PRIMULACEyE 389 



finest of rockery plants, and of those most amenable to 

 culture. In walls, rocks, or even in a border it will 

 make magnificent tufts covered in March and April with 

 gloriously brilliant yellow flowers. Treat like Jl. carnea. 



Soldanella 



Eng. : Soldanella ; Fr. : Soldanelle; Ger. : Alpenglockchen. 



Charming modest alpines, but quite easy to grow in 

 humid England from strong young plants in a somewhat 

 shady position near a bog. Otherwhere some retentive 

 material such as moss or cocoanut fibre must be packed 

 round them to check evaporation. They are perhaps the 

 best plants for experimenting in England with the 

 sphagnum method described in the General Intro- 

 duction. Propagate by division ; seedlings are tedious. 



The characteristic of the genus and the representative 

 species are : Small perennials with strongly anise- 

 scented root ; leaves orbicular ; calyx 5-cleft ; corolla bell- 

 shaped, fimbriated. 



S. alpina (PI. LXXVI). Very familiar; leaves thick, 

 cordate-reniform with two ear-like drooping lobes at the 

 base; flowers three to four, bell-shaped, violet, drooping. 

 Always found near melting snow, at the disappearance of 

 whose white carpet the Soldanella gives a cheerful touch 

 to cool, turfy pastures over all the alpine chain and in 

 one portion of the Jura. 



S. pusilla, which is confined to the snowy zone of 

 eastern Switzerland (2000-2800 m.), differs in smaller 

 size, leaves sinuate at the base, stem not exceeding as a 

 rule 2 in., corolla of clear lilac with longer bell and 

 briefer fringe to scarcely 1 / 8 of the length. 



S. minima (PI. LXXVI). Leaves still smaller, quite 

 entire, slightly downy; one flowered; corolla relatively 



