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GENTIANA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



GENTIANA. 



position, like the Vernal Gentian. G. 

 alpina is a marked variety with small 

 broad leaves, and there are several other 

 varieties. Their colours vary from the 

 deepest blue to white, and in one white 

 flower the tips of the corolla are a rich 

 blue. In all the forms, except the white, 

 the throat of the corolla is spotted with 

 blue on a greenish ground, and all have 

 greenish marks on the outside. Alps and 

 Pyrenees. 



G. ASCLEPIADEA (Willow Gentian). A 

 good herbaceous kind, this gives no 

 trouble, but dies down out of harm's way 

 in winter. Well grown, it will spring up 

 to 2 feet, and freely produce good-sized 

 flowers of a purple-blue along nearly the 

 whole stem in late summer and autumn. 

 This Gentian will grow in open woods. It 



Gent i ana affinis. 



may therefore be naturalised, and its effect 

 among the grass in a wood is charming. 

 There is a white form. It is freely in- 

 creased from seeds and by division. 

 Europe. 



G. BAVARICA (Bavarian Gentian). In 

 size this resembles the Vernal Gentian, 

 but it has smaller Box-like leaves of 

 yellowish-green, and its tiny stems are 

 thickly clothed with dense little tufts of 

 foliage, from which arise flowers of lovely 

 iridescent blue. While G. verna is found 

 on dry ground, or on ground not over- 

 flowed by water, G. bavarica is in perfection 

 in boggy spots, by some little rill. We 

 must imitate these conditions if we desire 

 to succeed, and a moist peat or bog bed, 

 with no coarse plants near, will enable us 

 to grow this lovely plant. Alps. 



G. FARRERI. A novelty of great beauty 

 and importance from China, having affinity 

 with G. sino-orwata. It forms spreading 



masses, the stems furnished with long 

 linear leaves and terminated by flowers of 

 the largest size surpassing those of G. 

 acaulis in this respect and of the most 

 beautiful sky-blue imaginable. The tube 

 is white. Peat and sandy loam, with 

 moisture in full sun. Cuttings made of 

 the young shoots root readily, and soon 

 make plants. September. 



G. FREYNIANA. A beautiful and ami- 

 ably disposed species of the easiest culti- 

 vation, and very free flowering. The 

 flowers, which appear in July and August 

 in terminal club-like clusters on foot-high 

 stems, are of intense indigo blue. First- 

 rate in every way. Seeds. 



G. LAGODECHIANA. A sub-prostrate 

 growing species having probably affinity 

 with G. septemfida, of which it may be said 

 to be a vigorous form. It quickly forms 

 foot-wide masses of semi-procumbent 

 stems, thickly furnished with small glossy 

 green leaves, and terminated by clusters 

 of brilliant blue white - throated flowers, 

 whose lobes are copiously freckled with 

 white. Best in deep sandy loam. No 

 species is more easily cultivated. August 

 and September. Increased by seeds. 



G. SEPTEMFIDA (Crested Gentian) .A 

 lovely plant, bearing on stems 6 to 12 

 inches high clusters of cylindrical flowers, 

 widening towards the mouth and a beau- 

 tiful blue-white inside, and greenish-brown 

 outside, having between each of the larger 

 segments one smaller and finely cut. In 

 the variety cordifolia leaves are more cor- 

 date, but it grows about only half the 

 height of the type, with a much neater 

 habit, and there is a dwarf form. Best in 

 moist sandy peat. The finest of all is the 

 variety latifolia. All are of sub-prostrate 

 habit, flowering in August and September. 

 Seeds. Caucasus. 



G. SINO-ORNATA. The advent of this 

 autumn-flowering species enriched our 

 gardens, it having proved of more facile 

 cultivation than the Himalayan ornata or 

 the earlier introduced Veitchiana. Flowers 

 rich blue. Peat and sandy loam, with 

 moisture in full sun. Readily increased 

 by cuttings. September and October. 



G. VERNA (Vernal Gentian). One of the 

 most beautiful of alpine flowers, thriving 

 in deep sandy loam, with abundance of 

 water during the warm and dry months, 

 and perfect exposure to the sun. The 

 absence of these conditions is a frequent 

 cause of failure. It thrives wild in cool 

 pastures and uplands, where it is rarely 

 subjected to such drought as it is in a 

 parched border. Grit or broken lime- 

 stone may be mingled with the soil ; if 

 there be plenty of sand this is not essen- 

 tial ; a few pieces half buried in the ground 

 will tend to prevent evaporation and guard 

 the plant till it has taken root. It is so 





