OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN FLOWERS. 87 



some having long stalks, others none ; all are finely toothed and 

 heart-shaped ; the radical ones come well out and form a good 

 base, from which the flower stems rise, and they in their turn 

 serve to display the richly veined and ample foliage which clasps 

 them to near their tops. Although this species is not a very oL I 

 plant in English gardens, it belongs to a genus, several specie 

 of which are very " old-fashioned," and, consequently, it shares 

 the esteem in which such subjects are held at the present time. 



If left alone, after being planted in fairly good soil, it will soon 

 grow to a bold specimen. Plants three years old are 2ft. across : 

 rockwork or ordinary borders are alike suitable for it, but if 

 planted on the former, it should be of a bold character, so as to 

 harmonise. I have observed that neither grubs nor slugs seem 

 to meddle with this plant, which is certainly a rare recommenda- 

 tion. Its propagation may be carried out at almost any time. 



Flowering period, March to July. 



Echinaeea Purpurea. 



Syn. RUDBECKIA PURPUREA; PURPLE CONE-FLOWER; 



Nat. Ord. COMPOSITE. 



IN the autumn season one is almost confined to Composites, but 

 in this subject there is, at any rate, a change as regards colour. 

 Yellows are indispensable, but then predominate too strongly. 

 The flower under notice is a peculiar purple with greenish-white 

 shadings. This will doubtless sound undesirable, but when the 

 flower is seen it can hardly fail to be appreciated. It is much 

 admired ; in fact it is stately, sombre, and richly beautiful 

 not only an " old-fashioned " flower, but an old inhabitant of 

 English gardens, coming, as it did, from North America in the 

 year 1699. In every way the plant is distinct ; it does not 

 produce many flowers, but they individually last for several 

 weeks, and their metallic appearance is a fitting symbol of their 

 durability. They begin to expand in the early part of Stp- 

 tember, and well-established plants will have bloom until cut 

 oif by frost. 



The flowers are borne at the height of 2ft. to 3ft., and are 

 produced singly on very thick, rigid stalks, long, nearly nude, 

 grooved, furnished with numerous short, bristle-like hairs, and 

 gradually thickening up to the involucrum of the flower. Sid 

 involucrum is composed of numerous small leaves, a distinguish- 

 ing trait from its nearest relative genus Eudbeckia. The recep- 

 tacle or main body of the flower is very bulky ; the ray is fully 

 4in. across, the florets being short for so large a ray ; they are 

 set somewhat apart, slightly reflexed, plaited, and rolled at the 

 edges, colour reddish-purple, paling off at the tips to a greyish- 

 green ; the disk is very large, rather flat, and furnished with 

 spine-like scales, whence the name Echinaeea, derived from 



