252 



UMBILICUS VERATRUM. 



back, smooth on the other parts, 

 twice the length of the calyx. Leaves, 

 greyish, oblong - spoon - shaped, flat, 

 densely covered on both sides and on 

 the edges with small prominences, and 

 arranged in rosettes. Flower - stem 

 springing from the centre of the 

 rosette, leafy, erect, furnished with 

 ovate-oblong, bluutish leaves, closely- 

 set. Western parts of Mt. Taurus. 



The rock-garden, and borders, in 



dryish soil ; also in pots wherever 

 Sedums and Sempervivums are grown 

 in this manner. Division. 



Umbilicus spinosus (Spiny U.) A 

 very singular looking plant with some- 

 what the appearance of a small Apicra 

 or Haworthia. Flowers, in early sum- 

 mer ; yellow, on short stalks collected 

 into a terminal cylindrical spike. 

 Leaves, pointed by a spine at the 

 apex ; root-leaves in rosettes, oblong, 

 convex towards the points ; stem- 

 leaves, lance-shaped, flat. Siberia, 



China, and Japan,. The rock-garden, 



in very sunny dry spots. I am not sure 

 that it is hardy everywhere ; it will 

 be safer to keep a reserve in frames. 

 Seed and division. 



Uvularia grandiflora (Large-floivered 

 U.) An interesting but not showy 

 plant, 1 ft. high. Flowers, in early 

 summer; light yellow, oblong-bell - 

 shaped, drooping. Leaves, alternate, 

 sessile, perfoliate, oblong - acute, 

 slightly undulating at the base, some- 

 what downy underneath, of a deli- 

 cate green, becoming drooping and 

 wrinkled at the period of flowering. 



N. America, on shady hills. Peat 



borders, in sheltered half-shady posi- 

 tions ; it is chiefly valuable for 

 botanical collections. Division. 



Vaccinium macrocarpum (American 

 Cranberry}. An interesting trailing 

 shrub, with stems I to 3 ft. long. 

 Flowers, in early summer; pale rose, on 

 thread-like stalks, nodding ; corolla 

 deeply 4 - parted ; segments lance- 



shaped. Leaves, oblong, obtuse, about 4 

 in. long, glaucous beneath, and scarcely 

 rolled downwards at the edge, downy 

 at the points when young ; stems 

 very slender, trailing ; flower-bearing 

 branches erect. Berries from ^ to 

 1 in. long, much larger than those of 

 the Red Whortleberry. North Ame- 

 rica, in peaty bogs. The artificial 



bog and among dwarf American 

 shrubs, in moist peat soil. Seed, 

 division, and layers. 



Vaccinium Vitis-idaea (Red Whortle- 

 berry}. A small evergreen shrub with 

 Box-like leaves, 6 to 8 in. high. 

 Flowers, in early summer ; white or 

 rose-coloured, small, in short terminal 

 drooping clusters, succeeded by red 

 berries about the size of red currants, 

 very like those of the Cranberry : 

 corolla bell-shaped, with 4 spreading 

 lobes. Leaves, obovate, rolled down- 

 wards, minutely toothed, dotted be- 

 neath ; stems tufted, creeping,bran ched, 

 the branches erect. Europe, Russian 

 Asia, and North America, and plenti- 

 ful in several parts of Britain. 



Borders, and among low shrubs, in 

 peat or sandy soil. Division. 



Valeriana montana (Mountain Vale- 

 rian). A dwarf, smooth, or slightly 

 hairy herb with simple stems ; 6 to 

 14 in. high, flowers, in early sum- 

 mer ; white, tinged with red, in a 

 panicled corymb ; corolla with an 

 obconical or cylindrical tube, not 

 spurred as in Centrantkus, and a 

 bluntly 5-cleft limb. Leaves, lower 

 ones oblong or obovate, obtuse, slightly 

 toothed and on long stalks ; upper 

 ones lance - shaped, acute, and on 

 short stalks ; roots horizontal. Moun- 

 tains of Europe. Borders, and the 



rougher parts of the rock-garden, in 

 ordinary soil. Division. 



Veratrum album (White V.) A re- 

 markable looking perennial, 3 to 5 ft. 

 high. Flowers, in summer ; whitish 

 within, greenish on the outside, form- 



