726 POLYGONATUM. THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



POLYGON ATUM. 



generally rosy -purple, but sometimes 

 white. It is suited for the rock-garden, 

 in leaf-mould and sand, and for association 

 in half-shady places with Linnaea borealis, j 

 Trientalis, Mitchella. Some of the ! 

 British Milkworts, especially P. calcarea ! 

 and vulgaris, are interesting and easily ! 

 grown in sunny chinks of the rock-garden I 

 if in calcareous soil. They form neat 

 dressy tufts of blue, purple-pink, and 

 white flowers, borne profusely in early | 

 summer. Seed may be gathered from 

 wild plants and sown in sandy soil. 

 Plants carefully taken up from their native I 

 positions have also been established in ' 

 gardens. 



POLYGONATUM Solomoris Seal}. 

 Graceful tuberous perennials distributed 



autumn, germinate in early spring : the 

 creeping root-stocks may also be divided 

 to any extent, and in good soil soon form 

 nice tufts. A few of the species are also in 

 much request for forcing for early spring 

 use in the greenhouse ; these are gener- 

 ally imported instead of being grown at 

 home, as they might well be. It simply 

 requires singling out good crowns and 

 growing them in rich loamy soil, lifting 

 and potting when required. 



P. biflorum. A pretty species from 

 the wooded hillsides of Canada, and New 

 Brunswick, of slender graceful growth, the 

 arching stems I ft. to 3 ft. in height, the 

 small flower stems jointed near the base of 

 the flowers, which are greenish white, two 

 or three together in the axils of the leaves. 



Polygonatum multiflorum (Solomon's Seal). 



chiefly in the north temperate regions of 

 the Himalayas, America, Japan, China, 

 and Europe, and with very few, if any, 

 exceptions will be found quite hardy 

 enough to withstand the rigours even of 

 an English winter. There are nine dis- 

 tinct species known to us in cultivation, 

 and perhaps as many varieties, and 

 although there is some similarity amongst 

 them in habit, all are distinct as garden 

 plants. They thrive well in almost any 

 position in good sandy soil, and will be all 

 the better for an occasional liberal dress- 

 ing of leaf soil. It is in shady nooks, 

 under the shade of deciduous trees, in 

 the wild garden, however, where they do 

 best and are seen to the best advantage. 

 They are increased by seeds or berries, 

 which sown as soon as gathered in 



| Syns., P. pubescens, P. hirtum, and P. 



i canaliculatum. 



P. japonicum. A distinct species, 

 native of Japan, hardy in this country, 

 flowering in early April, growing about 

 2 ft. in height, the leaves of a very firm 

 leathery texture, the flowers white, tinged 

 purplish. 



P. latifolium, the old Convallaria 



1 latifolia or broad-leaved Solomon's Seal, 

 seems to be about intermediate between 



I P. multiflorum and P. officinale. It is a 

 native of Europe, and is said to have been 

 found in Syke's Wood, near Ingleton, 

 Yorkshire. A fine robust species, the 

 stems being from i\ ft. to 4 ft. high, arch- 



i ing, the leaves bright green ; flowers 

 large, two to five in a bunch from the 



i axils of the leaves, greenish-white, in July. 



