LYCHNIS 



CARNATION OBDEB 



LYCHNIS 257 



partially shaded situation in the roek 

 garden or flower border. If seeds are 

 produced they may be sown as recom- 

 mended for L. fulgens above. Failing 

 them, the plants may be divided about 

 the middle or end of September, and re- 

 planted about 9 or 12 in. apart in masses. 

 Division may also take place in spring, 

 but does not as a rule succeed so well as 

 when done in early autumn. Cuttings of 

 the young shoots may also be rooted like 

 those of Ii. fulgens. 



L. haageana. — This fine plant is 

 supposed to be a hybrid between L. ful- 

 gens and L. coronaria or L. grancUflora. 

 It has shaggy stems, 1-2 ft. high, and 

 large lance-shaped, pointed, hairy leaves 

 purple-brown beneath. Flowers in sum- 

 mer, 2 in. or more across, bright scarlet. 

 Petals broadly obovate, somewhat deeply 

 notched, and with 2 awl-shaped teeth at 

 the side. Calyx shaggy, swollen, and 

 angled. 



There are several varieties varying in 

 colour from scarlet to pure white, the 

 intermediate shades being rose, salmon, 

 pink &o. The form known as grancUflora 

 has very fine and brilliant flowers of vari- 

 ous shades, and that known as noma 

 represents a somewhat dwarfer and more 

 compact race. 



Culture cmd Propagation. — ^This is 

 undoubtedly one of the finest, most showy 

 border perennials. It flourishes in ordinary 

 good and well-drained garden soils. It 

 however prefers a mixture of peat and 

 loam, and may be massed in front of 

 Ehododendrons, Azaleas, and other Erica- 

 ceous plants. L. haageana and its varie- 

 ties may be increased by sowing seeds as 

 soon as ripe, or in spring, in the way 

 recommended for L. chalcedonica or 

 L. fulgens, and plants obtained in this 

 way present a great variety of shades of 

 colour. Any choice or rare variety how- 

 ever may be increased by division in 

 early autumn or spring, and also by means 

 of cuttings of the young shoots, in the 

 same way as recommended for L. fulgens 

 and L. gramSAflora. 



L. Lagascs (Petrocoptis pyrenaica). 

 A beautiful Pyrenean species about 3 in. 

 high. Leaves obovate or oblong, rather 

 leathery, and slightly glaucous. Flowers 

 in spring and summer,^bright rose, less 

 than 1 in. across, with a white centre. This 

 is a fine tufted plant for sunny parts of the 

 rock garden. 



Culture <tc. as for i. alpina above. 



L. oculata (Viscaria oculata). — A 

 lovely Algerian annual, 6-18 in. high, 

 forming compact and free-flowering tufts. 

 Leaves glaucous lance-shaped acute, be- 

 coming narrower up the stems. Flowers 

 in summer in great profusion, pinkish- 

 purple, the notched petals having a deep 

 purple spot at the base. Calyx suddenly 

 contracted below the middle. 



There are several desirable varieties 

 such as cardinalis, bright crimson-purple ; 

 ccerulea, bluish ; alha, white ; DunnetH, 

 rose ; splendens, scarlet ; elegans picta, 

 crimson -purple edged with white ; and 

 nana, a dwarf about 9 in. high with 

 flowers of various shades, rose, purple, and 

 white. 



Culture Sc. as above for L. Cwli-rosa. 



L. Presli. — A native of Poland, 12-18 

 in. high. Lower leaves numerous, in 

 rosettes, ovate-lance-shaped, or obovate 

 pointed, prolonged down the stem ; 

 upper leaves ovate, abruptly pointed, 

 entire, much veined, deep green. Flowers 

 in summer, purplish or carmiae-rose, 

 about 1 in. across, opening in the day- 

 time, numerously produced in forked 

 panicled clusters, and having reddish 

 bracts ; the corona in the centre is fringed, 

 satiny and rose-white ; calyx reddish, 

 much swollen. 



Culture tic. as above for L. Haageana. 



L. pyrenaica. — A Pyrenean species, 

 3-4 in. high. Leaves glaucous, leathery, 

 lower ones spoon-shaped, those of the 

 stem heart-shaped, sessile. Flowers in 

 summer, pale flesh colour, about j in. 

 across, in forked clusters. Petals slightly 

 notched ; calyx beU-shaped. 



Culture Sc. as above for L. alpina. 



L. Sieboldi. — A handsome Japanese 

 species about 1 ft. high. Leaves sessile, 

 lower ones oblong, closely set, the others 

 ovate-oblong acute, entire, soft and downy. 

 Flowers in summer, large pure white, 

 with wedge-shaped irregular slightly 

 notched petals with jagged edges. 



Culture da. as above for L. grandi- 

 flora. 



L. vespertina {L. alba). — White Cam- 

 pion. — A British and European species 

 1-3 ft. high, with swollen-jointed purplish 

 stems. Leaves connate, ovate-oblong, 

 pointed, tapering at the base, hairy, the 

 lower ones stalked, the upper ones sessile. 

 Flowers from May to August, white, 

 slightly scented in the evening. Calyx 



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