FLORA AND SYLVA 
indeed the plant is often grown in pots for 
spring flowering. 
M. purpurascens. — Often regarded as the 
best for fine colour, this is of slower growth 
than most and less certain as to flowering. 
While fully hardy it does not bloom freely un- 
less grown in deep rich soil and a moist place, 
with partial shade in summer. The leaves then 
come of a fine bronzy-green with a reddish 
tinge towards the edges and along the veins ; 
smaller than in the other large-leaved kinds, 
they are broadly-ovate in shape, crisply rigid 
in texture, and beautiful in their autumn tints 
of bronzy-purple, yellow and crimson. To 
induce this rich leaf-colour however one has 
to go without flowers, for the dry and sunny 
spots in light soil which bring out these leaf- 
tints are conditions quite against flowering. 
The flowers come in May upon stems of lo 
to 1 2 inches and are of a deep purple with the 
stems of a bright crimson which is beautiful 
in contrast. Mountains of Sikkim. 
M. Stracheyu — This kind, also from the 
mountains of North India, differs from all 
others, and while coming nearest to ciliata it 
is hardier and bears more numerous and better 
flowers and broader leaves arranged less regu- 
larly. Beautiful when well grown it does not 
succeed everywhere and, coming from a wide 
range of mountain-side, shows marked differ- 
ences in leaf, habit, and colour of flower accord- 
ing to elevation. For garden effect it is less 
useful than other kinds, losing its leaves in 
winter and mostly flowering before they come 
again. To do well it should be in a warm 
corner of the rock-garden, with free drainage 
amid sheltering stones, and as they begin to 
open the flowers should be covered with glass 
to keep off wind and the splash of heavy rain. 
In this way they come larger and of a purer 
white or rosy-white. The leaves are erect, 
nearly as broad as long, held upon short red 
stems and edged with very short hairs, and as 
in the last kind they are at their best in the 
autumn, when the stems and veins take on a 
deep crimson which gradually spreads over the 
entire surface. The flowers are beautiful and 
freely produced in a good season, as dense droop- 
ing clusters of white or pale pink with a darker 
centre. Syn. Saxifraga unguiculata. Varieties. 
Among the forms of this plant are alba^ with 
white flowers ; afghanica^ a little plant in some 
respects approaching M. ligulata but distinct 
I in its smaller flowers which are nearly white 
on first expanding, deepening to pale rose with 
exposure. Stracheyi atliysanodes is a very dwarf 
form never much above 6 inches high in all, 
with broadly-oval leaves on short thick stalks, 
and hairy on both sides but especially beneath. 
The creamy-white flowers at times tinged with 
carmine appear in April on short crimson stems 
which are so little branched as to appear almost 
simple. The plant is a little tender for the 
open air but does well in pots in a cool frame 
or greenhouse. 
M. yunnanense. — A remarkable plant similar 
in stature to M. afghanica, but the leaves are 
much more glossy. The flowers are whitish 
and scarcely rise above the leaves upon stems 
of 6 to 9 inches. But the glory of the plant is 
in its superb winter colouring, the leaves taking 
on a rich copper-colour, shaded with purple, 
which remains until late in spring. It is per- 
fectly hardy, and for winter effect in the rock- 
garden there is nothing to match it. 
There is now a long list of hy- 
^ " brids, for the most part raised 
by Mr. Thos. Smith of Daisy Hill, Newry, 
I among whose hardy plants these Megaseas are 
I an interesting feature. They fall roughly into 
two sections with large and small leaves, and 
may be briefly described as follows : Athlete^ 
one of the best, with massive undulated leaves 
and good habit ; Brilliant, large leaves which 
are richly coloured in autumn and winter, and 
bright purple clusters upon crimson stems ; 
Campana, a distinct dwarf kind with small 
crowded leaves nestling close to the ground 
and bell-shaped heads of rosy-lilac flowers on 
tall slender stems of i^ feet ; Coralie, a plant 
like Brilliant in leaf and flowers but with a 
very different way of growth ; Corrugata has 
a dwarf habit with very large rough leaves of 
a reddish shade, and pink flowers ; Croesus, a 
pretty little miniature with small leaves crowd- 
ed close to the ground and finely coloured in 
I autumn, and rosy flowers on stems about ^ 
: a foot high ; Delia, large rounded leaves of 
I glossy appearance, becoming bronzed in win- 
ter; Delicata, pretty pale pink flowers; Dis- 
tinction, a seedling with small leaves and a dwarf 
habit, remarkable for its heavy clusters of pale 
