OLD-FASHIONED GARDEN FLOWERS. 225 



Many of the species or varieties have but slight distinctions, 

 though all are beautiful. A few may be briefly noticed otherwise 

 than as above : 



P. ojficinalis is British, and typical of several others. Flowers 

 pink, turning to blue ; leaves blotted. 



P. off. alba differs only in the flowers being an unchanging 

 white. 



P. angustifolia, also British, having, as its specific name 

 implies, narrow leaves ; flowers bright blue or violet. 



P. mollis, in several varieties, comes from North America ; is 

 distinct from its leaves being smaller, the markings or spots less 

 distinct, and more thickly covered with soft hairs, whence its 

 name. 



P. azurea has not only a well-marked leaf, but also a very 

 bright and beautiful azure flower ; it comes from Poland. 



P. maculata has the most clearly and richly marked leaf, and 

 perhaps the largest, that being the chief distinction. 



P. saccharata is later ; its flowers are pink, and not otherwise 

 very distinct from some of the above kinds. 



It is not necessary to enumerate others, as the main points of 

 difference are to be found in the above-mentioned kinds. 



All are very easily cultivated; any kind of soil will do for 

 them, but they repay liberal treatment by the extra quality of 

 their foliage. Their long and thick fleshy roots allow of their 

 being transplanted at any time of the year. Large clumps, 

 however, are better divided in early spring, even though they are 

 then in flower. 



Flowering period, March to May. 



Puschkinia Scilloides. 



SCILLA-LIKE PUSCHKINIA, or STRIPED SQUILL; Syns. P. 



LIBANOTICA, ADAMSIA SCILLOIDES ; Nat. Ord. LILIACE^B. 

 As all its names, common and botanical, denote, this charming 

 bulbous plant is like the scillas ; it may, therefore, be useful to 

 point out the distinctions which divide them. They are (in the 

 flowers) to be seen at a glance ; within the spreading perianth 

 there is a tubular crown or corona, having six lobes and a mem- 

 branous fringe. This crown is connected at the base of the 

 divisions of the perianth, which divisions do not go to the base 

 of the flower, but form what may be called an outer tube. In 

 the scilla there is no corona, neither a tube, but the petal-like 

 sepals or divisions of the perianth are entire, going to the base 

 of the flower. There are other but less visible differences which 

 need not be further gone into. Although there are but two or 

 three known species of the genus, we have not only a confusion 

 of names, but plants of another genus have been mistaken as 

 belonging to this. Mr. Baker, of Kew, however, has put both 



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