300 



THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



Stems, 6in. to Sin. long, of a greenish or purplish colour ; the 

 flower-stems are erect, from 4in. to 6in. high, and bear cymes of 

 yellow flowers. S. lydiiim produces white flowers in June and 

 July; the flowering stems are from 4in. to-5in. long, and the 

 barren ones from 2 in. to 3in. S. spectabile is a tall-growing species, 

 from i2in. to i8in. high, suitable either for the rockery or for 

 the mixed border ; it bears flat-topped cymes of pinkish flowers 

 during September. 



Sempervivums (House Leeks) comprise a number of interesting 

 rockery plants, very varied in form and flower; they delight in a 

 dry, sandy soil, and are easily propagated by off'sets taken from 



the old plants. S. a?'ach- 

 ^Jh/j\ noideiim bears upwards of 



sixty to eighty leaves closely packed in a rosette; the flower-stems 

 are about 6in. high, and bear crimson flowers in June. 



Shortia galacifolia is a beautiful plant for the rock garden. 

 It grows from 3in. to 5in. high, and flowers during March and 

 April. The flow^ers are large, solitary, and somewhat bell-shaped ; 

 the petals are fimbriated at the edge, are first white, but as they 

 grow^ older they become tinged with red. The leaves are ever- 

 green, long-stalked, and roundish ; at first they are deep green, 

 but in late summer they assume a beautiful bronzy-crimson 

 hue. 



fifty succulent leaves in a 

 rosette, the tips of which 

 are connected by long 

 white hairs ; the flowering- 

 stems are from 3in. to 

 4in. long, leafy, and bear 

 several pink flowers up- 

 wards of I in. in diameter. 

 The variety LaggejH (Fig. 

 t8o) is a robust form 

 of the above, producing 



large rosettes of 

 leaves. S. fimhria- 

 tum has fifty to sixty 

 leaves in a rosette, 

 the outer ones 

 turning green ; the 

 flower - stem rises 

 from 6in. to Qin. 

 high, and bears 

 bright red or purple- 

 flowers in July and 

 August. S. mon- 

 tanum has from 



Fig. 180. — Sempervivum arachnoideum 

 Laggeri. 



