NEPBTA 



LA VENDUE OBDEB 



DEACOCEPHALUM 751 



Culture and Propagation. — About 120 

 species have been described, but they are 

 mostly weeds. Those described below 

 are the only ones at all worth a place in 

 the garden. They are easily grown in 

 any garden soil, and may be increased by 

 dividing the plants in spring or by sowing 

 seeds at the same period. 



N. Glechoma (Olechoma hederacea). 

 Ground Ivy. — The ordinary form is a 

 British weed with stems trailing along 

 the ground and rooting at the joints. 

 Leaves kidney-shaped, orenate. Flowers 

 blue, about 6 in axillary whorls. The 

 variegated form is a distinctly pretty 

 plant with silver- white and green variega- 

 ted leaves. It is excellent for the rock 

 garden trailing over the ledges of rock, 

 but prefers rather shady moist positions, 

 as the hot summer sun injures the foUage 

 somewhat. It is readUy increased by 

 cutting the stems up at almost every 

 joint and inserting them in a cool place 

 in moist sandy soil. 



N. Mussini. — A rather straggling 

 Caucasian species 12-18 in. high, with 

 sessile ovate-oblong toothed and wrinkled 

 leaves about 1 in. long, hoary beneath. 

 Flowers in June and July, pale purple or 

 blue, in great profusion and resembling a 

 mass of lavender bloom in the distance. 



Culture Sc. as above. This cannot be 

 called a choice perennial. It grows in 

 ordinary soil and may be increased by 

 division of the roots. 



N. spicata. — A native of the Hima- 

 layas 6-12 in. high. Leaves 1-4 in. long, 

 fcroadly ovate heart-shaped, deeply 

 toothed. Flowers in September, purple 

 with an almost white lip, borne in spikes 

 2-4 in. long. 



Culture dtc. as above. May be grown 

 like N. Mussini. 



DRACOCEPHALUM (Dragon's 

 Head).— A genus containing about 30 

 species of annual or perennial herbs with 

 entire toothed or somewhat pahnate- 

 pinnatifld leaves. Flowers in spiked or 

 capitate bracteate whorls, blue or purple, 

 rarely whitish. Calyx tubular 15-ribbed, 

 straight or rarely incurved, 5-toothed. 

 Corolla 2-lipped with a slender tube 

 dilated at the throat ; upper lip somewhat 

 concave emarginate ; lower Up spreading, 

 3-lobed, middle lobe largest, rather 2-cleft. 

 Stamens 4, didynamous, anthers diver- 

 ging. Nutlets ovoid, smooth. 



Culture and Propagation. — The 

 species described below are more or less 

 beautiful border flowers which flourish in 

 any light rich garden soU m not too hot 

 and sunny situations. They may be 

 increased by division of the tufts in 

 spring, or by cuttings of the young shoots 

 in April and May inserted in sandy soil 

 in cold frames or imder handhghts. The 

 perennials may also be raised from seed 

 sown under glass in spring, and all the 

 annual varieties must of course be raised 

 in this way. 



D. argunense. — A perennial about 

 \\ ft. high, native of |Dahuria, having 

 linear lance-shaped, quite entire, smooth 

 and almost stalkless leaves 2-3 in. long. 

 Flowers from July to September, blue, 

 downy, in whorled spikes. 



Culture do. as above. A good border 

 plant in light warm soils. Increased by 

 seed or division like D. grandAflorwm., to 

 which it is closely related. 



D. austriacum. — A pretty perennial 

 l-lj ft. high, native of the mountain ranges 

 of Central Europe. Leaves divided into 

 linear segments having revolute margias. 

 Flowers in summer, blue, over 14 in. long, 

 in somewhat interrupted whorled spikes. 



Culture dc. as above. 



D. canescens (Lallemantia canescens) . 

 A pretty softly downy and whitish-looking 

 annual or biennial species 12-18 in. high, 

 native of E. Europe, Asia Minor &c. Lower 

 leaves narrow, lance-shaped, long-stalked, 

 entire or shghtly toothed towards the 

 apex ; the floral leaves spoon-shaped or 

 rounded bristle-pointed. Flowers in July 

 and August, lilac-blue, lq spikes 6-9 in. 

 long, with oblong ciliated bracts, and a 

 downy striped calyx. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 species is best raised from seeds sown 

 under glass early in spring, and planted 

 out in May or June ; or seeds may be 

 sown in the open border in April and 

 May, afterwards thinning them out to 6 

 or 8 inches apart. It likes light sandy 

 soil. 



D. grandiflorum (Z). altadense). — A 

 pretty Siberian perennial 6-9 in. high 

 with oblong oval-lance-shaped crenulate 

 leaves with long stalks. Flowers from 

 June to September, blue, nearly 2 in. 

 long, in oblong spikes 2-3 in. long, in 

 great profusion, the lower lip dotted. 



Culture dc. as above. This is suitable 



