202 HAKDY PERENNIALS AND 



the late Rev. J. G. Nelson. Perhaps the most distinct and 

 beautiful of all the dwarf Phloxes is the one which bears his 

 name the white-flowered P. Nelsoni. I have selected the 

 species P. frondosa, because the specific name is, perhaps, beyond 

 that of any of the others, more generally descriptive of all the 

 following kinds : P. divaricata, P. glaberrima, P. Nelsoni (white 

 flowers), P. reflexa, P. oculata. P. setacea, P. s. atropurpurea, 

 P. s. violaccea, P. subulata, P. prostrata. These differ but 

 slightly from one another, so little, indeed, that many discard 

 the distinctions ; still, they do exist, and may be clearly seen 

 when grown close together in collections. The flowers differ 

 in depth of colour; the leaves of some are more recurved, 

 crossed, twisted, shining, or pointed, also broader and longer ; 

 the stems likewise differ; herein the distinctions are seen, 

 probably, more than in either flowers or leaves. Some- 

 times they are, in the different species, long or short, leafy, 

 branched, dense, arched, and divaricate, but, although at any 

 time when their fresh foliage is upon them, and when they are 

 so close together that the eye can take them all in at a glance, 

 their distinctions are fairly clear, autumn is the time to see 

 them in their most definite and beautiful form. Like many 

 other North American plants, they have lovely autumnal tints, 

 then their forms have rich glistening colours, and they are seen 

 to not only differ considerably, but, perhaps, to more advantage 

 than when in flower; but let me add at once that I have only 

 proved these plants to take such rich autumnal colours when 

 they have been grown so as to rest on stones, which not only 

 keep them from excess of moisture, from worm casts, &c., but 

 secure for them a healthy circulation of air under their dense 

 foliage. From the above, then, it will be seen that a general 

 description of P. frondosa will apply to the other species and 

 varieties mentioned. 



The flowers are lilac-rose; calyx, tubular; corolla of five 

 petals, narrow and notched ; leaves, awl-shaped, short, bent, and 

 opposite ; stems, branched, dense and trailing. 



The dwarf Phloxes are pre-eminently rock plants, as which 

 they thrive well ; when raised from the ground level, so as to be 

 nearly in the line of sight, they are very effective. They should 

 be so planted that they can fall over the stones, like the one 

 from which the illustration (Fig. 74) was drawn. For at least a 

 fortnight the plants are literally covered with flowers, and at all 

 times they form neat rock plants, though in winter they have 

 the appearance of short withered grass ; even then the stems are 

 full of health, and in early spring they become quickly furnished 

 with leaves and flowers. These Phloxes make good edgings. 

 Notwithstanding their dead appearance in winter, a capital sug- 

 gestion occurred to me by an accidental mixture of croci with 

 the Phlox. At the time when the latter is most unseasonable the 



