AEGEMONE 



POPPY OBDEB 



MECONOPSIS 193 



p. MusselU is a garden strain with 

 double flowers having fringed petals. 

 These double flowers vary a good deal in 

 colour, and may be had in' the following 

 shades : lUac, crimson, red, purple, scarlet, 

 rose &c. 



There is also a dwarf race of Opium 

 Poppies, which are somewhat shorter in 

 stature and have double flowers. The 

 variety monstrosum is extremely curious. 

 Most of the numerous stamens are 

 changed into small carpels arranged round 

 the ordinary capsule in the form of a 

 crown or fringe. This form comes true 

 from seed, but there is nothing particularly 

 handsome in it. 



Culture Sc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds sown annually. 



ARGEMONE (Peickly Poppy). — A 

 small genus of handsome branching 

 annuals and perennials, having yellow 

 juice and covered with stiff prickles. 

 Leaves stalkless, usually spotted with 

 white; recesses spiny-toothed. Flowers 

 about 4 in. across, showy white or yellow, 

 terminal. Sepals 2-3 (rarely 4), concave, 

 muoronate. Petals 4-6 (rarely 8). 

 Stamens numerous. " 



Culture and Propagation. — Prickly 

 Poppies love a warm loamy soU. They 

 may be raised from seeds sown out of 

 doors at the end of March, or earlier in 

 pans placed on a hotbed, afterwards 

 pricking out the seedlings to their flower- 

 ing quarters. 



A. albiflora. — An annual species, 

 native of G-eorgia, 1 ft. high, with feather- 

 veined, stalkless leaves, and white 

 flowers, with 3 petals, produced in July 

 and August. 



Culture dc. as above. 



A. grandiflora. — ^ A perennial 2-3 ft. 

 high from Mexico, with sinuate, smooth, 

 glaucous and spiny - toothed leaves. 

 Flowers in summer, large, somewhat 

 resembling those of Bormieya Coulteri 

 (p. 190), white with yellowish anthers. 



Cultu/re Sc. as above. Although a 

 true perennial, this species is usually 

 treated as a tender or half-hardy annual. 

 The seeds are best sown in gentle heat so as 

 to have the plants strong enough to flower 

 early. "When raised from seeds sown out- 

 side in spring, this species does not bloom 

 till late autumn, but will flower early the 

 following summer if protected. 



A. hirsuta. — A beautiful Californian 



annual about 2 ft. high, with pinnatifid 

 bristly leaves, and pure white flowers 3-5 

 in. across, borne in September. 



Culture <£c. as above. 



A. mexicana (Devil's Fig). — A Mexi- 

 can annual 2 ft. high, with hollow- 

 edged spiny leaves blotched with white 

 and very much resembling those of the 

 Milk Thistle (p. 549). The solitary yellow 

 flowers with 4-6 petals appear in June. 

 A. hispida from Colorado is similar to 

 A. mexicana but is much more hairy and 

 has yeUow flowers. A. platyceras is also 

 closely related. It has white flowers. 



Culture So. as above. Eaised from 

 seeds annually. 



A. ochroleuca. — Also a native of 

 Mexico, with prickly stems, and deeply 

 sinuated or pinnatifid glaucesoent leaves, 

 blotched with white, and having prickly 

 bristles on the nerves. The pale yellow 

 flowers with 6 petals appear in August. 



Culture Sc. as above. Eaised from 

 seeds annually. 



MECONOPSIS.— A small genus of 

 charming and pretty perennial, biennial, 

 or rarely annual herbs, with yellow juice, 

 and entire or often lobed or cut leaves. 

 Flowers showy, yellow, purple or blue, 

 on long stalks, nodding in bud. Sepals 2. 

 Petals 4. Stamens numerous. 



Culture and Propagation. — These 

 plants will grow in ordinary good garden 

 soU, and are easily raised from seeds 

 sown in spring. If raised in pans or 

 shallow boxes under protection from frost, 

 the seedlings will be strong enough to 

 plant out by the end of AprU or May, 

 or they may be grown on in pots until 

 the following spring when they will 

 naturally be much finer in growth. 

 When extra strong plants are required for 

 spring planting, the seeds may be sown in 

 cold frames or greenhouses as soon as ripe 

 and the seedlings grown on during the 

 winter. The plants Hke plenty of water 

 in summer, but should be kept dry in 

 winter, as at that period moisture at the 

 roots is almost sure to kill them. 



M. aculeata. — A beautiful biennial 

 about 2 ft. high, native of N. W. India, with 

 long-stalked, oblong, somewhat pinnate 

 leaves, and purple flowers 2 in. across, with 

 numerous yellow stamens in the centre. 

 They appear in summer and look very 

 effective in masses. 



Culture Ac. as above. Eaised from 

 sown as soon as ripe. 



