102 ALPINE FLOWERS. Part II. 



fresh surface them with the same compost, or in alternate years 

 they may only have a dressing on the surface of well-decayed 

 leaves or cow manure. During summer, or indeed after April, 

 the glass is removed, and they are shghtly shaded with larch-fir 

 boughs (cut before the leaves expand) laid over thenij to shelter 

 from the extreme heat of the sun. As soon as they begin to 

 appear in the autumn, gradually take these off, and do not use 

 the glass until severe weather sets in — at all times, both day and 

 night, admitting air at both back and front, and in fine weather 

 draw the lights off, remembering that the plants are perfectly 

 hardy, and soon injured if kept too close. They do not like fre- 

 quent removal. C. coum album is a variety raised by Mr. Atkins, 

 of Painswick, which received a first-class certificate from the 

 Royal Hort. Soc. i868. It has the dark plain foliage of coum, 

 with flowers white, and dark mouth ; hardy ; same treatment as 

 coum. It is a very distinct and interesting variety, well worthy 

 of culture. C. Atkinsii, a hybrid of the coum section, raised 

 by Mr. Atkins, has larger flowers, white, with dark mouth, and 

 nearly round or ovoid leaves, variously marked. 



C. "vertium of Sweet is considered by many as only a variety 

 of coum, and for it I would suggest the name of C. coum, var. 

 zonule (from its marked foliage). I was for a long time un- 

 willing to give it up as a distinct species, but now doubt there 

 being sufficient permanent specific distinction to warrant its 

 being retained as such, especially after seeing the many forms 

 and hues the leaves of other species of this genus assume. 

 Though this, as well as C. coum, retains its peculiarities as to 

 markings very correctly from seed, so do some undoubted varie- 

 ties of other species of Cyclamen. In Loddiges' 'Bot. Cab.' 

 t. 108, some years previous to Sweet's pubhcation, it is well 

 figured as C. coum. There are specimens in various herbariums 

 of this form under the nalme of C. vernum (Sweet), mostly from 

 Iberia and Tiflis. 



CYCLAMEN IBERICTJM.— /^^rza« C. 



This also belongs to the coum section. I fear the original type 

 of the species as first imported into this country is lost ; the 

 greater portion now sold as such are hybrids of the Atkinsii 

 group. There is some obscurity respecting the authority for 

 this, species and its native country ; but there are specimens 



