but, I believe, is not now in cultiva- 

 tion. It has been considered easy to grow Dianthus 

 alpinus, but it is by no means so in such a dry and 

 hot climate as that of Geneva. It is easier in Eng- 

 land, where in gardens in hilly or mountainous 

 places, especially on calcareous soil, it does very 

 well. In some gardens in the Vaudois Jura it has 

 become so freely naturalised that it has spread self- 

 sown beyond the gardens' limits. 



It requires stony, calcareous soil, half -sun in 



1 F. N, Williams, " The Pinks of Central Europe," p. 40. 



