158 



LEUCOJUM LTATR1S. 



out, drooping, in a cluster of four to 

 eight blooms, each about an inch 

 long. Leaves, daffodil-like, shorter 

 than the flower-stem, appearing in 

 winter before the flowers. A. native 

 of Central and South Europe, but 



naturalized in Britain. This plant, 



found on the banks of the Thames 

 about Woolwich and Greenwich, and 

 in a few other places, is deserving of a 

 place in every garden, either as a 

 border plant or naturalized with the 

 more vigorous kinds of daffodils in 

 grassy places. It grows freely in 

 almost any soil, and is easily increased 

 by separation of the bulbs. 



Leucojum Hernandezii (Small 

 Summer Snowflake). This is the kind 

 commonly grown in gardens as S. 

 pulchellum. It grows from 1 to 1^ ft. 

 high, and blooms in summer, three 

 weeks or a month earlier than L. 

 cestivum. Flowers, white, with oblong- 

 obtuse divisions, having the tips 

 marked with a green spot, and about 

 half an inch long, or half the size of 

 those of L. cestivum, 1 to 3 on each 

 stem. Leaves, linear, about i in. 

 broad, flat, blunt at the end, nearly as 

 long as the flower- stem. Native of 

 mountains near Lluch, in Majorca; 



found also in Minorca. This plant, 



which has been supposed by some to 

 be a form of L. cestivum, -differs from it 

 in having leaves one- third narrower, 

 flowers only half the size, spathe with 

 only from 1 to 3 flowers, germen 

 oblong, and in flowering three or four 

 weeks earlier. Not being so handsome 

 as the Summer Snowflake, nor very- 

 distinct from it in appearance, it is 

 not worthy of a place except as a 

 naturalized plant in rough places. 



Leucojum vernum (Spring Snow- 

 flake). A very handsome spring 

 flower, resembling the Snowdrop in 

 stature, and somewhat in grace, but 

 larger in all its parts ; from 4 to 6 in. 

 high. Flowers, in spring ; white with 



a green spot on the tips of the petals, 

 solitary, drooping, and fragrant. 

 Leaves, few, linear, ribbon- like. Native 

 of Central Europe ; lately discovered 

 to be a native of Britain also, ' ' on the 

 Greenstone heights in the neighbour- 

 hood of Britford." Grows freely in 



any good sandy loam, but till more 

 plentiful should be treated well, i.e., 

 planted in deep and very sandy loam, 

 in a sheltered sunny position. It 

 deserves to be made almost as plenti- 

 ful as the Common Snowdrop, being 

 admirably suited for the rock-garden, 

 borders, and naturalization on grassy 

 banks in the pleasure-ground, or in 

 semi- wild spots in sandy loam. Separa- 

 tion of the bulbs ; where scarce, its 

 seed should be saved and sown. 



Liatris elegans (Button Snake-root}. 

 A showy herb, 2 to 4 ft. high. 

 Flowers, late in summer ; purplish, in 

 spikes a foot or more long. Leaves, 

 spotted, smooth ; root-leaves spoon- 

 shaped, 3- to 5-nerved ; upper stem- 

 leaves strap-shaped, short, of ten having 

 a short spine at the points. North 



America. Borders, or margins of 



shrubberies, in sandy loam. Division 

 or seed. 



Liatris pyenostachya (Dense - spiked 

 L. )^ A stout species with very leafy 

 stems, and thick and dense spikes, 



3 to 5 ft. high. Flowers, late in sum- 

 mer ; pale purple, in a dense cylin- 

 drical spike, about 2 ft. long, some- 

 what leafy below. Leaves, rigid, 

 stalkless, partly clasping at the base ; 

 lower ones narrow, lance-shaped, blunt, 

 5- to 7 -nerved; upper ones usually 

 short and much crowded, narrowly- 

 strap-shaped,pointed. North America, 



Borders, or grouped with the bolder 



perennials, in ordinary soil. Division. 



Liatris spicata (Spiked Button Snake- 

 root}. A handsome perennial, 3 to 



4 ft. high. Flowers, in summer ; pale 

 purple, almost stalkless, in spikes, 

 6 to 15 in. long j involucre somewhat 



