HARDY PLANTS. 
197 
bearing their flowers in curious spiky heads. The prettiest 
species are P. Sieberi, a native of the Pyrenees, bearing blue 
flowers from May to August, and growing 6 to 8in. high ; 
P. orbiculare, a native species, growing 6 to i2in. high, and 
bearing deep blue flowers in July and August; P. Micheli, 
a S. European species, growing i to 2ft. high, and bearing 
dark blue flowers in summer. P. Charmelii is a synonym of 
P. Sieberi, referred to above. There are others, but they are 
of botanical interest only. All do best in a mixture of sandy 
peat, loam, leaf-mould and sand on a sunny rockery or the 
margin of a warm border. Plant in March or April. Increased 
by seeds sown outdoors in April, also division in April. 
Phytolacca (Virginian Poke). — Stately hardy peren- 
nials, belonging to the Nat. Ord. Phytolaccaceae, and natives of 
N. America and India. Suitable only for the shrubbery or 
large mixed border or wild garden. P. decandra (Virginian 
Poke-weed) grows 5ft. high, forms a large bush, bears white 
flowers in summer, succeeded by blackberry-like purple berries 
borne in dense erect spike. The leaves are large, green, 
changing to purple in autumn. The roots are poisonous. 
P. acinosa (Indian Poke) grows 3 to 4ft. high, has reddish 
stems, and black berries borne in more or less drooping spikes. 
Both species owe their only attractiveness to their berries in 
autumn. Grown in ordinary soil. Plant in autumn. In- 
creased by seeds sown in a warm border in April, or in a 
frame; also by division in autumn. 
Pinj£uicula (Butter-wort). — The Butter-worts are inter- 
esting little plants, belonging to the Nat. Ord. Lentibulari- 
aceas, and specially noteworthy from the fact that they belong 
to the insectivorous class of vegetation. Their leaves are hairy 
on the upper surface and covered with an unctuous matter of a 
greasy buttery nature which attracts insects. When the insects 
alight on the leaf and irritate the hairs, the edges roll over 
and imprison them. Apart from the foregoing facts, the 
flowers are also very pretty. The species worth growing are : 
P. alpina, native of Scotland, height 3in., flowers white with a 
yellow throat. May; P. grandiflora (Irish Butter-wort), native 
of Ireland, violet-blue, May to July, 3 to 6in. ; P. lusitanica, 
native of Britain, lilac with yellow throat, summery 6in. ; P. 
lutea, a native of N. America, golden-yellow, summer, 3in. ; P. 
vallisnerifolia, native of Spain, soft lilac or purple, summer, 
6in. ; P. vulgaris (Bog Violet), a native species, violet, May 
to July, 6in. The Butter-worts do best in the bog garden in 
moist peat and leaf-mould, or failing this in nooks of the 
rockery. P. alpina, grandiflora, and P. vallisnerifolia require 
a shady position ; the others a sunny one. All need plenty 
