Part II. DIELYTRA. 199 



rounded tufts, with narrow closely packed spoon-shaped leaves, 

 and solitary white flowers with yellow stamens, about half an 

 inch across, the whole plant being often under two inches high. 

 A native of Northern Europe and North America, on high moun- 

 tains or in arctic latitudes, flowering in summer, and probably 

 most easily increased from seed, though as yet the plant has 

 been so little grown that much cannot be said on this subject. 



DIELYTEA EXIMIA.— /"/z^wzy D. 



An elegant plant, much longer in cultivation than D. spectabilis, 

 but far less popular, though well deserving of extensive culti- 

 vation ; its leaves, much divided into oblong strips, form grace- 

 ful, somewhat fern-like tufts, in good soil, usually a foot or more 

 high. It freely bears pretty reddish-purple flowers in racemes 

 in early summer, and continuously if the soil be generous, and, 

 like Thalictruin minus, it may be used in borders or on rock- 

 works with a similar object to that we have in view when placing 

 fine-foliaged plants in a conservatory, or a spray of Maidenhair 

 fern in a bouquet. A native of North America, quite hardy, and 

 easily increased by careful division. 



Dielytra formosa, also of North America, is said to differ in 

 being smaller, with the lobes of the flower longer ; but, while 

 many forms of a species, which botanists would not even dignify 

 with the name of varieties, are, in appearance and for garden 

 purposes, really distinct, these two, or the plants which pass for 

 them in this country, present no such differences, and the cul- 

 tivator who possesses D. eximia will not find a new beauty in 

 D.formpsa. 



DIELYTEA ^'S'^CSKSOJIS.— Mountain D. 



Now too well known to need description or recommendation, 

 nearly every garden in the country being embellished with its 

 singularly beautiful flowers, opening in early summer, gracefully 

 suspended in strings of a dozen or more on slender stalks, and 

 resembling rosy-crimson hearts. It is a native of China and 

 Siberia, is perfectly hardy, and unquestionably one of the hand- 

 somest and most useful plants ever introduced into this country. 

 It usually grows too large for association with the subjects to 

 which this book is devoted, but it is of such remarkable beauty 

 and grace that it may be used with the best effect near the lower 



