5l6 GENERAL REVIEW. 



exhibition in the spring and summer months. D. ajacis, a 

 Swiss plant introduced in 1573, bears pink flowers, and is 

 one of the parents of the annual section of " Larkspurs." D. 

 cashmirianum is a new Indian species, bearing large purplish- 

 blue flowers, and this plant is well worth the attention of 

 hybridisers. 



Helleborus. A genus of ornamental plants, principally of tem- 

 perate Europe and Asia. One of the best-known plants in our 

 gardens is H. niger or " Christmas Rose," which has glossy digi- 

 tate foliage and either white or pale rose-coloured flowers. There 

 are several seminal varieties in cultivation, and by crossing these 

 with some of the hybrids already obtained in Continental gar- 

 dens, a more beautiful and more highly serviceable coloured 

 race would doubtless result. As a winter-blooming plant, the 

 above-named species is very useful, as it can be grown without 

 any attention except a hand-light placed over it to prevent its 

 delicate flowers becoming splashed by heavy rains. All the 

 species are readily multiplied by dividing the fleshy roots in 

 the autumn or spring. The common H, niger and its varieties, 

 including H. niger maximus, are easily propagated by cuttings 

 of the root taken off in July or August, and inserted either in 

 pans of rich earth in a cool frame or in open-air beds. Helle- 

 bore-seeds grow so freely when sown in the open ground, and 

 are so freely produced, that Mr H. N. Ellacombe says, "I 

 never attempt to grow Hellebores from seed, but I have often 

 hundreds of self-sown seedlings of different sorts." Many 

 beautiful hybrid Hellebores have been raised in the Berlin 

 Botanic Garden by M. Sauer, the late curator. These were 

 the result of a cross effected between H. guttatus, Braun, 

 which grows near Tiflis on the southern slopes of the Caucasus, 

 and H. pnrpurascens, a Hungarian species. Two forms of 

 this are found on the western Caucasus, the darkest-coloured 

 variety being called H. colchicus by Dr Regel, and the paler 

 one is known in Continental gardens as H. abchasicus, and was 

 the one used in crossing with H. guttatus. The result was a 

 series of rosy, white, purple, brown, or creamy flowers, all more 

 or less spotted or streaked with carmine, red, or deep purple. 

 Seed was saved from both parents, and flowered four to five 

 years after it was sown. M. Sauer improved his seedlings by 

 selection, and sowed seeds from the finest of the first batch, 

 which produced still more handsome flowers, and some of 

 these were afterwards crossed with H. officinalis by M. 

 Bouche. M. Heinmann of Erfurt has also raised beautiful 

 new hybrids from the first- named parents (see ' Gard. Chron.,' 

 1874, i. 118-480, 'Florist/ 1875, P- l6l ) 



