46 



ADONIS AGAPANTHUS. 



ranged in a pyramidal panicle. Leaves, 

 alternate, smooth or slightly hairy ; the 

 radical leaves stalked, roundish-oval, 

 cordate, dentate ; stem leaves stalk- 

 less, oval-lanceolate, largely-toothed, 

 Native of Siberia. Similar treat- 

 ment and positions to preceding kinds. 



Adonis vernalis (Spring Adonis). 

 A very showy plant, with fmely-cut 

 leaves, and from 8 to 15 in. high. 

 flowers, in spring; yellow, solitary 

 at the tops of the stems, 2 to 4 in. 

 across; petals 10 to 12, oblong. 

 Leaves, lower ones abortive or reduced 

 to somewhat sheathing scales; upper 

 ones stalkless, much divided, lobes 

 entire. There are several varieties. 



Southern Europe and Siberia. 



Rockwork, sunny spots on borders, 

 margins of shrubberies, or naturaliza- 

 tion on bare banks, or in thin woods. 

 Grows in almost any soil, but thrives 

 best in a rich and moist sandy loam. 

 Division in autumn or winter. 



JEthionema coridifolium (Iberis ju- 

 cunda). Lebanon Candytuft. A little 

 novelty in leaf and flower, distinct 

 from any other kind hitherto in culti- 

 vation. Flowers, early in summer; 

 rather large, of a pleasing flesh- 

 colour prettily veined with rose, in 

 small dense clusters. Leaves, numerous, 

 oblong-linear, or linear obtuse, ending 

 in a minute brownish point, and at- 

 tenuated at the base, a little more 

 than ^ in. long, and about a line broad. 

 When in flower it resembles ^Ethio- 

 nema pulcheilum, but is distinguished 

 by the greater size of its flowers, the 

 shortness of its leaves, and its boat- 

 shaped narrowly-winged seed-vessels. 



Mount Lebanon, in calcareous soil. 



This class does not possess the rude 

 vigour of our evergreen Iberises, 

 among which it is placed by some 

 authors, but it is none the less valuable 

 for being unlike them, and is fitted for 

 association with a dwarfer and more 

 select class of subjects. It should be 



planted on warm and sunny parts of 

 the rock-garden, in well-drained sandy 

 loam. Increased by cuttings or seed. 

 .ffithionema membranaceum (Broad- 

 podded ^E.} A neat alpine plant, 

 with wiry prostrate simple stems, 

 6 to 8 in. high. Flowers, late in 

 summer; handsome rose, in small, 

 dense, terminal heads. Leaves, oblong- 

 linear, obtuse, of various sizes, cloth- 

 ing the stem rather thickly from the 

 base up. Pods overlapping each other, 

 roundish, with a very broad mem- 

 branous margin deeply notched at the 

 top. Mountains of Persia. The rock- 

 garden or the margin of borders, in a 

 sandy loam. Seed. 



JEthionema saxatile (Rock ^E.) A 

 plant much resembling the preceding, 

 6 to 10 in. high. Flowers, in summer ; 

 lilac-rose, in flat, crowded racemes 

 terminating the round, thread-like 

 stems. Pods, 2-celled, many-seeded; 

 style very short. Leaves, lance-shaped, 

 obtuse, upper ones pointed. S. 



Europe. The rock-garden and the 



margins of mixed borders, in sandy 

 loam. Seed. 



Agapanthus nmbellatus (African 

 Lily). A beautiful old border and 

 green-house plant, 2^ to 3 ft. high. 

 Flowers, late in summer ; delicate 

 blue, tubular bell -shaped, divided 

 into 6 reflexed segments, arranged 

 in a magnificent umbel of from 30 

 to 120 blossoms, borne on pedicels 

 about 2 in. long. At the base 

 of the umbel is a spathe with two 

 scarious bracts. Leaves, all radical, 

 linear, narrow, smooth, flat, re- 

 flected, of a deep green colour. 

 Root-stock, oblique, tuberous, with 

 numerous fleshy roots. Cape of Good 



Hope. Borders, raised banks, the 



lower flanks of rockwork, etc., in deep, 

 well- drained light soil with plenty of 

 peat or leaf mould. In the S. and 

 Mid. parts of England and Irelaud 

 only; and even in these parts the 



