ASTRAGALUS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



ATHYRIUM. 451 



the Spiraeas of the Aruncus group, but are 

 bolder, and perhaps better suited for the 

 margin of water. There are eight kinds in 

 cultivation, the best known of which are A. 

 japonica and A. ri-vularis. Moist places 

 in the wild garden are most suitable for 

 A. decandra, A. rivularis, A. rubra, A. 

 Lemoinci, and A. Thunbergi, the last being 

 also known as Spiraea. These plants 

 group well, and the handsome foliage 

 makes healthy undergrowth, over which 

 the tall plumes of white or red flowers 

 tower with good effect. Division of the 

 roots, and some by the runners. 



A recently introduced kind is the vigor- 

 ous and handsome A. Davidii, with 

 mauve coloured flowers on stems about 

 6 feet high. It is a fine perennial. 



ASTRAGALUS (Milk Vetch}. A large 

 family of alpine and perennial leguminous 



by the fresh green foliage. A. adsurgens 

 is dwarf, with numbers of violet-carmine 

 flowers. A. vaginatus succeeds in an ex- 

 posed position in any ordinary border. The 

 showy deep violet-purple flowers are borne 

 in dense erect clusters for a long time. 



ASTEANTIA (Master-wort). These 

 herbs are amongst umbelliferous plants, 

 and consist of not more than four or five 

 true species, all natives of the mountains of 

 Southern Europe. The two most distinct 

 are A. major and A. helleborifolia. A. 

 helleborifolia is from the Caucasus, with 

 the largest flower of any, the colour clear 

 pink ; but the habit of the plant is 

 straggling, and the flowers smell un- 

 pleasantly of sour milk. A third species 

 is A. Biebersteini ; in some of its 

 characters it is intermediate between the 

 other two. Its habit is good and corn- 



Aster elegans (Lilac Starwort). 



plants, not many of which are valuable 

 for the garden. The best are rock-plants, 

 but they grow freely on the level ground 

 in borders. A. monspessulanus is useful 

 for the front of borders and for the rock 

 garden. The vigorous shoots are pros- 

 trate, so that it is seen to greater advan- 

 tage when its long heads of crimson and 

 rosy flowers droop over rocks. It grows 

 well in any soil. There are several 

 varieties. A. Onobrychis (Saintfoin Milk 

 Vetch) is a handsome species from South 

 Europe and Siberia (in some varieties 

 spreading, and in others about 18 in. high), 

 with racemes of purplish-crimson flowers in 

 June. It thrives well on any good loam. 

 A. dasy glottis is well suited for the rock- 

 garden. Its numerous showy flower- 

 heads, of a clear bright purple, are set off 



pact, and it flowers freely. There are 

 two or three smaller species, the com- 

 monest of which is A. minor, often brought 

 from the Alps by collectors. The Astran- 

 tias have a quaint beauty of their own ; 

 they are not showy, nor particular 

 about soil or aspect. They are easily 

 established in woodland walks where the 

 growth of weeds is not too rank. 

 C. W. D. 



ATHYRIUM (Lady Fern}. Beautiful 

 hardy Ferns, which A. Filix-famina may 

 be taken to represent. They like a compost 

 of loam, leaf-mould, and peat, mixed in 

 about equal proportions, with the addition 

 of some sharp sand. They require abun- 

 dance of water during their growing 

 period, but not in winter, because all the 

 varieties are deciduous, the ground at 

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