ON HARDY HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS. 



277 



12'm. high, and bearing large snowy-white flowers, deliciously 

 fragrant, and changing witli age to a dehcate rose-colour. It 

 increases rapidly by means of underground shoots. Flowers 

 from July to September. CE. Fraseri^ a variety of CE. glauca, 

 forms a bushy plant, i8in. high; it is a beautiful plant, with 

 reddish stems and dark foliage, speckled with yellow. Its flowers 

 are yellow, and are produced in abundance from June to 

 September. CE. speciosa is a grand border plant, attaining a 

 height of from ijft. to 3ft., and producing a succession of large 

 fragrant flowers, 2in, across, from June to September; when they 

 first open they are pure white, but as they grow older they 

 assume a reddish hue. 



Orobus (Bitter Vetch). — These are small plants, formerly 

 kept up as a distinct genus, but now included under that of 

 Lathyrus. They differ from the plants generally known as 

 Lathyrus in having no tendril at the end of the leaf. Increased 

 by seeds or by division of the root-stock. O. luteus (now 

 known as Lathyrus 7}iontamis) is an elegant bushy plant, growing 

 from i^ft. to 2ft. high, and producing numerous racemes of 

 bright yellow flowers during the month of June. O. vermis 

 {^Lathyrus vermis) (Spring Vetch) is a showy plant, growing ift. 

 high, and forming compact tufts of light green foliage. The 

 flowers are borne in racemes during April and May, and are of a 

 rich blue or purple colour. A white variety is also in cultivation. 



PiEONiA is a large and well-known genus of hardy perennials, 

 suitable for either beds or the mixed border; they are of easy 

 culture, and delight in a good loamy soil, enriched with plenty of 

 farmyard manure. Their flowering period is during May and 

 June. Increased either by seeds or by division. P. albiflora is a 

 handsome species, growing from 2ft. to 3ft. high, and bearing 

 large white flowers. P. aii07)iala has beautifully cut foliage and 

 solitary crimson flowers. P. arietina grows 2ft. high, and has 

 dark red flowers. P. decora has purple flowers ; it grows from 

 2ft. to 3ft. high. P. officinalis has large red flowers ; several 

 varieties of it are in cultivation. P. temiifolia grows from i^ft. 

 to 2ft. high, has graceful feathery foliage, and dark crimson 

 flowers ; the variety flore-pleno differs only in having double 

 flowers. The genus has been largely worked upon by the 

 hybridist, with the result that there are now innumerable named 

 garden forms in cultivation. A selection of these will be found 

 in the "Appendix." 



Papaver (the Poppy genus) contains several hardy perennials 

 of easy culture in ordinary garden soil. Propagated by seeds or by 

 division. P. orie^itale (Giant Oriental Poppy) is an old-fashioned 

 border-plant, growing 3ft. high, and producing its flowers from 

 May to August. It is a very showy plant, with enormous 

 crimson-scarlet flowers, upwards of 6in. across. There is a dark 



