66 ALPINES AND BOG-PLANTS 



magentas. But the Aethionemas are really bright and 

 lovely in their flowers, while their leaves are, for the 

 most part, of a glaucous blue, which makes a dainty con- 

 trast. Their habit is that of wiry, rather untidy little 

 flopping bushes, carrying goodly spikes of bloom along 

 the end of every twig. A strong generic likeness holds 

 them all together, and their requirements are all the 

 same, although there are now many recognised and a few 

 unrecognised species. 



I grow Aethionemas under the following names : — 

 grandifiorum, coridifolium, thomasianum (a rare annual, 

 quaint, but not very pretty) diastrophis, creticum, ar- 

 menum, iberideum, and persicum. Grandifiorum is far 

 and away the best of the bigger species, and armenum, I 

 think, of the smaller. As tor jucundum, that also I seem 

 to be growing well, and so far, in spite of Nicholson, 

 it looks a different thing from coridifolhim (if, indeed, 

 Aethionema jucundum be not yet another synonym for 

 Iberis jucunda, which is declared identical with Aethionema 

 coridifolium!) But, as a matter of fact, there is a great deal 

 of confusion among the Aethionemas, and nurserymen are 

 far too careless about the naming of the stuff they send out. 



Against the whole race must be set the disadvantage 

 that their hardiness is not absolutely above suspicion. 

 A cold winter will not do them much harm, but a wet one 

 kills them dead with me, unless they are planted high up 

 on an exposed point, with very quick, perfect drainage. 

 Grandifiorum, I think, is the only species which I can 

 pronounce perfectly faithful and trustworthy. Damp 

 winters have at one time or another forced me to replace 

 all the others; and last winter killed me off armenum, 

 which I loved. It made a little furry-looking grey bush, 

 out of a cranny ; and I thought it was safe. But no, the 

 winds blew and the rain came down, and Aethionema 

 anmnum departed from such a soaking world. All the 



