POLYMNIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



RANUNCULUS 



creeping, twisted, and somewhat 

 tuberous root-stocks, and stems 1 to 



2 ft. high, with oblong wavy leaves 



3 to 6 ins. long, having winged stalks. 

 The white or pink flowers appear in 

 dense cylindrical spikes from June to 

 September, and are very attractive. 

 A good plant for the border or 

 rockery. The variety latifolia is a 

 finer plant in every way. 



P. multiflorum. — A pretty Chinese 

 and Japanese plant, with tuberous 

 roots, slender, climbing, reddish 

 stems, and smooth, shining, thickish, 

 heart-shaped leaves about 4 ins. long, 

 with bright red stalks and a truncated 

 stipule or ocrea at the base. The 

 small whitish flowers are produced in 

 loose and graceful panicles during 

 the summer months. 



POLYMNIA (the name of one of 

 the Muses). Nat. Ord. Compositse. — 

 This genus contains about a dozen 

 species of no particular garden value. 

 The only one worth mention here 

 is — 



P. edulis. — A native of the Andes, 

 having thick Dahlia-like roots, which 

 are cultivated in that region as an 

 article of diet. It has heads of 

 yellow flowers, and is quite hardy. 



PUSCHKINIA (after M. Pouschkin, 

 a Eussian botanist). Nat. Ord. LUi- 

 acese. — A small genus of herbs mth 

 tunicated bulbs, the best being — 



P. soilloides ( P. libamotica ; P. 

 sicula). — ^A charming little bulbous 

 plant from the Caucasus, Asia Minor, 

 etc., having dark green, lance-shaped, 

 channelled leaves 4 to 6 ins. long, and 

 whitish or very pale blue flowers in 

 April, borne on stems 4 to 8 ins. high. 

 Each flower is about 1 in. across, the 

 segments being distinctly striped 

 with deep blue down the centre. 

 {Bot. Mag. t. 2244.) The variety 

 compacta has the flowers in denser 



and more compact trusses, and looks 

 more effective when planted in bold 

 masses. 



The " Striped Squill," as this species 

 is called, likes a deep rich soil of sandy 

 loam and peat or leaf -soil, and should 

 be planted 3 to 4 ins. deep about ■ 

 September or October, in warm 

 sheltered spots in the rock-garden 

 or flower-border. After three or four 

 years, the plants may be lifted, and 

 offsets detached from the old bulbs 

 for purposes of increase. 



RANUNCULUS {rcma, a frog; in 

 reference to the aquatic species grow- 

 ing in places inhabited by frogs). Nat. 

 Ord. Eanunculaceae. — A large genus 

 consisting of annuals and perennials. 



Fia. 296.— Ranunculus, fanged roots. 



some of which are aquatic, others 

 terrestrial ; others again with fibrous 

 roots, and a few with tuberous roots. 

 Amongst the latter the best-known 

 species is — 



R. asiatlcus. — A native of S. 

 Europe and Asia, about 9 ins. high, 

 with tuberous fanged roots, ternate 

 or biternate leaves divided into 

 toothed or deeply trifid segments. 

 The flowers are variable in colour, 

 being white, red, scarlet, variegated, 

 etc. 



From this species what is known 

 as the "Garden Ranunculus" has 

 been evolved by generations of 

 gardeners carefully selecting, hybrid- 

 ising, and intercrossing the best 



402 



