DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF THE BEST KINDS 207 



most easily procured. It has dull purple flowers, almost 

 hidden by the leaves, in May. A. europaeum, found wild 

 in England, bears greenish-purple flowers in the same 

 month. A. virginicum, from North America, gives its 

 purple-brown flowers at the same time. These three are 

 hardy. They are increased by division after the flowers 

 are over. 



Asperula (Woodruff). The Asperula (members of 

 the natural order Rubiaceae) are best known by our native 

 Woodruff (Asperula odorata), whose charming heads of 

 white flowers on dainty leaves, fragrant when withered, 

 adorn so many shady woods and banks. It is not to be 

 despised as a rock plant, but it spreads quickly. There 

 are two or three remarkably choice kinds among those 

 from abroad. The daintiest and prettiest rock plants 

 cannot surpass such Asperulas as the following : A. hirta, 

 from the Pyrenees, two inches high, making a dense carpet 

 of little blush- white flowers in the month of May ; A. 

 Gussoni (syn. A. nitida), a low mound or carpet of dark 

 green, moss-like foliage starred in summer with charming 

 little pink flowers ; and A. suberosa, a delightful plant from 

 Greece, with pink flowers spangling low silvery carpets in 

 summer, and only two inches or so high. The latter must 

 be covered with glass in winter. A soil of loam, sand; 

 and grit, with a little peat suits them well. They thrive 

 in sun or in partial shade, and flourish best if well 

 watered in dry weather. Seeds can be procured of one 

 or two of these Asperulas, but they are best propagated 

 by division in spring or in early autumn. 



