HARDY HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS. 



357 



rockery, where it should be given rather a sheltered 

 position, is also largely grown for forcing for the green- 

 house. Propagated by division. 



D. eximia. Reddish pink, 1 foot. America. 

 D.formosa. Carmine, 6 inches. North-west America. 

 D. spectabilis. Pink and white, 2 feet. Japan. 



Dictamnus Fraxinella (Burning Bush) (fig. 433). — An 

 interesting monotypic genus of several varieties, but the 



Fig. 433.— Dictamnus Fraxinella. 



type and the white variety are the most deserving. It 

 forms a symmetrical bush 2 to 3 feet high, with Ash -like 

 leaves, and erect terminal racemes of rather large purplish 

 or white blossoms. A fragrant oil is secreted by the 

 flower-stalks, and if a match be applied it flames like 

 gunpowder. The whole plant has an aromatic scent. 

 Increased by seeds, for the plant dislikes disturbance. 



Digitalis. — A handsome genus, of which the native 

 Foxglove, D. purpurea, is by far the most beautiful, 

 especially in its improved garden forms, which are now 

 numerous. D. grandiflora is the best of the perennial 

 species. It has leafy stems 2 to 3 feet high, with 

 numerous yellow flowers, and is easily grown in any gar- 

 den soil. Increased by seeds. 



Dodecatheon Meadia (Shooting Stars or American 

 Cowslip). — A beautiful member of the Primrose family, 

 now reduced to one species, although for garden purposes 

 such forms as integrifolium (crimson), ellipticum (rose), 

 and Jeffreyanum (purplish) deserve distinctive names. 

 The flowers are borne in umbels on erect slender scapes a 

 foot or so high, and are white, rose, lilac, or purple. Its 

 chief requirement is a cool situation, the nature of the 

 soil being of secondary importance, a sandy loam, or a 

 mixture of leaf-mould and loam or peat, being equally 

 suitable. Propagation by division in spring or from seeds, 

 but the latter is a slow method. 



Doronicum. — A genus of early-flowering Composites, 

 natives of Europe and temperate Asia, about half a 

 dozen of which are useful. The flowers are large, elegant, 

 on tall scapes, and the plants are of vigorous growth. 

 'They are as valuable for rough places in the shrubbery or 

 in the wild garden as for the herbaceous border, or even 

 for beds on the lawn. Division or seeds. 



D. austriacum. Yellow, 15 inches. Austria. 

 D. plantagineum. Yellow, 1£ foot. Europe (Britain). 

 ,, var. excelsum. Yellow, 3 feet. 



Draba. — Neat little Alpines, their hairy leaves form- 

 ing compact rosettes, and most of them having bright 

 golden-yellow or white flowers. They like the sunniest 

 positions in the rockery, and a soil in which plenty of 

 grit or broken stone is mixed. Best propagated from 

 seeds sown in July, young plants flowering most satis- 

 factorily. Thus raised, the plants would flower in spring. 



D. aizoides. Bright-yellow, 3 inches. Europe (Britain). 



D. brunicefolia. Yellow, moss-like leaves, 2 inches. Caucasus. 



D. dedeana. White, 3 inches. Europe. 



D. Kotschyi. Yellow, 2 inches. Eastern Europe. 



D. Mawil. White, 1 inch. Spain. 



Dracocephalum. — Handsome border plants related 

 to Salvias, with blue and purple flowers in spikes. They 

 thrive in ordinary garden soil, and like dry, sunny situa- 

 tions. Propagation by seeds, or in the case of I). Ruy- 

 schianum, cuttings in spring. 



D. grandiflorum. Blue, 6 inches. Siberia. 



D. Ruyschianum. Purple-blue, l£ foot. Europe. 



D. speciosum. Pinkish-blue, l£ foot. Himalaya. 



Dryas (Mountain Avens). — Rare evergreen Alpines, 

 related to the Strawberry, of tufted habit, with small 

 leathery ovate leaves, whitish beneath, and white flowers 

 1J inch wide ; the feather-like fruit are also attractive. 

 They like a cool situation, and a chalk or limestone soil. 

 D. octopetcda is one of our most rare British Alpines. 



D. Drummondii. Pale-yellow, 4 inches. Xorth Armerica. 



D. octopetala. White, 4 inches. Europe (Britain). 



Echinacea. — A small genus, closely allied to Rud- 

 beckia, of which the North American E. purpurea (fig. 434) 

 is a showy autumn - flowering perennial, having large 

 purplish-mauve flowers with a small dark centre, borne 

 on stout rigid stems 3 to 4 feet high. These are pro- 

 duced from short 

 thick rhizomes. In- 

 creased by division 

 in spring. 



Echinops. — Ro- 

 bust Thistle - like 

 plants with leafy 

 stems 3 to 5 feet 

 high, terminated by 

 globular heads of 

 hedgehog-like flow- 

 ers of varied colours. 

 In addition to their 

 being good border 

 plants, they are 

 handsome when 

 planted in bold 

 groups on the turf. Increased by seeds. 



E. bannaticus (ruthenievs). Blue, 3 to 4 feet. Eastern Europe. 

 E. Ritro. Blue globular heads, 4 feet. Mediterranean region. 

 E. sphcerocephalus. White, silvery leaves, 4 feet. Europe. 



Epilobium (Willow-herb). — Some of the species are 

 excellent for naturalizing near water and in the wild 

 garden, others are pretty dwarf plants suitable for the 

 rockery. Some of them require to be kept within bounds, 

 or they will spread rapidly by means of their underground 

 stems, and become a nuisance. The cottony seeds are 

 pretty when the pods burst, but they should be cut oT 

 before getting to this stage if near the borders, as the 

 seedlings are troublesome. They are easily increased ly 

 division or seed. 



E. angustifoliiim. Rose-majenta, 4 feet. Northern Hemisphere. 

 E. obcordatum. Rosy-purple, 4 inches. California. 



Fig. 434.— Echinacea (Rudbeckia) purpurea. 



