126 ALPINE FLOWERS, Part II. 



it was lost to our gardens till recently re-introduced. A 

 native of the Pyrenees and mountains of Switzerland, Italy, 

 and Greece, its home with us is in sunny spots on roctwork, 

 the soil to be of a light and poor, rather than of a rich, nature. 

 Flowers in early summer, and is readily increased by seed or 

 from cuttings. The Silvery A. {A. argenteum), a native of 

 Corsica, is closely related to this species, but is taller and more 

 robust, has small flowers, and is not so well worthy of culture. 



ALYSStTM MONTANUM.— j^<7K«/az« A. 



A CHARMING and distinct species, spreading into compact tufts 

 of slightly glaucous green, two or three inches high, and with 

 oblong or obovate leaves. In April the flowers commence to 

 open, and in May the plants are studded with yellow, alpine- 

 wallflower-like blooms, sweet-scented, and produced abundantly 

 on healthy specimens. The beautiful stellate hairs which are 

 produced so freely by this family are large enough on this kind to 

 be seen by the naked eye. It is a native of many mountainous 

 parts of Europe, on hills and low mountain ranges, chiefly in 

 sunny positions and on calcareous formations. I have grovm 

 it well on cold heavy soil, but it is almost certain to perish on 

 such during winter. To succeed perfectly with it, it is desirable 

 to place it on the rockwork in good sandy soil, or in some 

 slightly elevated position, and so situated it will prove a beau- 

 tiful ornament, especially when it grows into large cushions, 

 on one side perhaps falling over the edge of a rock ; readily 

 increased by division, cuttings, or seeds, though it does not often 

 seed freely with us. 



ALYSStTM SAXATILE.— i?(?i:/5r A. 



The most valuable of the yellow flowers of spring. It is 

 perfectly hardy in all parts of these islands, and the extreme 

 brilliancy and profusion of its masses of bloom, combined with 

 its capacity for growing in any soil or enduring any ill-treatment, 

 have made it one of the most popular of garden plants. It is 

 most frequently grown in half-shady places, under trees and 

 shrubs, and where it has little chance of becoming fairly de- 

 veloped or showing its full flush of bloom ; but it, like most 

 rock plants, should be fully exposed. It is well fitted for the 

 decoration of the garden of spring bedding plants, the mixed 



