210 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS alyssum 



oblanceolate and linear spoon-shaped, of 

 a beautiful silvery colour. Flowers in 

 August, yellow, in dense racemes. 



Culture dc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds or cuttings. 



V. gracilis. — An annual species, 6 in. 

 high, native of Texas. The thread-like 

 rigid and slightly rough stems have 

 lance -shaped entire or slightly angled 

 leaves, the lower ones stalked, more or 

 less spoon-shaped. Flowers in June, 

 yellow, with spreading obcordate and 

 nearly sesaUe petals. 



Culture dec. as above. Increased by 



V. graeca (AT/yssumi utriculatv/m). — 

 A perennial plant from Greece. Leaves 

 of the sterile branches thick, oblong, 

 spoon-shaped, slightly acute ; those of the 

 fertile stems stalkless, erect, acute, with 

 hairy and often slightly tootlaed margins. 

 Flowers in summer, yellow. 



Culture Sc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds and cuttings. 



V. grandiflora. — A downy annual from 

 Texas, 1 ft. high, with erect flexuose stems. 

 Lower leaves stalked, more or less 

 lyrately pinnatifid, the upper ones stalk- 

 less, sinuate-toothed. Flowers in July, 

 large, yellow, with rounded spreading 

 shortly clawed petals. 



Culture Sc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds. 



V. utriculata. — A perennial from S. 

 Europe, 1 ft. high, having oblong, entire, 

 smooth leaves, the lower ones with hairy 

 edges and somewhat spoon-shaped. 

 Flowers from April to June, yellow, 

 closely resembling those of the Wall- 

 flower ; calyx bisaccate at the base. 



Culture d-c. as above. Increased by 

 seeds and cuttings. 



ALYSSUM (Madwoet). — A genus 

 containing about 80 or 90 species of 

 annuals or dwarf branching shrubby 

 perennials often covered with hoary 

 stellate hairs. Leaves sparse, or tufted 

 at the base, entire, often linear. Racemes 

 without bracts. Flowers white or yellow, 

 often inconspicuous. 



Culture and Propagation. — The Mad- 

 worts are most effective as rook plants 

 or in front of other plants in the mixed 

 border. They grow freely in ordinary 

 well-drained soil, and are increased by 

 cuttings during the summer months in a 

 shaded border; division of the roots in 



autumn or spring ; or by seed sown out 

 of doors in April and May, or indoors in 

 gentle heat earlier in spring. The seed- 

 lings are pricked off and are usually ready 

 for transplanting to their permanent 

 positions about September or spring. 



The following are some of the kinds 

 most frequently met with : — 



A. alpestre. — A pretty greyish-look- 

 ing perennial 3 in. or more high, from 

 South Europe, with ovate hoary leaves, 

 and simple racemes of yellow flowers in 

 June. A good plant for chinks of old 

 walls. The variety ohtusifolium is 

 somewhat rare, with bluntly obovate 

 spoon-shaped leaves, silvery beneath. 



Culture dc. as above. 



A. atlanticum. — A native of S. Europe 

 6-12 in. high, with lance-shaped, hoary 

 and hairy leaves, and yellow flowers in 

 June. 



Culture dc. as above. 



A. gemonense. — A desirable Italian 

 species about 1 ft. high, vrith lanceolate, 

 entire, greyish velvety leaves, and yellow 

 flowers produced in close corymbs from 

 April to June. 



Culture dc. as above. 



A. macrocarpum. — A native of S. 

 France, less than 1 ft. high, with oblong, 

 blunt silvery leaves, and racemes of white 

 flowers in June. 



Culture dc. as above. 



A. raaritimum {Sweet Alyasum). — A 

 pretty British and European species 4-10 

 in. high with linear lance-shaped downy 

 leaves 1-1^ in. long and racemes of small 

 white sweet-scented flowers produced 

 from June to September. The variety 

 compactum is a closer growing plant 

 forming rounded tufts, and continues to 

 flower during the summer and autumn 

 months. There is also a variegated variety 

 with yellowish-white bordered leaves. 

 This rarely seeds, and in any case is best 

 increased by cuttings or division. 



Culture dc. as above. Although in 

 reality a perennial, the Sweet Alyssum is 

 frequently treated as an annual. Seeds 

 maj' be sown in either autumn or spring, 

 and the seedlings ore transplanted about 

 the end of May, or in autumn, according 

 to the season at which the seeds were 

 sown, 



A. montanum. — A spreading tufted 

 perennial 2-4 in. high, native of the Alps 

 and Pyrenees. Leaves somewhat hoary. 



