194 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS 



MBCONOPSIS 



M. cambrica (Welsh Poppy). — A 

 beautiful nativfe perennial about 1-2 ft. 

 high, with pale green stalked and pinnate 

 leaves, having toothed lobes. The erect 

 pale yellow flowers (drooping in bud) are 

 borne on long stalks from May to August, 

 each one being 2-3 in. across. 



Culture da. as above. The Welsh 

 Poppy grows freely almost anywhere, and 

 is perhaps moat suitable for semi-wild 

 places, on old walls, ruins &c. Where it 

 flourishes it may be left to take care of 

 itself, as seedlings wUl come up naturally 

 and replace the older plants as they die 

 out. 



M. heterophylla. — A beautiful Cali- 

 fornian annual 12-18 in. high, remarkable 

 for its handsome coppery orange-coloured 

 flowers with a purple-black centre. They 

 are produced freely in June, each blossom 

 being about 1^ in. across, and with a 

 delicious scent somewhat resembling that 

 of LUy of the Valley. The flowers are 

 not nearly so fleeting as those of other 

 plants in this order, as they last a good 

 time in water, especially if cut before 

 they fully expand. 



Culture do. as above. 



M. nepalensis. — ^A lovely free-flower- 

 ing biennial from the Himalayas. It 

 grows 3-5 ft. high, and has pale golden- 

 yellow nodding flowers, 2-4 in. across. 



Culture dc. as above. Raised from 

 seeds sown under glass as soon as ripe. 

 The seedlings are planted out in spring. 

 They like warm sunny spots. 



M. quintuplinervia. — A dwarf-growing 

 compact herb 6-12 in. high, native of 

 Manchuria, and but little known yet in 

 British gardens. The long-stalked lance- 

 shaped leaves are all radical and 5-nerved, 

 ihe green surface being covered with 

 reddish hairs. The violet or purple cup- 

 shaped flowers about 1^ in. across appear 

 in summer on hairy scapes, and have 4 

 rhomboid ovate petals with numerous 

 stamens in the centre, the iimer ones 

 being twice as long as the outer ones. 



Culture dc. as above. 



M. simplicifolia. — A biennial from 

 Nepal, about 3 ft. high, with tufted lance- 

 shaped slightly toothed leaves, 8-5 in. long, 

 covered with a dense brownish pubescence. 

 The violet-purple flowers, 2-3 in. across, 

 are produced in summer at the ends of 

 unbranched stalks. 



Culture dc. as above. To keep up 



a supply of this species a stock of plants 

 should be raised from seeds sown under 

 glass as soon as ripe every year. The 

 seedlings are planted out in spring in 

 warm sunny spots and rich moist and 

 gritty sou. 



M. Wallichi. — Perhaps the hand- 

 somest species of the genus. It is a per- 

 ennial from the Himalayas, about 4-6 ft. 

 high, with hairy pinnatifld leaves 12-15 

 in. long. The drooping pale blue flowers, 

 about 2-3 in. across, are borne in June 

 and July on erect pyramidal stems, the 

 upper ones opening as soon as the lower 

 ones begin to wither. 



The variety fusco-purpurea is an 

 effective and ornamental variety with 

 brownish-purple flowers 2-3 in. across. 



Culture dc. as above. Increased by 

 seed and division. Although really a 

 perennial, this flne species should be 

 raised from seeds every year, sown either 

 as soon as ripe in cold frames, or in 

 spring, so that the stock may not die out. 

 Many plants flower the second year from 

 the date of sovnng the seeds, but others 

 do not flower for 3 or 4 years after, and 

 then the plants usually die. Hence the 

 necessity for raising fresh plants from 

 seed regularly. 



CATHCARTIA.— A genus with only 

 one species, described below : — 



C. villosa. — A beautiful biennial or 

 perennial about 1 ft. high, from the 

 Sikkim Himalayas, and somewhat re- 

 sembHng the Welsh Poppy. The stems 

 and vine -shaped leaves are covered with 

 tawny hairs, and yield a yellow juice. 

 The rich yellow flowers are borne on long 

 stalks in June, and have 2 sepals, 4 petals, 

 and many stamens with conspicuous 

 brown anthers. 



Culture and Propagation. — The plants 

 thrive in shady damp sheltered spots, and 

 may be increased by seeds which are pro- 

 duced freely. They may be sown as soon 

 as ripe in cold frames, or in spring in 

 gentle heat, so that the plants may be 

 ready for the open border in May. 



STYLOPHORUM.— Agenusconsist- 

 ing of three or four species of herbs with 

 perennial rootstooks and yellow juice. 

 Lower leaves pinnately cut or absent ; 

 upper ones few, alternate, or the floral 

 ones nearly opposite, lobed or out. 

 Flowers yeUow or red, on long staUis, 

 solitary or somewhat fascicled, nodding 



