248 



ALPINE FLOWERS FOR GARDENS 



[PART II. 



Lathyrus cyaneus (Blue Bitter Vetch). 

 A dwarf vetch-like plant, with large, hand- 

 some, bluish flowers among masses of 

 light green leaves, with two or three 

 pairs of leaflets, flowering in spring, the 

 plant growing little more than 6 inches 

 high. I have only observed this plant 

 growing on very cold stiff ground scarcely 

 acceptable to coarse weeds, and there it 

 was quite hardy and flowered regularly, 



ascend in a /igzag manner to about 1 foot 

 in height, bearing leaves with two or three 

 pairs of leaflets, and rather closely arranged 

 racemes of flowers supported on a foot- 

 stalk a couple of inches long. The flowers, 

 though small, are beautifully variegated, 

 the upper petal being a fine rose-colour 

 with a network of full purplish-crimson 

 veins, the points of the wings being blue. 

 It is a hardy, easily-grown plant, and 



Leiophyllum buxifolium. 



so that it is probable it would do much 

 better on light good soils. It comes from 

 the Caucasus, and is best for warm, 

 sheltered, sunny spots. It is sometimes met 

 with under the name of Platystylis cyaneus, 

 under which name it was figured by 

 Sweet. Syn., Orobus cyaneus. 



Lathyrus variegatus (Variegated 

 Vetch). A compact plant, with two firm 

 and opposite keels on its wiry stems, which 



may be increased by seeds or division. 

 Southern Italy and Corsica. 



Lathyrus vernus (Spring Everlasting 

 Pea). From black roots spring rich healthy 

 tufts of leaves, with two or three pairs of 

 shining leaflets, the flower buds showing 

 soon after the leaves, and eventually 

 almost covering the plants with purple 

 and blue flowers with red veins, the 

 keel of the flower tinted with green, and 



