Part II. THYMUS— TRIENTALIS. 347 



of Arabis albida, but a little larger, and of a pure paper-white, 

 appearing early in March. It is worth growing with the earlier, 

 hardier, and more vigorous spring flowers such as the Aubrietias 

 and yellow Alyssum, and is more ornamental than either Arabis 

 procurrens or A, alpina, though not nearly so much known or 

 grown. It comes from the Caucasian and Iberian mountains, 

 and is easily increased by division. Being an early, vigorous, 

 and showy plant, it is well suited for rough rockwork, or for 

 naturalisation in rocky places and by wood walks. 



THYMUS LANUGINbSTJS.— Z)(?w»y Thyme. 



Of the various sorts of Thyme, this is, I am inclined to think, 

 the most worthy of cultivation. It is usually considered a very 

 woolly variety of T. Serpyllum, our common British Thyme, 

 but, placed under the same conditions, it is a far more orna- 

 mental plant, pleasing at all seasons, and forming wide cushions 

 in any soil, provided it be thoroughly exposed to the sun. Few 

 plants are more suited for the most arid parts of rockwork, 

 and for those in which, from various causes, many other plants 

 will not thrive, though it spreads so quickly into wide dense 

 cushions that it ought not to be placed near any delicate or 

 very minute alpiiie plants. 



Various other kinds of Thyme are worthy of a place on the 

 dry arid slopes of the large rock-garden and on old ruins, but 

 space forbids any more than the enumeration of them here. 

 The minute, creeping, and strongly peppermint-scented Thymus 

 corsicus, with flowers so small that they are almost invisible, 

 should be planted on every rockwork, where -it will soon become 

 one of the welcome weeds. There is a neatly variegated form 

 of the common garden Thyme, which makes a pretty tufted 

 bush, and many subjects are grown and sold in collections of 

 alpine plants not having half the merits of the Lemon Thyme 

 as rock-plants. Other species or reputed species in cultivation 

 are — T. asoricus, asureus, bracteosus, Zygis, and thuriferus. 



TRIENTALIS ■^\5-&0'?M\S%.—Starflower. 



A DELICATE and graceful inhabitant of shady, woody, and 

 mossy places, with erect slender stems, rarely more than six 



