THE ROGKFOIL OR SAXIFRAGE 177 



5. cordifolia. This is a native of Siberia, and has 

 been grown in gardens over 130 years. It is one of 

 the most robust, with large, handsome foliage, and rosy 

 red flowers produced in dense masses well above the 

 leaves at the latter end of April. There are many beautiful 

 named varieties of this species offered in catalogues. 



S. crassifolia. Also from Siberia, differing from the 

 last by having obovate leaves instead of cordate ones, 

 and panicles of somewhat pendent rose-purple flowers. 



5. ligulata. This handsome Himalayan plant is one 

 of the earliest in flower, and unless planted in a very 

 sheltered position, is liable to be caught by the spring 

 frosts. The leaves are not so persistent as those of the 

 Siberian Saxifrage, S. cordifolia, and it often loses nearly 

 all of them during the winter. Under favourable con- 

 ditions, however, its flowers are very handsome, and freely 

 produced. They are large, and pink or white in colour. 

 Of a more evergreen character is S. 1. var. speciosa, with 

 large panicles of rosy purple flowers, opening rather later. 



Others of this section are S. purpurascens, a hand- 

 some plant from the Himalayas, with foliage richly 

 tinted with purple, and rosy purple flowers, and S. 

 Stracheyi, one of the smallest, with smooth obovate leaves, 

 and panicles of pure white or pink- tinted flowers. 



SMALL TUFTED SILVERY SAXIFRAGES 



To this section belong all those small flowering kinds 

 that are so beautiful in early and late spring. Botanically 



they are classed as Kabschia Saxifrages. They require 

 M 



