94 HARDY PERENNIALS AND 



About the middle of August a large plant was divided, and 

 the flowers were then cut away. The young stock so propagated 

 were in flower in the following June. I may here appropriately 

 name an experiment I tried on this species two years ago. It 

 was sent to me as the dwarf Aster dumosus, which it much 

 resembles in the leaves, these being spoon-shaped from the roots, 

 the others tongue-shaped and stem-clasping, but rougher and 

 lighter green. I also saw it was not woody enough in the stem 

 for the Michaelmas daisy. It was then near flowering, and the 

 winter was just upon us, so, in order to get the flowers out, I 

 covered it with a bell glass, slightly tilted. It flowered, and 

 continued to flower throughout the winter with such shelter, 

 and doubtless many of our fine late-blooming perennials, by 

 such simple contrivances, might have their flowers protected or 

 produced at a much later date than otherwise. 



Flowering period, June to October. 



Erigeron Glaucum. 

 Syn. CONYZA CHILENSIS; GLAUCOUS FLEABANE, or 



SPIKENARD; Nat. Ord. COMPOSITE. 



THIS very beautiful species is far from common. There are 

 many facts in connection with it which render it of more than 

 -ordinary value and interest. It is sometimes classed as an 

 .alpine ; probably that is only an inference, or it may be so con- 

 sidered by some, from its dwarf habit and suitable association 

 with alpines. It is not an alpine ; it comes from South America, 

 and though that climate differs so widely from ours, the plant 

 grows and winters to perfection in this country. 



One of its main distinctions is its somewhat shrubby and 

 evergreen character ; of the whole genus, so far as it is at present 

 -comprehended, it is the only species with such traits ; its foliage, 

 too, is of leathery substance, and compares oddly with the herb- 

 like leaves of its relatives ; it is, moreover, as indicated by its 

 specific name, of a glaucous hue; and otherwise, as may be 

 seen in the following description, there exist well marked dis- 

 similarities. But, what is of more importance, when viewed as 

 a garden subject or an ornamental flower, it is one of the most 

 useful as well as distinctly beautiful, as much from the fact 

 that it produces its flowers in two crops, which extend over 

 six or seven months of the year, as from their numbers and 

 showiness. 



The flowers are nearly 2in. across the ray, the florets being of 

 a pleasing lilac-purple, and rather short, owing to the large size 

 of the disk, which is often nearly an inch in diameter ; this part 

 of the flower is more than usually effective, as the disk florets 

 become well developed in succession, when they have the appear- 

 ance of being dusted with gold ; the scales, which are set on the 



