Part II. GENTIANA. 219 



GENTIANA BAVARICA. — Bavarian Gentian. 



In size and flower this species resembles the vernal Gentian, but 

 is very readily known from that by its smaller box-like leaves of 

 a yellowish-green tone, and by all its tiny stems being thickly 

 clothed with foliage, forming close, dense little tufts, from which 

 spring flowers of the deepest and most brilliant blue, which, as 

 the observer gazes at it in admiration, seems occasionally flushed 

 with a slight tinge of deep, rich, purplish crimson ; but he can- 

 not define the hue — it is too subtle for description. The 

 flower is even a shade more lovely than that of G. verna. 

 The plant is a native of the high Alps of Europe, and in 1868 

 r saw it in great abundance near the monastery of the Simplon. 

 G. verna occurs in the same place abundantly ; but, while it is 

 found on dry ground, or ground not overflowed by water, G. ba- 

 varica is seen in perfection in spongy boggy spots, where some 

 diminutive rill has left its course and spread out over the grass, 

 not covering it, but saturating it so that, when you walk upon 

 it, the water bubbles up around. There can be no doubt 

 that we must imitate these conditions as far as possible if we 

 desire to succeed with the plant in England. The best thing to 

 do with it is to plant it near the margin of a rill that falls from 

 a rockwork, taking care to let no Carices, Couch-grass, Cotton- 

 grass, or other strong-growing subjects get near the spot, or they 

 would soon cover and destroy the plant. It may also be grown 

 in pots, plunged in coal ashes or sand during the summer ; 

 sandy loam to be the soil used ; the plants to have repeated and 

 abundant waterings from early spring till the heavy autumnal 

 rains set in, or to be placed standing half plunged in water. In 

 all cases it. must have free exposure to light. To try to esta- 

 blish it in such positions as it is found in naturally will prove 

 an interesting experiment for those having opportunities of 

 doing so. 



GENTIANA PNEUMONANTHE.— .^arjA Gentian. 



A British perennial, scarcely less beautiful than any alpine 

 Gentian, with tubular flowers, an inch and a half or more long, 

 of a beautiful blue within, with five greenish belts without, the 

 lobes of the mouth short and spreading ; the flowers arranged 

 in opposite pairs in the axils of the upper leaves, and on stems 



