ON ANNUALS AND BIENNIALS. 



237 



well as the leaves being hairy. P. somniferum is the Opium 

 Poppy, and produces in July variously coloured flowers from 

 white to crimson; it grows from 2|ft. to 4ft. in height, and has 

 given rise to a number of garden forms, of which the Paeony 

 flowered is very distinct, with double Paeony-like flowers, 

 having broad petals, varying in colour from white to crimson. 

 Danebrog (Victoria Cross Poppy, Fig. 128) grows from ift. to 2ft. 

 high, and has scarlet flowers with a white spot at the base of 

 each of the petals. Murselli (Mikado Poppy) is another strain 

 of P. somniferum, growing 2ft. high, and producing flowers in 

 white and scarlet. Seed 

 of these poppies may be 

 obtained in either named 

 or mixed varieties ; they 

 ought to be grown largely 

 in shrubberies, wild gar- 

 dens, and woodlands, and 

 for distant effect gene- 

 rally. 



Phacelias are showy 

 little plants with white, 

 blue, or violet flawers ; 

 they are of easy culture 

 in any ordinary garden 

 soil. P. congesta is one 

 of the best, growing 

 from gin. to i8in. high, 

 and producing numerous 

 blue flowers in dense 

 heads during June. P. 

 tanacetifolia has bluish- 

 pink flowers ; it grows to a height of 2ft, and flowers in June. 



Platystemon californicum (Californian Poppy) is a beautiful 

 plant on rockwork and in flower-borders, and is quite easily grown 

 in any ordinary garden soil ; it grows ift. high, and bears numerous 

 pale cream-coloured flowers during summer. It may be sown 

 in either spring or autumn. 



Sanvitalia procumbens is a free-flowering, trailing plant, very 

 effective for small beds, edgings, and for rockwork. It grows 

 only 6in. high, and yields its miniature Sunflower-like blossoms in 

 July. The ray-florets are of a rich yellow colour, whilst those 

 of the disk are brown. The double-flowered variety, ftore-pleno, 

 is by far the showiest, and has rich golden-yellow flowers re- 

 sembling those of a small Ranunculus. 



Saponarias (Soapworts) are dwarf hardy annuals, &c, of 

 the Pink family, very useful for beds and edgings in summer, 

 and when sown in autumn are valuable for spring gardening. 



Fig. 128. — Papaver Danebrog. 



