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PBAOTIGAL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS ionopsidium 



H. amplexicaulis. — A plant about 9 in. 

 high, with oblong, heart-shaped stem- 

 clasping entire leaves, the lower ones op- 

 posite, the upper alternate. Flowers from 

 June to September, small, varying from 

 white to purple. 



Culture dc. as above. 



H. coronopifolia. — This grows 1-2 ft. 

 high, having piunately parted leaves with 

 entire linear lobes, and bluish-violet 

 flowers from June to September. 



Culture dc. as above. 



H. pilosa. — Grows 6-12 in. high. 



Leaves hairy, lower ones lance-shaped, 

 pinnatifid, upper ones linear, entire. 

 Flowers in summer, blue. The variety 

 incisa has linear, wedge-shaped leaves, 

 trifid, rarely 5-fid at the apex, with linear 

 or pointed lobes. 



Culture dc. as above. 



VELLA (False Cytisus ; Cress 

 Eockbt). — A small genus of much- 

 branched, rigid, woody, erect, sometimes 

 spiny undershrubs, natives of Spain. 



V. Pseudo-cytisus grows 2-3 ft. high, 

 and has alternate, obovate, entire leaves, 

 and yellow flowers in early spring, the 

 long petals having dark purple claws. 



Culture cmd Propagation. — This 

 species, if grown in a dry, warm, sunny 

 border, is hardy enough to stand the 

 winter in most parts. It is increased by 

 cuttings of the young shoots placed 

 under a hand-glass during the summer 

 months. Seeds may also be sown as soon 

 as ripe in cold frames or in spring in 

 gentle heat, and the young plants may be 

 placed in the open ground about the end 

 of May. 



V. spinosa. — A much-branched spiny 

 shrub 6-8 in. high, native of the Spanish 

 mountains. The lower leaves are fleshy, 

 and more or less lance-shaped, the upper 

 ones liaear with slender spines in the 

 axils. The yellow flowers appear in 

 early summer, and have long-clawed 

 obovate spoon-shaped petals veined and 

 netted with violet or purple. 



Culture dc. as above. This species is 

 very rarely seen, even in botanic gardens, 

 but it makes a good rook plant in warm 

 sheltered positions. Another species 

 sometimes seen is V. anmua — a mere 

 annual weed not worth growing. 



IONOPSIDIUM (Violet Ceess) 



A genus of 2 species of small, smooth 

 annual herbs, with stalked or unstalked. 



spoon-shaped or rounded, entire or 3-lobed 

 leaves. Flowers small, violet, white or 

 flesh-coloured. 



I. acaule. — A charming little plant 

 rarely exceeding 2 in. high, native of 

 Portugal and North Africa, and covered 

 all over during the summer and autumn 

 with lilao, or white tinged with violet 

 flowers. These emit a sweet honey-like 

 fragrance and are borne on slender stalks 

 which issue from the axils of the small 

 roundish leaves. There is a variety with 

 pure white flowers. 



Culture and Propagation. — This little 

 annual flourishes on rockeries or rough 

 places in ordinary soil, and in somewhat 

 shady positions, where it frequently repro- 

 duces itself annually from self-sown seeds. 

 Grown in pots or small shallow pans it is 

 also very effective as a window plant. 

 Seeds may be sown at intervals of 2 to 3 

 weeks in the open border from the end of 

 March to the end of September to secure 

 a succession of flower. Under favourable 

 circumstances this plant comes into blos- 

 som about 8 or 10 weeks, more or less, 

 after the seeds have been sown. 



BIVON.^A. — A genus with only one 

 species here described. 



B. lutea. — A pretty little annual, native 

 of Sicily, 8-6 in. high, with thread-like, 

 sparingly branched stems. Leaves alter- 

 nate, lower ones stalked, the others with- 

 out stalks, heart-shaped, stem-clasping at 

 the base, ovate, toothed, rather blunt. 

 The small yellow flowers appear in April 

 on terminal racemes, elongating as they 

 grow. Pedicels thread-like, bractless. 



Culture amd Propagation. — This 

 species thrives in dry sandy soil, and may 

 be raised in spring from seeds sown in the 

 open border where the plants are to bloom. 

 If too thick, the seedlings may be thinned 

 out so that the remaining plants will have 

 suflicient space to develop properly. It is 

 suitable for rockeries, the edges of borders 

 &c. 



.SITHIONEMA.— A genus of pretty 

 annual or perennial smooth herbaceous 

 plants or undershrubs, with round stems 

 and slender branches. Leaves without 

 stalks, glaucous, the lower ones sometimes 

 opposite. Flowers small, racemose, clus- 

 tered, fleshy or purple ; pedicels slender, 

 bractless. The 4 larger stamens are 

 winged, or prolonged into a tooth. 



Culture a/iid Propagatioii. — These 

 plants grow freely in wdl-drained sandy 



