96 



THE FL0WEB GABDE>7. 



They are all greenhouse or parlour plants ; still, they love 

 the neighbourhood of the sea. and in some few spots in 

 Cornwall and Devonshire they stand the winter planted 

 out on rocks, which almost daily are sprinkled by the 

 spray of the waves. The effect of their numberless 

 blossoms in summer is very fine ; and such a collection 

 of out-door mesembrianthemums, where possible, is well 

 worth forming. Though succulents, they like a fair share 

 of moisture, especially while in full growth. Propagate 

 by seeds and cuttings. 



jtficliaelmas Daisies — Aster Alpinus, and mult if. or us, 

 — Great, straggling, gawky things, which would be dis- 

 carded, but that they put forth flowers, in considerable 

 variety of white, pink, purple, and blue, when almost 

 everything else is in the sear and yellow leaf, and are 

 therefore acceptable to help to fill up bouquets. Propa- 

 gate by root division. 



Mimulus moscliatus. — The Musk-plant, will produce 

 its cottony foliage and yellow flowers in any damp, shady 

 spot ; the same of the Scarlet Mimulus, M. cardinal is. 

 From M. c/uttatus, rivularis, variegatus. and perhaps 

 others, very many cross-bred varieties have been raised 

 from seed, which have obtained a certain reputation as 

 florists' flowers. They are more or less hardy, strike 

 freely from cuttings, like a mixture of sandy loam and 

 heath-mould, with abundance of water. In fact, they 

 are almost aquatic plants. The blossoms, though ephe- 

 meral, are produced in long succession ; and, if we had 

 not so many better things, Mimuluses might boast of 

 their floral merits and pretensions, although inclined to 

 be weedy. 



Moneywort — Lysimachia nummular ia. i.e. Loose Strife, 

 or Stopper of Contests. — A native plant in meadows and 

 moist woods, useful as a pendant fringe for rock-work, 

 vases, &c. In boxes, it makes an elegant border to the 

 floor of a balcony. Its foliage is neat and regular, and a 

 little yellow flower appears at the foot of every leaf. 

 Little bits of the root will grow in peat earth. Give 

 plenty of air, sunshine, and water. 



