Hardy Exotic Flowering Plants 173 



even old ruins, or any position where they will not be 

 smothered by coarser vegetation. Like them in character is 

 the pretty little Tunica Saxifraga, which grows on the tops of 

 old walls and sand heaps in Italy and in Southern Europe, 

 and will thrive on bare places with us. 



Gentian, Gentiana. — Dwarf, and usually evergreen, alpine 

 or high-pasture plants, with large and numerous flo\yers often 

 handsome, and frequently of the most vivid blue. The large 

 G. acaulis (Gentianella) would grow as freely in moist places 

 on any of our own mountains as it does on its native hills ; 

 indeed, it would flourish in all moist loams, where it could 

 not be choked by coarse and taller subjects. The tall willow 

 Gentian (G. asclepiadea) is a handsome plant, which, in the 

 mountain woods of Switzerland, I have often seen blooming 

 among long grass in shade of trees, and this fact is suggestive 

 as to its use in this country. 



Snowdrops, Galanthus. — The charms of our own Snow- 

 drop when naturalized in the grass are well known to all, but 

 many of the new kinds, such as Elwesi and G. plicatus, have 

 claims also in that respect, all of which would be as easily 

 naturalized as the common Snowdrop. For some account of 

 the various kinds of Snowdrop that have come into our 

 gardens of recent years see the article in the ' English Flower- 

 garden.' 



Cow Parsnips, Herackum.— Giant herbaceous plants, 

 mostly from Northern Asia, with huge leaves, and umbels 

 (sometimes a foot across) of white or whitish flowers. They 

 are very suitable for rough places on the banks of rivers 

 or artificial water, islands, or for any place where bold 

 foliage may be desired. In planting them it should be 

 borne in mind that their foliage dies down and disappears 

 at the end of summer. When established they often sow 



