204 PBAGTIGAL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS chbieanthus 



leaves, and beautiful purple flowers in 

 April and May. 



Culture Ac. as above. 



P. nudicaulis. — A pretty little rock 

 plant from the Arctic regions. Leaves 

 elliptic oblong, acute, entire or toothed, 

 2-3 in. long. Flowers in April and May, 

 1 in. across, with oboordate petals. 



Culture t£c. as above. 



CHEIRANTHUS (Wallflowbk).— 

 A genus of biennial or perennial herbs or 

 undershrubs with oblong or linear, entire 

 or toothed leaves. Flowers rather large, 

 racemose, without bracts, yellow or pur- 

 ple, having erect sepals, the latter ones 

 saccate at the base, and long-clawed 

 petals. The long seed pods are more or 

 less 4-angled, or winged, or compressed. 



; C. asper (C. cwpitatus). — A somewhat 

 tlSider Californian species with linear 

 lance-shaped more or less toothed or 

 entire leaves, tapering towards the base 

 and covered with close-pressed hairs. 

 The rather large yellow flowers appear in 

 dense corymbs in June. 



Culture and, Propagation. — This 

 species requires a rich loamy soil and 

 warm sheltered positions. It may be 

 increased in summer by cuttings of the 

 young and non-flowering side-shoots, 

 which shoidd be put under a hand glass 

 and kept in a cold frame or greenhouse 

 during the winter. Seeds may also be 

 sown when ripe in cold frames, and the 

 seedlings are safer protected in severe 

 winters. In spring they may be planted 

 out. 



C. Cheiri {Common Wallflower). — A 

 well-known sub-shrubby plant distributed 

 over Central and N. Europe, and reaching 

 a height of 1 or 2 ft. The smooth or 

 sUghtly hairy leaves are 2-3 in. long, 

 lance-shaped, quite entire, on more or 

 less angled stems. The fragrant flowers 

 are about 1 in. across, and orange-yellow 

 in a wild state, but various shades of red, 

 purple or brown in cultivated forms. 



The Wallflower is a beautiful old 

 garden plant, and gives a peculiar charm 

 to old walls, ruins, and semi-wild places, 

 on which it grows freely, and looks far 

 more picturesque than when grown in 

 rows liie Carrots or Turnips. 



There are many kinds grown and all 

 are very beautiful. Among the single- 

 flowered kinds may be mentioned the 

 ' Blood-red,' ' Harbinger," Belvoir Castle ' 



' Golden Tom Thumb,' ' Buby Gem,' 

 ' Eastern Queen ' &o. The double varieties 

 are also beautiful, with many shades of 

 yellow, pale and dull brown. 



Culture and Propagation. — The seeds 

 of Wallflowers are usually sown too late 

 in the year, the consequence often being 

 that the plants are not sufficiently hardy 

 to withstand a. severe winter, especially 

 when hard frosts succeed cold rains. Im- 

 ported seeds of both single and double 

 kinds are usually better than any saved 

 in the British Islands, as our capricious 

 seasons often interfere with the proper 

 ripening of seeds. 



Prom March to the end of May is the 

 best time for sowing so as to obtain a 

 succession of bloom. The seedlings 

 should always be transplanted to check 

 the tap-root and cause the development 

 of fibrous roots near the surface. By 

 May or June the plants should be in thefr 

 permanent quarters to give a splendid 

 display of bloom from Christmas to 

 March. 



The common custom among cottagers 

 of filling gardens in spring with plants 

 already almost in bloom is not to be 

 recommended, as the plants are too far 

 advanced to do any good, and very often 

 are little better than scarecrows. If spring 

 planting is adopted, it should be done as 

 early as possible in mild open weather, so 

 that the plants wiU make a brave show 

 until the time for summer bedding out 

 commences, that is, any time from the 

 end of May to the end of June, according 

 to season and locality. 



C. Marshalli. — This is a supposed 

 hybrid Wallflower 12-18 in. high, having 

 thelower leaves more or less spoon-shaped, 

 and the upper ones lance-shaped. The 

 deep clear orange-yellow flowers about 

 1 in. across are freely produced in spring. 



Culture and Propagation. — Some- 

 times this Wallflower does not seed 

 freely, and it must then be increased by 

 means of cuttings of the young shoots 

 inserted in light sandy soil in spring and 

 summer vinder glass, or in cold fr-ames, 

 much in the same way as recommended 

 for C. asper. 



C. Menziesi. — A Californian plant 

 6-8 in. high, somewhat tender, with 

 oblong lance-shaped downy leaves 2-4 in. 

 long, and bright purple flowers. 



Culture and Propagation. — Requires 

 the same treatment as 0. aspcr above. 



