STEEPTANTHUS 



WALLFLOWER OBDEB 



LUNAEIA 207 



a hotbed like other annuals (see p. 78). 

 They may also be sown in autumn as 

 soon as ripe, and in cold parts of the 

 kingdom protected in a cold frame during 

 the winter months. 



S. hyacinthoides. — A simple stemmed 

 or branching plant 2-3 ft. high, from 

 N.W. America, having unstalked clasp- 

 ing, oblong-linear pointed leaves. The 

 deep bluish-purple flowers appear in 

 autumn, having lance-shaped pointed 

 sepals, and spoon-shaped linear petals, 

 with a reflexed Umb. 



Culture etc. as above. 



S. maculatus. — A native of the same 

 region as the preceding, and 18 in. or 

 more high. Leaves oval oblong, 3-6 in. 

 long, glaucous, somewhat acute, the 

 upper ones having long and blunt lobes 

 clasping the stem. The showy deep 

 Velvety purple flowers, with purplish 

 sepals, appear late in summer, the stalk- 

 lets of each flower being 3-4 in. long. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



CARDAMINE (Lady's Smock; 

 Cuckoo-Flowbr). — A genus of some 

 60 species of smooth herbs varying a 

 good deal in habit, and not much culti- 

 vated. The leaves are stalked, entire, 

 lobed or phmately cut, differing greatly 

 on the same plant. 



Culture cmd Propagation. — These 

 plants thrive in damp shady situations 

 in any soil, and are easily increased by 

 dividing the roots after flowering, and 

 also by sowing the seeds in the open 

 border as soon as ripe. They may be used 

 in borders, rockeries, banks &c. The 

 following are a few of the best kinds : — 



C. asarifolia. — A native of S. Prance 

 and N. Italy, 12-18 in. high, with smooth, 

 stalked, roundish heart-shaped leaves, 

 somewhat sinuately toothed. Flowers in 

 early summer, in close racemes, white. 



Culture do. as above. 



C. pratensis {Cuckoo Flower). — This 

 is perhaps one of the most common wild 

 flowers of our damp meadows, its pale 

 purple or white flowers appearing early 

 in spring. It is too common to need 

 cultivation in the flower garden proper, 

 but its double-flowered variety (fiore 

 plena) is woith growing in the border. 



Culture dc. as above. As the double 

 variety does not usually produce any 

 seeds it must of necessity be increased by 

 division in spring. Cuttings of the shoots 



may also be rooted in light rich soil in 

 a shaded part of the border during the 

 summer months. 



C. rhomboidea. — A tuberous species 

 from the United States ; the lowest leaves 

 are round, and rather heart-shaped, pass- 

 ing upwards into ovate or rhomboid- 

 oblong, and almost lance-shaped, all 

 somewhat angled and sparingly toothed. 

 Flowers large, white, appearing in spring. 

 The variety pu/rpurea has rosy-purple 

 flowers appearing earlier than those of 

 the type. 



Culture So. as above. 



C. rotundifolia. — A plant found wild 

 on the mountaius of Pennsylvania, about 

 6 in. high, with procumbent stems. 

 Leaves smooth, roundish, slightly toothed, 

 stalked. Flowers in early summer, white 

 small, in a terminal raceme. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



C. trifolia. — A dwarf plant 3-6 in, 

 high, with creeping runners, native of the 

 mountains of Central Europe. Leaves 

 smooth, temate, vnth rhomboid-roundish 

 toothed leaflets. Flowers in spring, white, 

 in a terminal cluster. 



Culture dc. as above. 



LEAVENWORTH I A. — A small 

 genus of dwarf and pretty annuals with 

 lyrate-pinnatifid leaves, and flowers either 

 solitary on scapes or in loose racemes. 



L. Michauxii. — A native of the 

 United States, 3 in. high, with leaves in 

 tufts, and rosy-lilac flowers with a yellow 

 eye, produced in June. L. aurea is a 

 yellow-flowered variety worth growing. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 species may be treated as a half-hardy 

 annual, betag raised from seeds in the 

 usual way in gentle heat in spring, after- 

 wards transferring the young plants to 

 the open ground at the end of May or 

 beginning of June. 



LUNARIA (Honesty; Pbtek's 

 Pence). — A genus containing 2 species 

 of annual, biennial or perennial herbs, 

 with stalked, entire, heart-shaped leaves 

 and rather large flowers in erect terminal 

 racemes. 



L. annua [L. biennis). — This charming 

 plant is well known in gardens. It is a 

 native of N. Europe, and about 2-3 ft. 

 high, with deep green heart-shaped 

 and irregularly toothed leaves, and ra- 

 cemes of beautifal scentless violet-lilac 



