Part II. ASTRAGALUS— AUBRIETIA. 157 



a capital subject for the mixed border, in the second rank from 

 the front, and a suitable ornament for rockwork, on which it will 

 want nothing but a sufficient depth of soil to root into. A 

 native of various parts of Continental Europe and of Siberia, 

 and flowers in June. There are several varieties enumerated, 

 three of which, alpinus, violdavicus, and microphyllus, are 

 prostrate in habit, and, if introduced, would probably prove 

 valuable for rockwork, and one, major, which grows erect. The 

 plant is particularly suited for the rougher parts of rockwork, 

 and for positions where a rich effect rather than rare and 

 minute beauty is sought. There are white form? of all the 

 varieties. 



ASTRAGALUS PANNOSUS.— ^S^^a^^j/ Milk Vetch. 



A SINGULAR and attractive kind, from its very silvery and 

 woolly pinnate leaves, which, growing in compact and luxuriant 

 tufts about a span high, give the plant somewhat the appear- 

 ance of a silvery fern. Attracted by this appearance, when I 

 saw the plant in cultivation in Switzerland, I brought home 

 some seeds, from which plants have been raised by Mr. J. 

 Backhouse and Mr. W. Bull. I have not yet seen it in flower, 

 nor do I know whence it comes, but from the beauty of its leaves 

 alone it is likely to prove an excellent rock-garden plant, and 

 probably a valuable bedding and edging one. It is easily in- 

 creased by seeds. 



AXJBRIETIA TyS.TJSOTD^K— Purple A. 



A LITTLE alpine that will succeed on any soil, and never 

 fails to flower abundantly, even should the cutting winds 

 of spring shear all the verdure of the budding Weeping Willow. 

 There is hardly a position selected for a rock-plant that 

 may not be graced by this. Rockworks, ruins, stony places, 

 sloping banks, and rootwork, will suit it perfectly ; and no plant 

 is so easily established in such places, nor will any other alpine 

 plant so quickly clothe them with the desired kind of vegetation. 

 It makes a neat edging, and may be used as such with good 

 taste in any style of garden, geometrical or natural ; though, as 

 its chief period of flowering is the spring, it is not likely to be 

 used as an edging in the summer garden, except around beds or 

 clumps of neat shrubs, in which positions it would be highly 



