A GROUP OF HARDY COMPOSITE PLANTS. 141 



they are quite hardy. "We may at once observe, that in poor diy soil they make 

 but an insignificant appearance ; they require a light rich compost, containing 

 a large proportion of vegetable matter. Among the finest is the L. scariosa, 

 with a flower-stem from two to three feet high, long linear foliage, and large 

 heads of flowers, of a fine reddish purple-colour ; the scales of the involucre are 

 bordered with reddish purple. The Liatris sphmroidea is quite as ornamental, 

 but is much less common; its flowers are of the same colour as the previous 

 species, and have, like that, long projecting styles, which produce a very graceful 

 effect. The L. spicata has its flowers so closely arranged that, when fully 

 expanded, they appear to form one continuous mass of bloom. The sweet-scented 

 L. odoratissima is rather tender ; its flowers have a vanilla-like fragrance. They 

 may all be raised from seed, which should be sown in light peat soil ; the fleshy 

 tubers may also be divided occasionally. The genus Centaur ea will contribute a 

 few really good shewy plants. Besides the common C. montana, there are the 

 C. macrocephala, C. macrophylla, and the C. atrosanguinea, all with bluish-purple 

 flowers; the yellow C. glastifolia, the double- white variety, alba plena, and the 

 C. candidissima, with handsome foliage and large yellow flowers ; but the species 

 of this genus are legion, and nearly all are of interest. They are of the easiest 

 treatment, and are increased by seeds or division. 



Among the Composite plants of a dwarf character we may cite the well- 

 known Stenactis speciosa, with purple-lilac flowers, which would be really an 

 interesting plant were its disk of a clearer yellow; it is of value as an early 

 flower, being generally in bloom by the end of June. There is a new species 

 which promises to be of some interest, the S. bellidi folia, with shorter foliage, but 

 we are yet unacquainted with its blossom ; it is said to be of a good lilac tint. 



The pink and yellow species of Milfoil are good border plants, of the easiest 

 culture. The best of those with yellow flowers are, tomentosa, filipendula, ligulata, 

 and aurea ; the latter is sometimes known as Pyrethrum achillece folium. The 

 only pink ones with which we are acquainted, are the varieties of the common 

 A. millefolium and the A. asplenifolia, the latter a North American species. 

 Some of the white-flowered species are very ornamental, especially the A. macro- 

 phglla, with foliage very much divided, like that of the common Southern-wood. 

 The Arnica montana is a somewhat shewy plant, with bright yellow flowers, 

 rather more than an inch in diameter; it prefers a light peaty soil, and should 

 not be too frequently disturbed. 



The Gaillardias are highly esteemed, both as border and bedding-plants ; they 

 are usually treated as half-hardy plants, especially the more recent hybrids, 

 but we have found them hardy in dry soils. The 67. splendidissima bore full 

 exposure last winter in a well-drained locality, but in a wet soil it perished. 

 All the species and varieties are very ornamental, and none more so than 

 67. Drummondii or picta, as it is sometimes called, for the two are synonymous ; 



