





Apml 27, 1912.] 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 





27o 



glaucous foliage is hidden. Pure white flowers 

 were not uncommon in this locality. Of the 



far 



by 



was 



Soldanellas, the commonest species 

 S. montana, but the dainty little S. pusilla was 

 seen frequently, and albino forms of both these 

 species were collected. Primula uralensis was 

 forming its seed pods, while the frail little P. 

 exigua (syn. P. farinosa denudata) was in flower. 

 The flowers are very similar to the Bird's Eye 

 Primrose, but the meal is absent from the leaves. 

 But the Primula of Bulgaria is P. deorum, and 

 here it was in countless thousands bordering the 

 edges of streams, some actually growing in the 

 running water, and all with their roots able to 

 reach the moisture. Formerly I held a poor 

 opinion of this rarity, and seeing it previously 

 on Belmaken a week before did not realise what 

 it could be until I saw the half-nodding purplish- 

 violet flowers open in the full sun. 



After leaving the grassy glade the path be- 

 comes steep, and winds among rocks with patches 

 of snow here and there. Arenaria biflora borders 



the 



Saxifraga 



path, and in crevices of rocks 

 cymosa forms a green cushion studded with white 

 flowers. 



to 



open 

 setacea and 



Senecio carpathicus was just beginning 

 its orange-yellow flowers. Alsine 



form neat 



Gnaphalium supinum 

 little tufts, while Gentiana punctata was about 

 to show its yellow flowers spotted with purple. 

 Higher up, a rare species, G. f rigida, was found 

 with white flowers, while the Willow Gentian 

 was common at a lower altitude. Veronica 

 bellidioides had opened a few flowers of the 

 deepest blue; it was only 3 inches high, and if 

 it proves a free grower should make a good plant 

 for the rockery. , Near by was Potentilla 

 Haynaldiana with silvery leaves. Ranunculus 

 crenatus was plentiful at 8,000 feet altitude; it 

 is like R. alpestris/' with leaves not so deeply 

 cleft, and produces four or five white flowers on 



inches 





a sturdy 

 Primula 



little stem only a 



forms 



few 



high. 



minima forms good tufts, and well 

 jnerits the name of the Fairy Primrose. Other 

 plants met with on the top of Moussala were 

 Saxifraga juniperina, S. retusa, Geum reptans, 

 Anemone vernalis, and Campanula orbelica. On 

 reaching the summit of Moussala a glorious view 

 reaches as far as Macedonia, Belmaken looks a 

 large round-topped mountain, and Pirin is seen 

 m the distance. 



128 shows the true Onosma tauricum, 



Fig 



which is a 

 les or the usual " Golden 



The plant growing on the 

 was raised from seed sent 



Pallas, not 0. tauricum, Willd 

 synonym of 0. echioides or the i 

 Drop " of gardens. 

 Glasnevin Rockery 



from Bulgaria by Mr. P. O'Mahony. Throughout 

 July it was in flower, making a plant 2 feet across ; 

 although the flowers are not of such a bright 

 yellow colour as those of 0. echioides, yet it 

 blossoms much more freely, and will be a useful 

 plant for a dry rockery bank or garden wall. 

 Another plant for the wall-garden, judging by 

 its native habitat, is Campanula lanata (syn. 

 C. velutina, Vel.). When grown in the ordinary 

 w ay in gardens it forms a pyramidal inflorescence, 

 with some of the lower flower-stems trailing 

 along the ground. But in Bulgaria the plants 

 spring out of the crevices of rocks, and no central 

 outstanding stem is made, but numerous branches 

 radiate from the root-stock, and so close are they 

 pressed to the rock's face that one looks, but 

 looks in vain, for some attachment to the rocks. 



feome of the plants had a spread of 2 feet or 

 3 feet. 



The three most wonderful floral sights which 

 A saw in Bulgaria were Primula deorum at 



Rhus cotinus, a blaze of colour cover- 

 ing some acres near Philippopolis, and Haberlea 



rhodopensis near the Shi pka Pass. Although 

 acquainted with the latter plant in many gar- 

 dens, yet I was greatly surprised when I saw it 



Sm T g natQrall y- In a shady wood Mr. P. 

 u Mauony brought us to the foot of an almost 

 perpendicular crag, and the rocks here were 

 morally covered i n every available space for some 

 hundreds of feet high with Haberlea in full 

 nower, the effect of which was glorious. Many 

 ot the plants had formed tufts 2 feet and 3 feet 

 a^oss, and were studded 



in 

 Moussala. 



ing about we came across plants varying slightly 

 in shade of colour and size of flowers ; suddenly 

 Herr Kellerer shouts out " Weiss, weiss " in an 

 excited tone, and comes along bearing a lovely 

 2-foot tuft covered with white flowers. The 



sight of the Haberlea is one which is stamped on small flowers, 

 the memory. C. F. Ball, Glasnevin. 



NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



The Flora of New Guinea. • 



This further contribution to the flora of New 

 Guinea comprises the Anonaceae and Rubiaceae 

 of Dutch New Guinea, and a continuation of the 

 Orchidaceae, collected on the last expedition. 

 The Orchids occupy considerably more than half 

 of the present part, including 38 out of 44 of 

 the plates, making, with the 46 which appeared 

 in the first part, a total of 84 plates representing 

 members of this family. As was pointed out in a 

 notice of the first part of this publication (Gar- 

 deners' Chronicle, February 26, 1910, p. 136), the W. Batting Iltmshy. 



phyllum papuanum, a species closely allied to 

 G. speciosum, is the giant of the collection. 

 Vouroemeria is the only new genus described. 

 It is allied to Chitonanthera, Schlechter, and 

 Octarrhcna. Thwaites— all Orchids having very 



There is a new species of the 

 last-named genus, previously only known to be 

 represented in Ceylon. There is also a now 

 species of the triandrous genus Nieuwiedia. 



Of the Rubiaceae figured Versteegiagrandifolia 

 and Ch*etostachya Versteegii, both new genera, 

 are particularly interesting. The former is allied 

 to Psychotria and is characterised by having a 

 very singular inflorescence in the form of a very 

 dense compound terminal cylindrical spike of 

 small flowers, which are almost concealed by 

 very numerous linear bracts. The spike is about 

 4 inches long and borne on a distinct stalk, 

 which is abruptly bent down close to the branch 

 bearing it. By an oversight of the artist the 

 leaves are represented as alternate. Versteegia 

 is a email tree having handsome leaves, nearly 

 a yard long, and small flowers borne on the trunk. 



I 





*n 





[Photograph by C. i\ RaffiU* 



Fig. 129. — eschscholtzia c^espitosa: flowers yellow. 



Orchids of New Guinea are very numerous and 

 varied, but rarely showy, either in size or colour- 

 ing, so far as our knowledge goes. This remark 

 applies equally to those species figured in the 

 present part. Thus of the 30 species of Den- 

 drobium figured only two or three have flowers 

 conspicuous in size. D. eximium Schlechter, 

 syn. D. bellum J. J. Smith, is the most notable 

 exception. This species is in cultivation at 

 Buitenzorg. But among the numerous small- 

 flowered Orchids figured there are many of ex- 

 traordinary interest. Taeniophyllum has no real 

 leaves, the functions of which are performed by 

 modified aerial roots. In T. maximum the roots 

 are flattened, as much as 30 inches long and 

 about 2 inches wide throughout their whole 

 length, and might be mistaken for leaves. The 

 structure of the lip of this species is also very 

 remarkable. T. breviscapum has fleshy terete 

 aerial roots, common to so many Orchids. All 

 the species of Taeniophyllum have very small 

 flowers, and those of T. minutiflora are only a 

 twelfth of an inch in diameter. Grammato- 



» Risultats dt V Expedition Scientifique Neerlandaist a la 

 Nouvellt Guinie en 1907 et 7909, sous les auspices dt Dr.H.A. 

 Lorentx. Vol. viii., Botanique Livraison 3, pp. 427-611, tt. 



Search- 69-112. iLeyden, 1911: E. J. Brill.) 



ESGHSCHOLTZIA C/E3PIT0SA. 



Esciischoltzia ciESPiTOSA was introduced into 

 cultivation from California by W. Lobb when 

 collecting on behalf of Messrs. James Veitch & 

 Sons over 40 years ago. The plant is of the 

 easiest culture and not at all fastidious as 

 to soil, but it requires a warm, sunny position. 

 It is a matter of surprise that more attention has 

 not been paid to this lovely annual. The soft 

 yellow colour of the flowers shows to advantage 

 against the beautiful glaucous grey of the fine 

 Fern-like foliage. The plant grows from 6 to 12 

 inches high, and branches freely at the base, 

 producing flowers in abundance, so much, in fact, 

 that the whole plant becomes a mass of colour. 

 A group of this Eschscholtzia is always a con- 

 spicuous object when grown in company with 

 other annuals. Individually the flowers are from 

 1 to 1^ inch in diameter and borne on long, 

 slender peduncles well above the handsome 

 foliage. Seeds are produced in abundance. The 

 genus contains about 25 species, only two or 

 three of which are in cultivation. All are natives 

 of temperate and sub -tropical parts of North 

 America. C. P. BaffilL 





