DEABA 



WALLFLOWEB OBDEB 



HESPEEIS 213 



with hairs. Flowers in spring, yellow ; 

 scapes smooth. 



Culture dc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds and division. 



D. tridentata. — A native of the Cau- 

 casus readily recognised by its 3-toothed 

 hairy obovate leaves, narrowed at the base 

 into a stalk. Flowers in spring, golden- 

 yellow, in terminal racemes ; scapes 

 naked, smooth. This species is also 

 known as D. hispida, on acoomit of its 

 hairy leaves. 



Culture Sc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds and division. 



D. violacea. — A native of the Andes of 

 Quito, 6-12 in. high, with branching sub- 

 shrubby stems, and opposite ovate downy 

 leaves. Flowers deep violet-purple. 



Culture Sc. as above. Increased by 

 seeds and division. 



SCHIZOPETALON.— Agenus con- 

 sisting of 5 species of pretty-looking erect 

 slightly branched annual hoary herbs 

 with alternate, sinuate-toothed or pinna- 

 tifid leaves. Eacemes terminal, with 

 leafy bracts. Flowers purple or white. 

 Sepals erect, nearly equal at the base. 

 Petals clawed, pinnately lobed. 



S. Walkeri. — A curious half-hardy 

 annual, 1-2 ft. high, native of Chili. The 

 whole plant is covered with a branched 

 down, and has alternate, sinuately pinna- 

 tifid leaves, the upper ones near the flowers 

 being more or less linear and entire. 

 Flowers from May to August, white, 

 almond-scented, fringed, and borne in 

 long racemes, each pedicel having a 

 linear bract. The prettily cut petals are 

 often suffused with violet or purple be- 

 neath. 



Culture amd, Fropagation. — The seeds 

 of this plant should be sown in the open 

 in April or May in light, warm rich soil, 

 and the seedlings should be left to flower 

 during the summer and autumn where 

 sown, as they do not transplant well. 

 Cold damp shady spots should be avoided 

 for growing this interesting plant ; and to 

 obtain a good effect, the seeds should be 

 sown in fairly large patches, as thinly as 

 possible. If the plants are too thick they 

 must be thinned out. 



H.ESPERIS (Dame's Violet; 

 Eookbt). — This genus contains about 20 

 species of ornamental biennial or peren- 

 nial erect hairy herbs with ovate or 

 oblong, entire, toothed or lyrate leaves. 



Flowers rather large, in loose bractless 

 racemes, often variously coloured, some- 

 times fragrant. Sepals erect, lateral ones 

 gibbous at the base. Petals clawed. 



Cultv/re and Propagation. — The 

 Eockets thrive in a somewhat damp 

 sandy loam, and are easily reproduced 

 from seeds. These are sown in April and 

 May out of doors in light sandy soil, or 

 earlier in the year under glass in gentle 

 heat. The seedlings are pricked out when 

 large enough to handle easily, and may be 

 moved later on in autumn to their flower- 

 ing positions. The seeds may also be 

 sown as soon as ripe in cold frames, and 

 kept protected during the winter months, 

 and the seedlings may be placed out of 

 doors at the end of May. 



The plants may also be divided in 

 spring, but as this would to a certain 

 extent interfere with early flowering, the 

 plants are on the whole better divided 

 any time during August and September. 

 They should afterwards receive a good 

 soaking with water to settle the soil and 

 prevent the plants ' flagging ' or wilting 

 too much. 



H. grandiflora. — The origin of this 

 plant is unknown. The lower leaves are 

 oblong-ovate, blunt, the upper ones lance- 

 shaped. The purplish flowers appear in 

 summer in many - flowered crowded 

 racemes. 



H. matronalis {Dame's Violet or 

 Rochet ; Damask Violet ; Common 

 Bochet). — This pretty old garden plant 

 grows wild from S. "Europe to Russian 

 Asia, and is 2-3 ft. high. Leaves 2-5 in. 

 long, shortly stalked or tapering at the 

 base, more or less ovate-lance-shaped, 

 finely and irregularly toothed or serrate. 

 Flowers from May to July, f iu. across, 

 white or lilac, scented in the evening. 



The double white and purple-flowered 

 kinds (flore pleno) are much more highly 

 valued as garden plants, not only for 

 their pretty flowers, but also for their 

 delicious fragrance. 



Culture dc. as above. The seeds of 

 this plant may be sown in the chinks or 

 crevices of old walls, ruins &c., where it 

 seems to be more at home than anywhere 

 else. The double forms of the Dame's 

 Violet {H. mairoraaJis), however, are more 

 easUy increased by careftdly dividing the 

 roots, at least every alternate year, or 

 from cuttings of the young shoots inser- 

 ted in the open ground in a shady place. 



