OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN FLOWERS. 139 



Helleborus Purpurascens. 



PURPLISH HELLEBORE ; Nat. Ord. RANTJNCULACE.E. 

 A NATIVE of Podolia and Hungary, introduced sixty to seventy 

 years ago. It belongs to the section whose flowers appear before 

 the root leaves, having branched flower stalks and the cut floral 

 leaf. It is a dwarf kind, and varies very much ; I have now an 

 established specimen in bloom at the height of 3in., and others 

 at Sin. or 9in. It also differs in the depth of bloom-colour; 

 some of its flowers may be described as purplish-green and 

 others as greenish-purple, slaty and dove- coloured; others have 

 a tinge of red more visible. The flowers are few, on twice- 

 forked stems, are 2in. or more across, and commonly, as the name 

 implies, of a purplish colour ; the inner surface of the sepals is 

 a slaty shade, the purple prevailing on the outer surface ; the 

 form of the flower is nearly round and slightly cupped, from the 

 nearly round or kidney shaped sepals, which neatly overlap each 

 other, and are also incurved at the edges ; the petals are very 

 short and green ; the stamens and anthers of a creamy white ; 

 the floral leaf is nearly stalkless ; segments unevenly toothed. 

 The radical leaves are " pubescent on the under surface, palmate, 

 with the segments cuneated at the base, and from three to five 

 lobed at the apex." The habit is robust and free blooming ; the 

 flowers slightly droop, and, though the colours are not showy, 

 they^ are attractive from the way in which they are borne on the 

 straight stems and the absence of the larger leaves. It is a 

 desirable species for the garden ; a few specimens grown amongst 

 a mass of the " winter aconite " are enough to make one forget 

 that it is winter. 



Cultivation, as for If. niger. 



Flowering period, February to April. 



Hepatica Angulosa. 



Nat. Ord. RANUNCULACEJE. 



THIS is a very distinct species. It comes from North America, 

 and is twice the size of H. triloba in all its parts ; the leaves are 

 more cut, and very woolly ; the flowers are bright mauve, and 

 l^in. across. All the Hepaticas are slow growers, but H. angu- 

 losa is the more vigorous. Some say they should be grown in 

 peat, but I never saw them so fine in peat as in strong loam, 

 well drained and manured; they are the better with slight 

 shade. I do not object to peat, as possibly it may be more 

 suitable than the natural soil of some gardens. Still, if I had 

 to make up a compost for Hepaticas, I should freely use strong 

 loam on a well- drained site. With me they have been in flower 

 nearly three months, commencing in February. 



It seems desirable to increase these fine spring flowers, but 

 they are most impatient of being disturbed, and, after all, the 



