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PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS cyclamen 



filaments united in a tube. Ovary su- 

 perior, free, ovoid or roundish. Capsiile 

 many-seeded. 



Culture and Propagation. — The 

 American Cowslips require light loamy 

 soil and cool situations, the latter being a 

 more important condition than the soil, 

 which is equally suitable if leaf-mould or 

 peat. They are well adapted for the 

 decoration of cool shady parts of the 

 rookery or border, and may be easily 

 raised from seed sown as soon as ripe in 

 cold frames, or even in the open border in 

 the mildest parts of the kingdom. It is 

 more tisual, however, when a large num- 

 ber of plants are not required, to increase 

 the stock by dividing the roots. The 

 latter operation is best done in early 

 spring just as growth is about to begin. 



D. Henderson!. — A pretty dwarf North 

 American perennial about 6 in. high, with 

 bright green leaves, and handsome crim- 

 son flowers with a conspicuous yellow 

 ring at the base. The blossoms appear in 

 March and April, and are thus among the 

 first of the American Cowslips to bloom. 



Culture dc. as above. 



D. integrifolium. — A pretty N. Ameri- 

 can perennial 4-6 in. high, with oval or 

 spoon-shaped entire leaves. Flowers in 

 early summer, deep rosy-crimson, white 

 at the base, with a yellow or dark orange 

 throat, 7-8 flowers in an umbel. 



Culture do. as above. This is an ex- 

 cellent rock plant, and when grown in 

 favourable situations ripens seeds freely. 

 These may be sown when ripe to secure 

 an increase, or the plants may be divided. 



D. jeffreyanum. — This native of the 

 Eocky Mountains is sometimes called D. 

 Meadia lancifolium, but is distinct enough 

 for garden purposes. It is larger than D. 

 Meadia. Leaves 4-10 in. or more long, 

 narrowly spoon-shaped, tapering towards 

 the base, and recognised by its thick red- 

 dish midribs. Flowers purple-rose, with 

 4 petals, yeUow towards the base. 



Culture dc. as above. A hybrid called 

 D. Lemoinei has been raised between this 

 plant and D. integrifoUum. 



D. Meadia. — A beautiful N. American 

 perennial 9-18 in. high, with more or less 

 erect leaves in large tufts, oblong obovate, 

 unevenly toothed, 3-7 in. long. Flowers 

 in April, rosy-purple, white, or lilac, with 

 yellow anthers, drooping in elegant umbels 

 on tall scapes 12-15 in. high. 



There are many fine varieties, among 

 which may be mentioned : album, which 

 differs from the type only in having white 

 flowers, with a yellowish-green base ; 

 elegans, leaves shorter and 'broader, and 

 roundly toothed, flowers deeper in colour 

 and more numerous ; frigidu/m, a very 

 pretty dwarf variety with ovate, spreading, 

 irregularly notched leaves about 3 in. 

 long, and deep reddish-purple flowers, not 

 drooping ; giganteum (or macrocarpum), 

 larger than the type in all its parts, and 

 producing its flowers about a fortnight 

 earlier ; Ulacinum, with lilac flowers ; 

 brevifolium, with roundish obovate or 

 spoon-shaped leaves ^2 in. long; and 

 others not so well known. 



Culture dc. as above. This — the 

 Common American Cowslip — is the best 

 known, and when grown in large masses 

 in moist shaded positions and in good soil, 

 it produces flowers very freely, usually 

 8-12 in an umbel, but sometimes nearly 

 as many more in some forms. 



CYCLAMEN (Sowbeead). — A genus 

 of distinct and beautiful dwarf seapigerous 

 herbs with large, roundish, depressed, 

 fleshy tubers or corms. Leaves long- 

 stalked, ovate heart-shaped or kidney- 

 shaped, entire or sinuate, dentate. Scapes 

 slender, 1 -flowered. Flowers noddiig, 

 white, rose, or purple, with the scape 

 often spirally twisted after flowering, and 

 pressing the seed-capsule into the ground. 

 Calyx 5-parted, with persistent ovate or 

 ovate lance-shaped segments. Corolla 

 hypogynous, with a small roundish tube 

 thickened at the throat ; lobes 5, twisted, 

 refiexed. Stamens 5, attached to the 

 corolla at the base of the tube. Ovary 

 superior, ovoid. Capsule globose or ovoid, 

 many-seeded. 



Culture and Propagation. — Hardy 

 Cyclamens in their native homes ai-e 

 found growing among rocks on sloping 

 banks under the shade and shelter of 

 trees, on chalky porous soil, or on dry 

 sandy places, always in such a position 

 that the corms or tubers, which are more 

 or less out of the ground, will not lie in 

 pools of water. The soil, is usually 

 covered with moss, dry leaves &o., thus 

 giving protection from frost in winter, 

 and preventing excessive evaporation in 

 summer. Under somewhat similar con- 

 ditions may hardy Cyclamens be success- 

 fully cultivated in the British Islands, 

 either in the rock s-arden or imder trees 



