60 PERENNIALS. [March 



latifblia and T. conspicua deserve attention. They should 

 be lifted evejy alternate year, and sunk deeper into the soil, 

 because they incline to grow out, and are sometimes during 

 summer killed by the drought. Hence they are said to be 

 " bad to cultivate." 



Veronica, Speed-well. This genus consists of about one 

 hundred and twenty species of herbaceous plants, besides 

 several varieties. The flowers are in long, close spikes, 

 white, flesh-coloured, or blue ; they are generally of the latter 

 colour. Above sixty species are equally fine, and, being ge- 

 nerally of the same character, the catalogue at the end of thia 

 work will contain the best selection that we can make. Very 

 few of them are in the collections of the country, although 

 they are very showy, and flower from May to August. They 

 will grow in any soil, but will not flourish where they are 

 much shaded. V. officinalis has been used in Germany and 

 Sweden as a substitute for tea. Some prefer V. chamcedry? 

 for the same purpose. 



Valerianas. Several species are showy border plants, with 

 small flowers in large close flattened panicles. V. dioica 

 is remarkable for having the stamens and pistils in separate 

 flowers, situated on different plants ; the flowers are of a 

 blush colour. V. pliu, a large-growing species with white 

 flowers, and V. rubra, with its varieties which bloom all the 

 season, are the finest of the genus. They are now given to 

 Centrdnthus. They are all easy of culture in common garden 

 earth, but preferring moist, shady situations. In flower from 

 May to September. 



Viola, a genus consisting of upwards of eighty species of 

 low pretty plants, of great diversity of colour and foliage. 

 Many of them are natives, and well worth a situation in our 

 gardens. They mostly delight in sandy loam, and a little 

 shade. A few of the species grow in moist situations. The 

 most esteemed varieties for fragrance are, V. odordta jntr- 

 purea plena, double purple, V. odordta alba plena, double 

 white, the double Neapolitan, and the monthly Double purple. 

 They flower very early, and make good edgings, where they 

 are kept in order; flowering profusely from April to June, 

 and again in autumn. 



Yucca, Adam's needle. This is a very showy and orna- 

 mental genus ; their character forming a picturesque contrast 

 ta iiiie flower-garden foliage long, narrow, lanceolate, and 



