17G 



MERENDERA MEUM. 



Flowers, in summer ; crimson -purple, 

 in a graceful, one - sided, drooping 

 raceme; corolla oval, inflated, about 

 \ in. long; mouth 4- toothed; divisions 

 of calyx 4. Leaves, small ; lower ones 

 elliptic, upper ones narrow, clothed 

 with white down beneath ; margins 

 rolled back when young, but becoming 

 flat when older. There is a white 

 variety sold sometimes under the name 

 of M. globosa, more rare than the com- 

 mon form, and equally beautiful. 

 France, Spain, England, Ireland, and 



Scotland. In beds of low shrubs, 



fringes of shrubberies, among the 

 bolder plants in the rock-garden, in 

 peat soil, or naturalized in heathy 

 places. Division, layers, or cuttings. 



Merendera Bulbocodium (Autumn 

 M.} Colchicum montanum. Very like 

 Hulbocodium vernum, but flowering in 

 autumn. Flowers, in autumn ; large 

 and handsome, of a pale pinkish-lilac, 

 with narrow, oblong segments. The 

 flower-stem remains under ground 

 during the period of flowering, then 

 commences to grow, and ultimately 

 bears the seed-vessel at a height of 

 about 4 in. Leaves, 4 or 5, appearing 

 soon after the flowers, linear, chan- 

 nelled, without veins, 5 to 6 in. long, 

 arching and finally spreading on the 

 ground. Bulb, nearly round, brownish, 

 the size of a hazel-nut. Native of 

 alpine meadows in the Central Pyre- 

 nees. The rock-garden and bulb- 

 garden, till plentiful enough to be used 

 in borders, and for naturalization, 

 in deep sandy loam. Separation of the 

 new bulbs, and seed. 



Mertensia maritima (Oyster Plant}. 

 Pulmonaria maritima. A trailing 

 evergreen, smooth, glaucous herb, 

 with branching stems; 3 or 4 in. 

 high. Flowers, in spring and summer ; 

 beautiful purplish-blue, erect, in a ter- 

 minal raceme ; corolla 2 or 3 times the 

 length of the calyx ; limb nearly bell- 

 ahaped; pedicels about in. long. 



Leaves, ovate, bluntish, fleshy, eutiro ; 

 lower ones stalked, upper ones stalkless. 

 Found on the sea- shore in several parts 

 of Britain, and also in Northern Eu- 

 rope. An open spot in the rock- 

 garden, protected from snails and slugs 

 which are very fond of the plant, and 

 will quickly destroy it if permitted, 

 in free sandy or gritty earth (sea sand, 

 if obtainable, to be preferred). In- 

 creased by seeds, gathered and sown 

 as soon as they ripen. 



Mertensia virginica ( Virginian Cow- 

 slip). Pulmonaria virginica. A hand- 

 some and graceful perennial, with 

 smooth, slightly glaucous leaves ; 10 

 to 18 in. high. Flowers, in April, May, 

 and June ; a beautiful purple-blue, 

 tubular, about 1 in. long, in clusters 

 rather gracefully drooping. Leaves, 

 lanceolate - ovate ; lower ones 4 to 

 6 in. long, and 2 to 3 in. broad, on 

 short footstalks ; upper ones of the 

 same shape, gradually diminishing in 

 size, stalkless. In its native country 

 it is said to vary with white and flesh- 

 coloured flowers, but I have not seen 

 any but the blue form in cultivation. 

 North America, on mountains, and 



gravelly shores of rivers. Mixed 



borders, margins of clumps of Ameri- 

 can plants, the lower parts of the rock- 

 garden, associated with the Aquilegias 

 and other taller alpines, or natu- 

 ralized in wood or copse ; in all cases 

 in a sheltered position, and in light, 

 rich, and well-drained soil. Division 

 in autumn, and seeds sown soon after 

 they ripen. 



Meum athamanticnm (Spignel). A 

 very graceful British plant, with finely 

 divided Fennel-like leaves ; 1 to 2 ft. 

 high. Flowers, in summer; white, 

 tinged with green, in not very large 

 compound, terminal umbels ; petals 

 entire. Leaves, deep green, much cut 

 into thread-like segments ; those of the 

 root in a tuft ; of the stem, few, smaller, 

 less cut; stems channelled, slightly 



