The Garden of British Wild Flowers. 177 



are worthy of cultivation. The common flax is 

 sometimes found wild, but it is not a true, or at all 

 events is a very doubtful, native. 



In the natural order Malvaceae, we have several 

 showy plants, but none particularly worthy of 

 garden cultivation, except it be Lavatera arborea 

 (the Sea Lavatera), which is sparsely distributed 

 along the south and west coasts, and on the Bass 

 Rock in the Frith of Forth. It is a plant of 

 vigorous habit and noble leaves, which might be 

 used with advantage in what is nowadays called 

 the subtropical garden, or, indeed, in almost any 

 position, for it is a plant of very distinct habit. It 

 grows five or six feet high when in a favourable 

 situation. The best of the mallows is the Musk 

 Mallow (M. moschata), which bears a profusion of 

 rather showy flowers in summer. It is not an un- 

 common English plant, and would not discredit 

 the mixed border. The Marsh Mallow (Althaea 

 officinalis) will of course be cultivated for other 

 reasons than its beauty, which is not very 

 striking. The Marsh Mallow is found in the south 

 of England, but does not go far north, nor is it 

 very common, whereas the common mallow is to 

 be seen everywhere, except perhaps in the extreme 

 north. 



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