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PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS lithospeemum 



symmetrical form ; elegamtissima, which 

 is recognised by its tufts of leaves having 

 an irregular white border. 

 Culture <tc. as above. 



M. palustris. — This is the True 

 British Forget-me-not found in wet or 

 marshy places throughout the British 

 Islands. It is a beautiful perennial 6-12 

 in. high, with creeping rootstocks and 

 stoutish, flexuous stems. Leaves 1-3 in. 

 long, linear oblong or narrowly spoon- 

 shaped, shining, the upper ones sessUe or 

 shortly decurrent. Flowers from May to 

 July, ^-^ in. across, sky-blue, with a 

 small yellow centre, borne in simple or 

 forked racemes. 



Culture dtc. as above. This plant is 

 well worth growing in moist parts of the 

 rockery or border, and may be easily 

 increased by division in early autumn. 

 There is a white-flowered form, also one 

 with larger flowers than the type and 

 sure to be called grandAflora some day. 

 There is one called semperflorens because 

 it flowers for a much longer period than 

 the type. 



The variety Tom Thumb is a lovely 

 little Forget-me-not forming tufts like 

 the Pearlwort (Sagvna pilifera), from 

 whence spring up numerous delicate sky- 

 blue flowers. It comes true from seeds, 

 and flowers from May till the frost cuts 

 the blooms down. 



M. Rehsteineri.^A native of Switzer- 

 land, found near Lake Geneva, and 

 probably a variety of the British M. 

 ctBspitosa. The more or less oblong 

 spoon-shaped leaves are in dense tufts 

 close to the ground, and the plants are 

 studded with bright blue flowers having 

 a small yellow centre, during April and 

 May. 



Culture tt-c. as above. This plant 

 flourishes in damp parts of the rockery 

 or border. 



M. sylvatica. — A beautiful British 

 biennial or perennial species, 1-2 ft. high, 

 branched from the base, and bearing 

 bluntish, oblong lance-shaped leaves, 

 lJ-3 in. long, covered with soft hairs. 

 Flowers from May to September, j in. 

 across, bright blue, with a yellow throat, 

 in solitary or forked racemes. There are 

 several varieties, including white, rose, 

 and striped ones ; the one called grandi- 

 flora has blue flowers about J in. across ; 

 elegamtissima is a dwarf and very free 

 flowering form with largo white, blue, or 



pink flowers ; and com/pacta aurea has 

 tufts of golden or yellowish leaves. 



Culture and Propagation. — M. syl- 

 vatica is a populj/r plant for flower 

 borders or beds, and sows itself freely 

 wherever grown. The seedlings are 

 transplanted in September and make a 

 beautiful show of blossom the following 

 year. After flowering the old plants may 

 be thrown down in any waste spot to 

 shed their seeds. These will germinate 

 freely, and the seedlings may be trans- 

 ferred to beds or borders in autumn. 



M. Welwitschi {M. cintra). — A 

 Portuguese annual or biennial Forget-me- 

 not about 4 in. high, with a tufted habit, , 

 and ovate lance-shaped leaves. The 

 bright blue flowers appear in early 

 summer, and have a yeUowish-white 

 centre. 



Culture Sc. as above for M. sylvatica. 



LITHOSPERMUM (aROMWBLL).— 

 A genus containing about 40 species of 

 biennial or perennial herbs, bushes, or 

 rarely small shrubs, more or less hoary 

 or hispid. Leaves alternate, usually 

 narrow. Flowers white, yeUow, bluish 

 or violet in braeteate cymes. Calyx 5- 

 parted or cleft with linear lobes. Corolla 

 funnel- or salver-shaped, 5-lobed, with a 

 straight cylindrical tube. Stamens 5. 

 Nutlets 4, or fewer by abortion. 



Culture and Propagation. — Only a 

 few species are of garden value in rich 

 well-drained sandy loam. They are 

 suitable for the rock garden or the edges 

 of borders and may be increased by 

 cuttings during the summer inserted in 

 cold frames ; by division in early spring ; 

 or by seeds sown at the same period 

 under glass. 



L. canescens {Batschia canescens). — 

 A N. American herbaceous perennial with 

 bluntly oblong leaves emarginate at the 

 apex. Flowers in June and July, yellow, 

 fulvous, nearly sessile. 



Culture Sc. as above. 



L. Gastoni. — A beautiful Pyrenean 

 species 1-1^ ft. high, with obovate lance- 

 shaped leaves slightly rough with 

 adpressed hairs. Flowers in summer, 

 bright sky-blue, in clusters at the ends 

 of the branches. 



Culture dtc. as above. This is suitable 

 for the rookery or border in rich well- 

 drained loam. Increased by seeds or 

 division. 



