GENTJANACE/E 



A white variety (PI. LXX1X) has been found in the 

 Jura and the Alps and these albinos do wonderfully well 

 at Floraire. And, generally speaking, G. verna is a 

 splendid plant for gardens, given sun and just a little 

 firmness of soil. At the same time it is, one must admit, 

 a capricious beauty and a thing of whims and fancies, so 

 that the only real way of making sure of establishing it is 

 to try it in several different positions, not forgetting 

 short clean turf; let each be deep moist sandy loam, facing 

 south ; put plenty of stones about the collar and pure 

 sand on the surface and round the roots ; water daily in 

 summer, and then the chances are that one or two clumps 

 will choose to be content and flourish, but why these 

 more than the others none can say. It is well to nip off 

 the dying flower buds. 



G. brachyphylla (PI. LXXJX) may be called a small and 

 high-alpine form of verna. Leaves shorter, thicker; calyx 

 longer, more fringed, more slender and without wings ; 

 corolla-tube also thinner and elongate. July-August. 

 1900-3000 m. 



G. bavarica (PI. LXXIX). Here we have the most 

 beautiful and velvety sapphire imaginable, azure of ideal 

 perfection. Leaves ovate, blunted, like box, of glossy, 

 shining green, very close to the base of the stems. 

 August-October. Margins of alpine streams and damp 

 meadows; 1 400-2800 m. A pure white variety has been 

 met in the Alps near Bourg-St.-Pierre. For this evil- 

 tempered beauty, one can only recommend even more 

 moisture, if only not sour or stagnant, than for verna; 

 otherwise treat similarly and hope, hope for the best. 



G. asdepiadea (PL LXXX). The beautiful autumn 

 Gentian of the limestone Alps, whose floral scapes bend 

 under the weight of blooms like acanthus leaves beneath 

 that of a Corinthian temple. A strong, vigorous, herb- 

 aceous plant; stems 2o-3o in., furnished throughout its 



