Part 11. ALYSSUM— ANDROMEDA. 127 



border, and rockwork, and also for association with the evergreen 

 Candytufts, Aubrietias, &c., for fringing shrubberies, and for hke 

 purposes. On wet ground it is better to put a few plants in an 

 elevated position and in poor soil : that is, if it be not grown 

 sn rockwork, as I have seen it perish in winter in heavy, rich 

 clays, when on the level ground. Very easily raised from seed, 

 or by cuttings. Comes from Podolia in Southern Russia, and 

 flowers with us in April or May. There is a somewhat dwarfer 

 variety, distinguished by the name of A. saxatile compactum, 

 Jjut it differs very little from the old plant. 



ALYSSXIM SPINOSUM.— ■y/z«J' A. 



The flowers of this are small and in no sense ornamental, but 

 the plant forms such a distinct-looking, silvery, neat, and pretty 

 little bush on any kind of soil, that I think it has quite as good 

 a right to be named here as many others valued for their 

 flowers alone. Small plants quickly become Lilliputian silvery 

 bushes, three to six inches high ; when fully exposed, almost as 

 compact as moss. The leaves are covered with small stellate 

 hairs, and form interesting objects under the microscope. On 

 estabhshed plants the old branches become transformed into 

 spines : hence its specific name. It is entirely distinct in ap- 

 pearance from anything else in cultivation, and merits a 

 place on some not over-valued spot on rockwork. It may also 

 be used as a permanent edging plant, and should find a place in 

 all collections of silvery-leaved plants. It is readily increased 

 from cuttings, and comes from Southern Europe. 



ANDROMEDA FASTIGIATA. — Himalayan A. 



A REMARKABLY neat little shrub, with the branches closely over- 

 lapped along the stems, so as to make them square like those 

 oi A.ffetragona, but distinguished from that plant by the leaves 

 having a white, thin, chaffy margin terminating in a small point, 

 and also a deep and broad keel. It is also larger in all its parts. 

 The flowers, of a waxy white, produced at the top of each little 

 branchlet, are turned down bell-fashion ; the reddish - brown 

 calyx spreads half-way down the waxy flowers. This, one of the 

 most rare and beautiful plants that we have obtained from the 

 Himalayas, is, happily, not so difficult to grow as the mossy 

 Andromeda, though it requires care. It has been successfully 



