CENOTHERA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



OMPHALODES. 680 



down. As seed is rarely perfected, the 

 plant is better increased by careful divi- 

 sion, or by cuttings taken in April. As 

 a border plant it does not grow so freely 

 in cold clayey soils as in warm light 

 ones. The blooms open best in the 

 evening. Syn., CE. macrocarpa. 



CE. speciosa. A handsome plant, with 

 many large flowers, at first white, chang- 

 ing to a delicate rose. The plant is erect 

 and its stems almost shrubby, 14 to 1 8 in. 

 high. A true perennial, valuable for 

 borders, or the rougher parts of the rock- 

 garden in good loam. It is a native of 



An Evening Primrose (CEnothera Lamarckiana). 



North America, and is increased by 

 division, cuttings, or seeds, but does not 

 seed freely in this country. 



CE. taraxacifolia, a Chilian plant, is 

 one of the finest of those Evening Prim- 

 roses characterised by a low trailing 

 growth and large blossoms, which attain 

 their fullest expansion towards evening. 

 It has a fine effect in rich deep soil in the 

 rock-garden, where its trailing stems can 

 droop over the ledge of a block of 

 stone. The flowers, 2^ to 3^ in. across, 



are pure white, changing to a delicate 

 pink. 



CE. triloba is a handsome hardy annual 

 species, of dwarf growth, with large and 

 showy yellow blossoms. It is also called 

 QE. rhizocarpa. Other showy annuals are 

 OE. sinuata and its variety maxima, (E. 

 macrantha, odorata, bistorta, Veitchiana, 

 and Drummondi. These are all worthy 

 of culture, requiring the treatment of half- 

 hardy annuals, and ordinary garden soil. 



OLEARIA (Daisy Trees). Pretty ever- 

 green bushes, natives of Australia and 

 New Zealand. The only drawback is 

 their not proving really hardy, except in 

 warm localities in the southern counties. 

 They may exist in other districts, but 

 gardens are the worse not the better for 

 the presence of shrubs not really hardy 

 in them, or perhaps in a half dead or 

 flowerless state, or requiring protection, 

 which has a tendency to make gardens 

 needlessly ugly for half the year. 



0. insignis. The plant is dwarf, branched, 

 the branches as thick as the little finger ; the 

 leaves from 3 to 5 in. long, 2 in. broad, rounded 

 at the ends, thick and hard, shining green on 

 the upper surface. With this exception the 

 whole plant is covered with a thick, felt like 

 coating of pale brownish tomentum, The 

 flowers are on erect peduncles, which are as 

 thick as a goose-quill and from 6 to 9 in. 

 long ; the flower-heads are a little over 2 in. 

 across ; remaining fresh on the plant for about 

 six weeks. This plant is one of the most inter- 

 esting and prettiest of the composites which are 

 found in New Zealand. It is a native of 

 Middle Island, where it is said to grow on the 

 driest rocks. 



0. Haasti. This is pretty hardy in various 

 parts of England, growing to a large size in 

 the more favoured localities, and if planted in 

 groups it has a good effect when covered with 

 its Aster-like flowers, and even out of bloom 

 it is attractive. In New Zealand, where it is 

 found at altitudes of about 4,000 ft., it forms 

 a small shrubby tree. The flowers are very 

 numerous, in terminal corymbs, the ray florets 

 \ in. long, white, the disc yellow. The plants 

 usually bloom in August, and remain in perfec- 

 tion several weeks. Other kinds grown against 

 walls and on warm soils with some success are 

 ramulosa, ilicifolia, myrsinoides, nilida, macro- 

 donta, stellulata, Traversi, Gunniana, dentata, 

 argophylla, insignis. 



OMPHALODES (Navelwort). Pretty 

 d.warf rock or mountain plants belonging 

 to the Borage order. 



0; linifolia, a beautiful Portuguese 

 hardy annual, 9 to I2in. high, with glaucous- 

 green leaves and pure white flowers from 

 June to August ; it may be grown in 

 ordinary soil, the seeds sown in April or 

 in September and October ; the plant 

 often sows itself. 



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