ALPINE FLOWERS. 



PART II. 



ACffiNA MICEOPHYLLA. — Rosy-spined Acana. 



A MINUTE trailer from New Zealand, curiously beautiful from 

 its small, close, round head of inconspicuous flowers being 

 furnished, with long crimson spines. The leaves are pinnate, 

 the leaflets deeply incised, those at the apex of the leaf much the 

 largest, the whole of a brownish green tint. The plant spreads 

 into dense tufts, no taller than the Lawn Pearlwort, and in 

 summer and autumn becomes thickly bestrewn with the showy 

 and singular globes of spines. It is quite easily increased by 

 division, is perfectly hardy, grows in ordinary soil, but thrives 

 much the best in that of a fine sandy and somewhat moist 

 character. Its home is on bare level parts of the rockwork, usually 

 beneath the eye, and it is also good as a border or even an 

 edging plant in soils where it thrives. Occasionally it may be 

 used with a singularly good effect to form a carpet beneath larger 

 plants not thickly placed. 



ACANTHOLIMON GLUMACEUM.— /"rzf/?/)/ Thrift. 



A VERY compact and distinct little alpine plant, with dark- 

 green pink-like leaves, with sharp spines at the' points, and 

 bearing one-sided spikes of pretty rose-coloured flowers — each a 

 little more than half an inch across. It seems to thrive on 

 almost any kind of soil, but is best suited for rockwork, on 

 which it forms neat tufts from three to six inches high, wrap- 

 ping itself round the stones, and blooming freely in summer. 

 I have found it thrive perfectly well on slightly elevated rock- 

 work far into London. It may be propagated by seed, cuttings, 

 or division ; but not very rapidly in the last way, and it should 

 be divided very carefully. A native of Armenia, perfectly 

 hardy everywhere in this country, at least when elevated on 

 rockwork or banks. Synonyme Stat ice Ararati. 



