252 ALPINE FLOWERS AND ROCK GARDENS. 



RAMONDIA (Pyrenean Violet). — Few rockery 

 plants have grown more rapidly into favour during 

 recent years than Ramondia Pyrenaica. It is a most 

 beautiful plant, of tufty habit, with hairy, crinkled 

 leaves close to the ground, and spikes of violet flowers 

 with orange centres on stems a few inches high in 

 summer. It looks best when planted in a little colony, 

 and if the site is moist and shady it will form lovely 

 clumps. There is a white variety called albUj and a 

 rose one called rosea. They like a good deal of peat in 

 the soil, and limestone chips may be added freely. The 

 newer species, Serbica, is distinct from Pyrenaica. It 

 bears rich mauve flowers in summer. Nathaliae is a 

 variety of it, with mauve flowers in which the orange 

 stamens are prominent. This beautiful variety may 

 be grown in loam and peat, with sand instead of 

 hmestone chips. The Ramondias are best raised from 

 seed sown under glass in spring, for although they are 

 somewhat slow in getting to the flowering stage, 

 propagation by division is dangerous. Leaf -propa- 

 gation may be tried. The leaf -stalk should be made 

 firm in gritty soil containing a good deal of peat, and 

 covered with a bell glass to exclude air. 



RANUNCULUS. — A large and varied genus, con- 

 taining some plants of great beauty, and some that 

 are the worst of weeds. Two Alpine species, namely, 

 alpestris and glacialis, are shown in coloured plates, the 

 former with Primula integri folia, and are good, but acris, 

 the common Buttercup, and bulbosus, the Gold Cup, 

 are dangerous in the garden, for they spread fast, have 

 great tenacity of life, and become weeds of the most 



