220 ALPINE FLOWERS. Part 11. 



six inches to a foot high ; the upper leaves nearly linear, the 

 lower ones shorter and broader, aU obtuse and rather thick. A 

 native of boggy heaths and moist pastures, and in cultivation 

 requiring moist peat or boggy soil. It is not recorded from 

 Scotland or Ireland, though not difficult to obtain in some parts 

 of England. Few plants are more worthy of a place on the 

 rockwork or in the artificial bog. Increased by careful division. 



GENTIANA PYRENAIOA. — Pyrenean Gentian. 



Somewhat like the vernal Gentian in stature and size, but with 

 imbricated narrow and sharp-pointed leaves and dark-violet 

 almost stalkless flowers, the flat portion or limb of the flower 

 being formed of five oval lobes, with a triangular appendage 

 between each nearly as long as the lobes. It requires much 

 the same treatment as G. vernaj flowers in early summer. It 

 is well worthy of a place in the choice rock-garden, though not 

 of quite such a vivid hue as G. bavarica or G. verna. 



GENTIANA SEPTEMFIDA.— Cr«jferf Gentian. 



A LOVELY plant, bearing on stems six to twelve inches high 

 flowers in clusters, cylindrical, widening towards the mouth, of a 

 beautiful blue and white inside, greenish brown outside, having 

 between each of the larger segments of the flowers one smaller 

 and finely cut. A native of the Caucasus, and one of the most 

 desirable species for cultivation on the rockwork, thriving best 

 in moist sandy peat, and increased by division. 



GENTIANA VERNA.— F^r^^a/ Gentian. 



Very rarely seen in good health in gardens, but known to many 

 as the type of all that is beautiful in alpine vegetation. It covers 

 the ground with rosettes of small leathery leaves, often spreading 

 into tufts from three to five inches in diameter, and producing in 

 spring flowers that even the botanist calls " beautiful bright blue," 

 though botanical books are usually above taking any notice of 

 colour at all. Sometimes the blooms barely rise above the leaves, 

 and at other times are borne on stems two or three inches high. 

 A few things are essential to success in its cultivation, and far 

 from difficult to secure. They are good, deep, sandy loam on a 

 level spot on rockwork, perfect .drainage, abundance of water 



