AQUATIC PLANTS. 



333 



erect, the leaves are lanceolate and glaucous, the 

 flowers white, in long erect racemes. One of the 

 prettiest of all is L. chthroidcs, with white flowers, 

 from Japan. It grows ahout two feet high, and 

 frequently makes a good border specimen. There 

 are several others, hut none more ornamental than 

 the ahove-mentioned. Frimulacete. 



Zt/t/ii-um Salicaria (Purple Loose-strife). — The 

 variety of this British plant cultivated as roseum is 

 much favoured as an ornament in moist situations. 

 It is worth having, but should not be allowed 

 among choice or delicate kinds. This species is of 

 great interest, having acquired, through Darwin's 

 laborious experiments, so important a place in the 

 question of the origin of species. July to September. 

 North Temperate regions and Australia. Lythracea. 



Mimuliis luteiis (Yellow Monkey Flower). — ^A na- 

 tive of North Amei-ica, now established in Britain. 

 In a proper position, this is a very useful and showy 

 plant for the bog garden ; it requires no care, and it 

 never fails to produce a bright mass of yellow 

 flowers. If allowed near delicate or small plants it 

 may over-run them, if not attended to. It reaches a 

 height of three or four feet, and is easily grown from 

 pieces of the creeping stem or from seeds. At a few 

 inches above the level of the water it is perfectly at 

 home. This kind is glabrous, or but slightly hairy, 

 thus differing considerably from M. cardinalis, the 

 only other tall kind grown in gardens. The garden 

 Monkey Flowers are derived from this species, and 

 would probably flourish where this does. July to 

 September. Scrophulariacete. 



Mimulus cardinalis (Monkey Flower). — Though 

 not necessarily grown in the bog garden, it merits a 

 position there, on account of its showiness, and be- 

 cause it likes a moister position than is found gener- 

 ally elsewhere. It grows erect, two or three feet high, 

 has hairy leaves, and bears scarlet flowers, though 

 there is a rose-coloured, and several other varieties. 

 Easily increased by division or seeds. California. 



jS'arihecium osaifragum (Bog Asphodel). — Though 

 not showy, this plant is attractive when planted 

 to form a colony. It grows six or eight inches 

 high, the leaves are sword-shaped and yellowish, the 

 flowers bright yellow with white filaments and 

 bright orange anthers. Should be planted in wet 

 peat or spongy soil. The plant is British and widely 

 spread in North Temperate regions. Flowers in July 

 and August. Litincem. 



Nephrodium cristatum. — ^A rare British Fern which 

 requires constant moisture at the root. Though not 

 so beautiful as some others, it is deserving of culture. 

 The root-stock is shortly creeping, and the fronds 

 are erect, one to one and a half foot high. It prefers 

 peaty soil and shade. The variety spinulosum occurs 

 with the above, which is found in hogs and marshes 



of the Eastern counties, Nottingham, Chester, and 

 Lanark. Known often as Lastraa cristata. 



Nephrodium Thelypteris (Marsh Fern). — Few of 

 our British Ferns are prettier or more easy to grow 

 than this. It must have the moisture of a bog 

 garden, and peat is probably the best soil. The 

 rhizomes are slender and far-creeping ; the fronds 

 lanceolate and about six or eight inches in height. 

 Belongs to the Lastraa section of the Nephrodium, 

 and is often called Lastraa Thelypteris. Widely spread 

 over the world. 



Onoelea senaibilis. — This is a handsome Fern, with 

 sterile fronds about two feet in length, the pinnae of 

 which are cut into large angular teeth. It grows 

 well in a moist position, or planted a few inches 

 above water so that the roots have easy access to it. 

 The root-stock is creeping. The fertile fronds are 

 distinct. Native of North America and Asia. 



Osmunda regalia (Eoyal Fern). — This is a well- 

 known favourite, and the noblest of all our native 

 Ferns. The coriaceous and substantial fronds grow 

 from one to eight feet high, and the root-stock is 

 often massive, with many heads. It grows in bogs, 

 by river-sides, and in marshy woods, and should be 

 planted on dwarf mounds, so that the roots can 

 reach water. Native of all quarters of the globe. 



0. paluatris. — This is referred by botanists to the 

 last species, but for horticultural purposes the plant 

 grown under the name is abundantly distinct, and 

 may he characterised by the feature which makes it 

 attractive — the redness of the young fronds. Other 

 kinds, which like moist peaty soil, are 0. Claytoniatta, 

 0. cinnauioinea, .and 0. cinnainomea, var. anguataia. 

 These are natives of North America. 



Parnaaaia (Grass of Parnassus). — Thefive cultivated 

 kinds are charming plants for growing in wet, 

 peaty, or spongj' places. They have white flowers 

 on slender stalks, raispd above pretty tufts of dwarf 

 foliage. Our British T. palustria is the most 

 familiar, and is well deserving of culture. It blooms 

 verj' profusely during August and September, and 

 the flowers are about one inch in diameter. P. fiin- 

 hriata, from North America, is one of the newest 

 and best ; beautiful and attractive on account of its 

 fringed petals. P. caroliniana and P. aaarifolia are 

 somewhat similar, and both come from North 

 America. The leaves of the first are heart-shaped, 

 while those of the latter are kidney -shaped. F. nu- 

 iicola is a new kind, but perhaps the least beautiful, 

 as it is stiff-looking and not so graceful as the others. 

 It js described as the largest and coarsest of all the 

 species, attaining a height of eighteen inches. The 

 leaves are ovate, scarcely cordate. It is native 

 throughout the Himalaya range, which is reached 

 by our own species ; indeed, the head-quarters of the 

 genus is in India. Saxifragece. 



