598 OMPHALODES. THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. ONOPORDON. 



stellulata, Traversi, Gunniuna, dentata, 

 argophylla, insignis, Fosteri 



OMPHALODES (Navelworf). Pretty 

 dwarf rock or mountain plants belong- 

 ing to the Borage order. 



O. CAPPADOCICA. A new and brilliant 

 addition that should be grown by all. 

 Ths plant is vigorous habited, forming 

 foot-high mounds crowded with rich 

 gentian-blue flowers like a glorified Forget- 

 me-Not. Delights in cool loam. A most 

 beautiful and amiable plant, flowering in 

 spring. 



O. LINIFOLIA. A distinct Portuguese 

 hardy annual, 9 to 12 inches high, with 

 glaucous-green leaves and pure white 

 flowers from June to August ; it may be 

 grown in ordinary soil, the seeds sown in 

 April or in September and October ; the 

 plant often sows itself. 



Oinphalodes I^ucilite. 



O. LUCILIJE. A lovely rock plant, with 

 flowers a pretty lilac-blue, and glaucous 

 grey foliage. It is hardy, and succeeds in 

 the rock garden, but the soil must be 

 thoroughly drained, for though the plant 

 requires abundance of water during 

 growth, it suffers from stagnant moisture. 

 To protect it against slugs, which are too 

 fond of it, strips of perforated zinc, about 

 3 inches wide, bent so as to form rings 

 round the plants, are used. It is best 

 increased by seeds, and may be cultivated 

 with success in the moraine, and grows 

 well in sandy loam and peat. Asia Minor. 



O. VERNA (Creeping Forget- me-Not). 

 A pretty hardy plant, bearing in early 

 spring handsome flowers of a deep clear 

 blue with white throats. The plant is 

 useful for borders and the rock and spring 

 garden : no plant is more worthy of 

 naturalisation ; in cool, thin woods it runs 

 about like a native plant, and in any 

 position is one of the prettiest plants. 

 There is a white variety, not so pretty as 

 the blue. 



ONOCLEA (Sensitive Fern}. O. 

 sensibilis belongs to the group known 

 as " flowering Ferns," from the fertile 

 frond being contracted so as to give it 

 the appearance of an unopened spike 

 of flowers. The fronds are a beauti- 

 ful fresh green, especially in spring. 

 Though not very fastidious as to soil, 

 it succeeds best in a cool and moist 

 situation, such as the base of the rock 

 garden, or in the American garden, 

 especially if a little sheltered by neigh- 

 bouring plants. If the fronds are 

 allowed to remain on the plants until 

 they appear to be ripe, it will be found 

 that the spore-cases are open and 

 the spores shed, as they drop while 

 the fronds look quite green, therefore 

 the best way is to cut off the frond as 

 soon as indications of bursting are per- 

 ceived, and to lay it on a sheet of paper 

 for a few days, when all the spores will 

 drop out. N. America. 



ONONIS (Rest Harrow). Hardy 

 plants of the Pea family, of which the 

 wild Liquorice (O. arvensis) is one of 

 the prettiest of our wild plants, and 

 is worthy of cultivation on banks and 

 in the rough rock garden, forming 

 dense tufts covered in summer with 

 racemes of pink flowers. It is distinct 

 from the spiny O. campestris, which 

 has stems nearly 2 feet high, and some- 

 times more. O. rotundifolia is a dis- 

 tinct and pretty plant, which is hardy, 

 and easily cultivated, flowering in May 

 and June and through the summer ; 

 it attains a height of 12 to 20 inches 

 according to soil, and is suitable for 

 the mixed border of the rougher parts 

 of the rock garden. Seeds or division. 

 Pyrenees and Alps. These are the 

 best of about half a dozen garden 

 species, which also include O. fruticosa, 

 Natrix, viscosa and aragonenis. 



ONOPORDON (Cotton Thistle}. - 

 Handsome vigorous Thistle-like plants 

 mostly biennial, and valuable for their 

 stately port and showy flowers. They 

 thrive in exposed places and among 

 shrubs in sheltered ones, and may be 

 effectively used in a variety of ways. 



