292 THE ALPINE FLORA 



penetrating. August-October. Woods, copses and glades 

 in all our mountain districts. The variety speciosa, whose 

 flowers though larger and more richly coloured are fewer 

 in number and have less deeply cut petals, is found here 

 and there in alpine meadows. 



Culture : a splendid plant for half-shaded edges round 

 groups of trees. 



ZX monspessulanus differs from the preceeding in its 

 narrower leaves, stiff thin stems, generally single-flow- 

 ered, and not exceeding twelve inches in height; in its 

 smaller flowers with petals of clear rose, not spotted, 

 edged with a simple fringe, and hardly divided. July- 

 October. Rocky pastures and thickets of theTicino Alps 

 and the southern Jura (beyond the frontier). 



Culture: open beds or rockery; in sun. 



Tunica 



T. saxifraga. This is a small plant with very numerous, 

 erect, thin and branched stems, forming a tuft almost 

 destitute of leaves, but producing an infinite number of 

 tender-rose flowers, very similar to those of Gypsophila 

 repens, cymosely arranged above the plant; leaves narrow 

 and like short needles. June-October. Dry and arid spots 

 in southern Switzerland. It should be grown in the 

 poorest of soil, for it is so prodigal of bloom till late in 

 autumn that it is otherwise apt to flower itself to death. 

 A good grit dressing is necessary to protect it against 

 winter damp. 



Gypsophila 



Eng. : Gypsophila; "Fr. : Gypsophile; Ger. : Gypskraut. 



G. repens (PI. XX). A small glabrous plant, with fairly 

 long, procumbent, pendulous branches. The leaves are 

 narrow, oblong and glaucous; the innumerable flowers, 



