202 



ALPINE FLOWERS FOR GARDENS 



[PART II. 



from all parts of the tuber. The root 

 fibrils spring from the lower surface of 

 the tuber as freely as from the upper, and 

 there are usually two or three stems 

 springing from different parts, and grow- 

 ing in different directions, from which the 

 leaves and flowers arise. The leaves ap- 

 pear before and with the flowers, and 

 remain during the greater part of the 

 year. Flowers from June to November, 

 or, with slight protection, until the end 

 of the year. The petals rather short, stiff, 

 and of a reddish-purple colour. I have 

 often seen them luxuriate in the debris 

 of old walls, and on the mountain-side, 

 with a very sparing quantity of vegetable 

 earth to grow in. 



Cyclamen hedersefolium (Ivy-leaved G.}. 

 A native of Switzerland, South Europe, 

 Italy, Greece and its isles, and the north 

 coast of Africa. Tuber not unfrequently 

 a foot in diameter when full-grown ; its 

 shape somewhat spheroidal, depressed on 

 the upper surface, rounded beneath. It 

 is covered with a brownish rough rind, 

 which cracks irregularly, so as to form 

 little scales. The root fibres emerge from 

 the whole of the upper surface of the 

 tuber, but principally from the rim ; few 

 or none issue from the lower surface. The 

 leaves and flowers generally spring direct 

 from the tuber without the intervention 

 of any stem (a small stem, however, is. 

 sometimes produced, especially if the tuber 

 be planted deep) ; at first they spread 

 horizontally, but ultimately become erect. 

 The leaves are variously marked, and the 

 greater portion of them appear after the 

 flowers, continuing in- great beauty the 

 whole winter and early spring, when they 

 are one of the greatest ornaments of our 

 borders and rockeries, if well grown. I 

 have had them as much as 6 inches long, 

 5| inches in diameter, and a hundred to 

 a hundred and fifty leaves springing from 

 one tuber. The flowers begin to appear 

 at the end of August, continuing until 

 October. Mouth or base of the corolla 

 ten-toothed, pentagonal, purplish red, 

 frequently with a stripe of lighter colour, 

 or white, down each segment of the corolla. 

 There is a pure white variety, and also a 

 white one with pink base or mouth of 

 corolla, which reproduce themselves toler- 



ably true from seeds. Strong tubers will 

 produce from two hundred to three 

 hundred flowers each. The varieties from 

 Corfu and other Greek isles are very dis- 

 tinct. They generally flower later, and 

 continue longer in bloom. Their- leaves 

 rise with or before the majority of the 

 flowers, both being stronger and larger 

 than the ordinary type, with more decided 

 difference of outline and markings on the 

 upper surface of the leaves, the under 

 surface being frequently of a beautiful 

 purple. Some of them are delightfully 

 fragrant. They are quite hardy, but are 

 worthy of a little protection to preserve 

 the late blooms, which often continue to 

 spring up till the end of the year. 



This species is so hardy as to make it 

 essential for the rock-garden. It \vill 

 grow in almost any soil and situation, 

 though best (and it well deserves it) in a 

 well-drained place on the rock-garden. It 

 does not like frequent removal. It has 

 been naturalised successfully on the mossy 

 floor of a thin wood, on a very sandy, poor 

 soil. 



G. grcBcum is a very near ally, if more 

 than a variety ; it requires the same treat- 

 ment. The foliage is more after the 

 southern var. of C. europwum type than 

 most of the hedercefolium section ; the 

 shape of corolla and toothing of the mouth 

 the same. C. africanum much larger in 

 all its parts than C. hedercefolium, other- 

 wise very nearly allied, is hardy in warm 

 sheltered situations. 



Cyclamen vernum (Spring C.). Tuber 

 round, depressed, somewhat rough or russety 

 on outer surface ; fibres issue from one point 

 on the under side only ; under cultivation 

 it has little or no stem, but leaves and 

 flowers proceed direct from the upper 

 centre of the tuber, bending under the 

 surface of the soil horizontally before 

 rising to the surface. Corolla long, seg- 

 ments somewhat twisted, mouth round, 

 not toothed ; colour from a delicate pearl i 

 to deep red purple, very seldom white; 

 fragrant. Flowers from April to end of 

 May. Native of South Italy, the Medi- 

 terranean and Greek isles, and about 

 Capouladoux, near Montpellier. Leaves 

 rise before the flowers in the spring ; they 

 are generally marked more or less with 



