74 



THE JARDIN DES PLANTES. 



course) J Datura fastuosa alba-duplex^ Pyrethrum Tcliihat 

 chewii^ of the south of Europe — a capital plant for covering 

 the dryest of banks with dark green ; it is very low in 

 habit,, produces white flowers in springs and for banks 

 and other positions so dry and arid that grass or anything 

 else fails to grow upon them^ it will probably prove highly 

 useful. Anemone alba^Ficaria calthoefolia^ Echinophora tenui- 

 folia^ a graceful umbelliferous plant with hoary leaves j Gly- 

 ceria Michauxii^ a pretty grass ; and a collection of the genus 

 Asparagus, among which one^ A. Broussonetii^ is remarkable 

 for its great vigour and rapidity of growth — it quickly 

 runs up with dense vigour to a height of ten feet in springs 

 its foliage is glossy and dense^ and it might be used with 

 success as a covering for bowers or to make pyramids in a 

 highly diversified garden of hardy plants^ and of course it 

 would be valuable in such a place as the subtropical 

 garden at Battersea Park. Asparagus tenuifolius is as 

 graceful and elegant as the one before-named is vigorous 

 and rampant in its climbing power. 



Iris Monnieri, of Western Asia^ is a really fine^ bright 

 yellow kind. Among the larger Compositse are some likely 

 to prove useful for the subtropical garden ; notably Bha- 

 ponticum scariosum^ and cynarioides. Serratula pinnatifida 

 is elegant in leaf; and particularly fine is a silvery-leaved 

 Tanacetum (T. elegans); with finely divided and elegant 

 frond-like leaves. Dipsacus laciniatus is fine in its line 

 when well grown^ and it will prove really well worth raising 

 annually^ somewhat like the Castor-oil plants, for the 

 garden where distinction is desired. Sideritis syriaca is 

 hardy here, and fairly tried might make a useful edging 

 plant in the way of Gnaphalium lanatum, than which it is 

 a shade more silveiy. Phlomis herba-venti is a pretty 

 and distinct herbaceous plant, medium- sized, and Eremo- 

 stachys iberica is a yellow species, well worthy of associa- 

 tion with laciniata. Acantholimon venustum is prettier 

 and more elegant than the admired A. glumaceum, the 

 dwarf cushion of leaves being of a glaucous tone, and the 

 large rose-coloured flowers being well thrown out on bold 

 graceful stems ; it is one of the prettiest dwarf plants I 



