COKTUSA 



PRIMROSE ORDER 



DODECATHEON 625 



heart-shaped obtuse, 7-9-lobed, toothed. 

 Scape slender with flowers in umbels. 

 Calyx bell-shaped, deeply 5-lobed. Co- 

 rolla hypogynous funnel- or bell-shaped ; 

 tube short, throat naked ; lobes 5, spread- 

 ing, obtuse, imbricate. Stamens 5, at- 

 tached to the base of the coroUa. Ovary 

 superior, free, ovoid. Capsule ovoid, 

 many-seeded. 



C. Matthioli. — A pretty Swiss alpine 

 perennial resembling Primula cortusoides- 

 in the foliage by means of the roundish, 

 irregularly toothed and lobed leaves. 

 Flowers in early summer, deep purple- 

 crimson, on stems 9-15 in. high, drooping, 

 in loose umbels. The variety gromdijlora 

 from Siberia is a more vigorous plant vidth 

 larger leaves and flowers. 



Culture and Propagation. — Cortusas 

 flourish in moist sandy loam and peat, in 

 shady and rather sheltered spots in the 

 rockery or border. They may be raised 

 from seeds sown in a cold frame, as soon 

 as ripe, or in spring ; and may also be 

 increased by carefully dividing the roots 

 in spring or early autumn. Plants raised 

 from seed are on the whole more satis- 

 factory than the divided portions, and as 

 the seeds germinate freely there is little 

 trouble in securing a large number of 

 plants by this means. It is safer to winter 

 seedlings in cold frames and plant them 

 out in mild weather in spring. 



C. pubens. — A native of Transylvania 

 and smaller than C. Matthioli. Leaves 

 stalked and covered with a short silky 

 down. Flowers in May and June, droop- 

 ing, magenta-purple on slender stalks, 

 4-6 in. high. 



Culture do. as above for C. Matthioli. 



SOLDANELLA (Moonwokt). — A 

 genus containing 3 or 4 species of pretty 

 smooth scapigerous herbs with a short 

 perennial rootstock. Leaves long-stalked, 

 fleshy, roundish heart-shaped or kidney- 

 shaped, entire. Scapes slender, solitary 

 or few, one or more flowered. Flowers 

 nodding, blue, violet, or rose, rarely white. 

 Calyx 5-parted, with persistent lance- 

 shaped segments. Corolla hypogynous 

 funnel- or bell-shaped, with 5 lobes, each 

 cut into several linear segments. Ovary 

 free, ovoid. Capsule conically oblong, 

 with a long beaked lid. 



Culture and Propagation. — These 

 charming little plants flourish in moist 

 sandy loam and peat in parts of the 

 rock garden where they will not be over- 



crowded by larger plants. They may be 

 increased by seeds sown in sandy peat in 

 spring, or in autumn and kept in a cold 

 frame until spring. The plants may also 

 be carefully divided in early autumn or 

 spring. By growing in pots in cold 

 frames, the plants will flower earlier than 

 those grown outside, but they are apt to 

 become starved and miserable under pot 

 culture, and less able to stand dividing. 



S. alpina {Blue Moonwort). — A grace- 

 ftil Tyrolese and Swiss alpine, l-i. in. 

 high, with roundish kidney-shaped entire 

 leathery leaves and reddish downy stems. 

 Flowers in April, nodding, violet or vivid 

 blue, bell-shaped, with 5 finely fringed 

 reflexed lobes. The variety Wheeleri is 

 more free-flowering than the type. 



Culture So. as above. 



S. minima. — A tiny native of the Swiss, 

 Tyrolese, and Carinthian Alps, less than 

 2 in. high, with downy steins and roundish 

 leaves. Flowers in April, solitary, dark 

 lilac, streaked with lilac inside. 



Culture dc. as above. 



S. montana. — A native of the Pyrenees, 

 about 3 in. high, resembling S. alpina, 

 but larger in all its parts. Leaves 

 almost round, loosely and remotely 

 crenate. Flowers in April, purple, cut to 

 the middle, 2-4 on a scape, with some- 

 what downy pedicels. 



Culture dc. as above. 



S. pusilla (S. Clusij. — A beautiful 

 alpine about 2 in. high, native of the 

 Dauphiny Alps and Pyrenees. Leaves 

 heart-shaped reniform, slightly wavy on 

 the margins. Flowers in April, blue or 

 deep mauve, bell-shaped, with a prettily 

 notched edge, one, rarely two on a scape. 



A natural hybrid between this species 

 and S. alpina has been noted. 



Culture dc. as above. 



DODECATHEON (Amekican Cow- 

 slip ; Shooting Stars). — A genus con- 

 taining a few species of very smooth 

 scapigerous herbs with a short perennial 

 rootstock. Leaves ovate or oblong, blunt, 

 entire, or sinuate-crenate, with a broad 

 stalk. Scapes elongated, solitary. Flowers 

 in umbels, slenderly stalked, nodding, 

 white, rose, or purple, lobes sometimes 

 laeiniated. Calyx deeply 5-lobed. Corolla 

 hypogynous, with a very short tube, 

 thickened at the throat ; limb with 5 

 reflexed, imbricated segments. Stamens 

 5, attached to the throat of the corolla ; 



