1GG 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ November, 
certainly of a pinlrisla colour, not purple 
as shown in the Botanical Magazine plate 
above quoted. Mr. Williams, however, to 
whom we are indebted for the figure, describes 
it as nearly black, but covered with a violet 
hue, so that probably it is pale-coloured when 
first developed, and becomes darker with age.— 
T. Moose. 
THE CORYDALIS. 
)WO of the prettiest beds we have had 
'f<m upon the lawn at Valentines during the 
past summer consist of Corydalis lutea. 
Thej T are permanent and persistent plants, 
with very chaste foliage, and elegant yellow 
flowers ; hence I have thought a short reference 
to them would be acceptable to the readers of 
The Florist and Pomologist. The species 
of the old genus Corydalis , which belongs to 
the natural order of Fume worts (Fumariacece), 
are far more valuable than from the infrequency 
with which they are met with, many persons 
would be led to believe. Corydalis lutea , or 
as some consider it, a variety of C. capnoides, 
must be known to many lovers of gardens, in 
so far as the plant itself is concerned, even 
though they may have no very precise know¬ 
ledge as to its name. It is an exceedingly 
chaste plant, often seen growing out of hard, 
dry walls. The foliage is somewhat glaucous, 
fern-like, resembling Adiantum. The flowers 
are borne in upright racemes, and are of a very 
delicate yellow colour. The spur of each flower 
is besides somewhat singular, hence the name 
Corydalis , which is derived from “ korydalos,” 
“ a lark,” the name being applied to the 
plant from the great resemblance this spur 
is supposed to bear to that of the lark. 
Corydalis lutea we have ere now used as a 
summer bedding plant, and in admixture with 
others, such as Phlox Drummondii and similar 
annuals, and very pretty has been the effect. 
If only for its foliage, it is far better to use it 
than to adopt the American fashion of growing 
carrots in flower beds for their foliage. 
C. nobilis is a more vigorous, bolder plant, of 
about equal value with C. lutea for bedding- 
out ; an earlier bloomer, and certainly a stronger¬ 
growing or taller plant. A common and well- 
known form is Corydalis hidbosa , in puce and 
red varieties, once known as C. solida. It is a 
dwarf plant, blooming in March and April; 
whilst those previously noted do not, as a rule, 
produce their blossoms until the months of July 
and August, when amidst the often prevailing 
aridity the foliage looks very refreshing. The 
best variety of these two latter—viz., the puce 
and red-coloured—is technically known as C. 
bulbosa rubra. Corydalis cava albifiora and C. 
capnoides , are white-flowered plants, the latter 
a distinct species, the former a white form of 
C. tuberose «, by which name it was formerly, 
and may still perhaps be known. 
Few plants require more simple culture or 
attention than do these beautiful hardy plants. 
The perennials can all be increased by root- 
division and by seeds, which they form freely ; 
whilst the annual forms grow freely from seeds 
sown in the early spring. A few seeds of the 
perennial kinds dropped into crevices of walls 
would form plants in many an arid position, 
and prove to be objects of much interest.— 
William Earley, Ilford. 
ON DRESSING FLOWERS. 
LL professional Florists well know that 
A,([ Carnations, Picotees, and Pinks are 
la not the only flowers that require dress¬ 
ing, to assist Nature. The Aster, the Dahlia, 
and the Chrysanthemum have their full share 
of the tweezers. The former also are im¬ 
proved in appearance by being shown on cards ; 
and such being the case, why should the prac¬ 
tice of so showing either the Pink, Carnation, 
or Aster be abandoned? Now, if it was not 
for the use of the tweezers, &c., one-half of our 
Dahlias could not be exhibited fit to be seen, 
either from hard green eyes, cross eyes, split 
florets, quilled petals, &c. Then, if art can make 
these flowers presentable, why should the 
system be abolished? The Rose does not 
wholly escape the tweezers, as we are led to 
believe, but nature has so formed this flower 
that less art is required to bring it to perfection 
on the exhibition-table, but for any one to 
assert that Roses are shown as grown is per¬ 
fectly absurd. Some persons may preach 
against dressing, but they all practise it, more 
or less. Ladies, like flowers, require tasteful 
dressing, to be seen to advantage ; some require 
but little to assist nature, others all the art 
that Madame Rachel can bestow on them. 
The same with the different classes of flowers. 
We once were told that Pelargoniums should 
not be staked, but shown as grown. Just 
imagine a Pelargonium, 4 ft. through, on the 
exhibition-table, without a stak e or tie! It 
is all very well for people to cry out against 
staking, tying, dressing, &c., but I say, let us 
improve nature, if we can.— Edward Bennett, 
Rabley Nursery , Shenley, 
