DESCRIPTIVE AND SELECTIVE. 207 



autumnale. Sihthorpii is a Grecian species with 

 tessellated flowers, the colour being purple chequering 

 white. It is one of the best. Speciosum is, next to 

 autumnale y the best known of the Meadow Saffrons. 

 It is a large-flowered species, purplish lilac or purplish 

 rose in colour, and comes from the Caucasus. A little 

 taller than autumnale, it is nevertheless quite suitable 

 for the rockery. There are several varieties, of which 

 the most precious is a pure white (album). It is a most 

 beautiful plant. A very large variety called maximum , 

 and a red (ruhrum) are also worth mentioning. This 

 set enjoy a loamy soil with plenty of sand. Variegatum 

 is a fairly popular species. It is white or pale rose 

 chequered with purple. Parkinsoni, which is often 

 grown as a distinct species, is now classed as a variety 

 of variegatum. There are several other chequered 

 species besides those named. 



COL UMBINE.—See A Q UILEGIA . 



CONVALLARIA (Lily of the Valley).— The 

 great plant in the genus Convallaria is majalis, un- 

 familiar to most people under its botanical name, 

 but famihar and dear to all under the popular name of 

 Lily of the Valley. It would savour of the imaginative 

 to speak of this as a rock plant, nevertheless it is an 

 Alpine. When we find it in Great Britain it is in the 

 heart of the shady wood, not on sun-scorched hillsides, 

 and so we have grown to regard it as anti- Alpine. 

 This exquisite and fragrant little flower cannot be 

 grown successfully on the average sunny rockery, and 

 if it is to be included in the rock garden at all it must be 

 in a spot where it escapes the ardent attentions of the 



