NEW AND BEAUTIFUL ROCK PLANTS 89 



novelties to it from time to time, and the confirmed 

 flower-lover will gladly seize an opportunity of acquiring 

 meritorious new plants. 



It would be outside the scope of the present work to 

 give a complete list of rock plants, but attention can be 

 drawn to the most meritorious species as well as to the 

 best of the newer kinds. The following notes may be 

 considered in connection with those on border plants. 

 The smaller kinds of the latter are often used on the 

 rockery. 



^ETHIONEMAS. These plants are perhaps of secondary 

 importance on the rockery, but they have the merit of 

 giving summer bloom. The best known is grandiflorum, 

 with pink flowers, in small globular heads, reminding 

 one of Daphne Cneorum, in late spring or early summer ; 

 it grows about six inches high and blooms in May. 

 Coridifolium is also a familiar plant. The ^Ethionemas 

 are not troublesome plants, but they do not care for poor 

 soil and hot sites. 



AJUGA (BUGLE). The best-known species is reptans, 

 a pretty carpeter with blue flowers in spring. Genevensis 

 is also blue. There is a form of reptans with bronzy 

 purple leaves. Purpurea variegata, another form of rep- 

 tans, has variegated green and white leaves and blue 

 flowers in a spike six inches high. It is a useful plant, 

 for it spreads fast, carpets closely, and is pretty both in 

 and out of bloom. The Ajugas will thrive in shade. 



ALYSSUM (GOLD DUST). The old species saxatile, so 

 bright in colour, so free-flowering, so easily raised from 

 seed, must not be passed by because of the newer forms, 

 as the colour is the deepest of all ; but those who are 

 interested in the plant may like to grow the paler forms, 

 such as Silver Queen and citrinum, and also the double ; 



