February 15, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
373 
HARDY PLANT NOTES, 
Crocus susianus. 
The old Cloth of Gold Crocus is still the best of the 
early yellow species, although there are some of the 
varieties of C. chrysanthus so choice in their way that 
they must not be overlooked. Before the flowers of 
C. susianus expand, they are seen to be heavily 
feathered with purplish brown on the back of the three 
outer segments. These roll back on the expansion of 
the flower, and never close again, so that a large clump 
has a very characteristic appearance on a dull day, 
when all other species remain closed. Owing to this 
behaviour of the outer segments, the species has also 
received the name of C. revolutus. The inner segments 
are stained with brown at the base only, all the rest 
being golden yellow. The short slender leaves have a 
silvery midrib, and lay on the ground, while the flowers 
only rise about 1J in. above the soil. 
The Smallest Daffodil. 
Mere size does not constitute beauty, and although 
the large-flowering Daffodils are most effective in a 
border, yet what can be prettier than a broad patch of 
Narcissus minimus along the lower parts of a rockery 
in the early days of January, February and March, 
according to the nature of the weather. Our most 
eminent authorities on Daffodils classify the form (the 
subject of this note) as a sub-variety of the common 
Daffodil, so that the full name, Narcissus Pseudo- 
Narcissus minor minimus is rather long-winded, and 
scarcely less objectionable for garden purposes than the 
names applied by horticulturists before the Narcissus 
Committee was appointed. N. minimus might 
with as much right be applied to this miniature 
Daffodil as specific names to many of the Irises enjoying 
specific distinction. The perianth segments of N. 
minimus do not overlap, but stand quite free from one 
another, and are somewhat shorter than the cylindrical, 
deeply lobed corona. The flowers droop very much, 
and are consequently overtopped by the leaves. A 
large quantity of this Daffodil, only about 2 ins. or 
3 ins. above the soil, has been flowering for some time 
in the grounds of Messrs. Barr & Sons, Long Ditton, 
S.W. 
Crocus versicolor argentatus. 
Owing to the variability of this species a large number 
of varieties have originated in gardens, and have had 
distinctive names applied to them. The species has 
the inner and outer segments coloured alike, and is 
therefore quite distinct from those kinds which cluster 
round C. Imperati, and have the two surfaces of 
different colours. The segments of C. v. argentatus are 
of a pale lavender-lilac, almost white, with three 
purple feathered lines externally, and just sufficient of 
other hues to give the whole flower a silvery appearance ; 
hence the varietal name. The anthers are yellow, and 
the stigmas of a warm orange-scarlet. 
Ranunculus anemonoides. 
For rockwork this is a charming little plant, with 
flower stems not exceeding 6 ins., but generally much 
under that. The leaves are twice divided in a ternate 
manner, with linear segments, and a tuft of them 
reminds one of a Fumitory, on account of their soft 
sea-green colour. The large white flowers are produced 
in great abundance, and owe their specific name to the 
numerous petals resembling the sepals of an Anemone. 
The flowers of a Ranunculus have seldom more than 
five petals, except when double. The stamens and 
base of the petals are yellow, while the rest is white, 
tinted with pink when grown in the open air. Under 
glass,, however, when the plant is perfectly amenable 
to culture in pots, the pink disappears, leaving the 
flowers white and yellow as above described. Its 
dwarf habit and free-flowering propensities make it 
suitable for the hardy plant house, as may be seen at 
Kew, where it has been flowering for some time. Out 
of doors it does not flower till summer. It is a native 
of the Styrian Alps and other places, and was intro¬ 
duced as recently as 1883. Owing to its slow rate of 
increase it cannot get widely disseminated for some 
time. 
Th.e Yellow Colchicum. 
Most of the species of Colchicum bloom in the autumn, 
but C. luteum and a few white-flowered species come 
into bloom during the early spring months, and are 
therefore interesting on that account. That under 
notice frequently flowers slightly in advance of the 
leaves, with the flower-stalks rising 2 ins. or 3 ins. 
above the soil. In other cases the ligulate rich green 
leaves form a sheath, from which one to three flowers 
arise. The latter are golden yellow, more or less 
stained with purple on the tube, or the purple runs a 
short way up the base of the segments. This also 
occurs in the otherwise white C. crociflorum, appearing 
as if purple was the original colour of the Colchicums. 
C. luteum has been flowering in the nursery of Messrs. 
Barr & Sons for some time. 
Narcissus cyclamineus. 
The botanist frequently classes this as a variety of N. 
Pseudo-Narcissus, tut in general aspect (if we ignore 
structure) it is remarkably distinct from all the other 
recognised forms of that type. The flower is wholly 
yellow, and the narrow segments are closely and 
sharply reflexed, pointing upwards, as in the case of 
the Cyclamen, hence the name. The narrow, cylin¬ 
drical, and bright-yellow trumpet is toothed or notched 
at the apex, and points almost perpendicularly down¬ 
wards. It is neat and tidy in habit, and when planted 
in a mass is very attractive, not merely to lovers of 
this popular class of plants, but to hardy plant lovers 
generally. It should be planted in a sandy or light 
well-drained soil, and is also suitable for pot culture. 
A quantity of it may be seen in the nursery grounds of 
Messrs. Barr & Sons. 
Primula elatior coerulea. 
The old blue Oxlip still continues to exist in a few 
places, although it never seems to increase to any 
great extent. This is probably to be accounted for 
from the fact that it does not readily produce seeds. 
Neither is the plant very robust, although apparently 
healthy. Critics there are who, no doubt, would be 
ready to disparage the idea of the flowers being blue at 
all, but there is, notwithstanding, a considerable 
amount of blue in it. The underside of the limb of the 
corolla is most uniformly blue, while the upper surface 
has a creamy yellow margin, a stripe of the same hue 
down the centre, and a five-lobed starry orange-yellow 
eye. The plant may be described as a variety of the 
garden Polyanthus, rather than a real or botanical 
form of P. elatior. Its distinctness in the matter of 
colour is such, however, that it well deserves a place in 
any collection of hardy plants. We noted it at Long 
Ditton, in the nursery of Messrs. Barr & Sons. 
The British Maidenhair as a Wall Plant. 
Adiantum Capillus-Veneris has a happy knack of 
making itself at home anywhere in undisturbed places. 
At Gunnersbury House, Acton, Mr. Hudson, gardener 
to the Messrs. Rothschild, allows it full freedom on 
the back wall and the sides of the foot-path, in a small 
stove used for the culture of decorative plants and a3 
a propagating pit. The spores scatter themselves about 
in the crevices of the brickwork, and form a living 
covering of the richest dark green when in full growth. 
The broad, fan-shaped pinnules of the true Maidenhair 
give the frond, as, indeed, the whole plant, a different 
aspect from that of A. cuneatum. It is, therefore, 
encouraged not only because it covers the wall, but 
because the fronds are in request for making wreaths. 
They stand longer in good condition than do those of 
A. cuneatum, after being cut. It has also established 
itself on the outside of the stove-wall, where Scolopen- 
drium vulgare and some others also find a suitable 
home. 
-•>£«- 
HEPATICAS. 
Amongst hardy spring-flowering plants, none excite a 
more lively enthusiasm than the Hepaticas, consisting 
of Anemone Hepatica, A. angulosa, and the varieties 
of the former, better known, perhaps, under the names 
of Hepatica triloba and H. angulosa. Some years ago 
H. americana and II. acutiloba were rife in nursery¬ 
men’s catalogues, and in some old books H. triloba is 
stated to be a native of America, but it is a European 
plant, and the two names above given were applied to 
slightly varying forms of Anemone Hepatica. 
There are several important points to be observed in 
the cultivation of Hepaticas. The moister climate of 
Scotland is more favourable to their healthy growth than 
is the drier atmosphere and more sunny skies, of summer 
at least, in the south of England. In the northern 
counties of the island the leaves are truly evergreen, 
and remain quite fresh till a new set is produced. 
This is not always the case in the south, where they 
are practically deciduous, and quite leafless long before 
flowering time. A rich, friable loam is most congenial 
to their requirements, and they will succeed all the 
better if planted in slightly shaded positions, especially 
in the south. They are impatient of disturbance at 
the root, and when they are healthy and making good 
growth annually should not be disturbed. 
The crowns do at length get elevated above the 
surface, especially in some soils, and should then be 
lifted and re-planted lower, taking care always not to 
bury the crown. Thoroughly decayed manure or leaf- 
soil worked into the soil about them in spring is of 
great advantage. When lifting has to be done, the 
operation should be performed in autumn after the 
young growth has been completed, so that they may 
become established before winter. They do not stand 
forcing, although they may be successfully grown in 
pots in a frame or other cool place. If intended to 
occupy beds in the system known as spring bedding, 
they had better be grown in pots in the reserve garden. 
The effect of frequent transplanting and the breaking 
up of them in order to propagate the kinds, may too 
often be seen in gardens, where more than half of their 
charm is lost in so doing. No one who has not seen 
them can imagine the effect produced by established 
clumps 12 ins. or 14 ins. in diameter. The flowering 
period extends from January to April, according to the 
nature of the season and latitude ; and in bright sunny 
days in spring they are visited by swarms of bees, 
especially the single varieties. We have noted this 
many years ago, when Hepaticas used to be the pride 
of many an old cottage garden. The single blue kinds 
were most frequent in those places, although in the 
neighbouring squire’s garden blues, reds, and white, 
both single and double with the exception of the white, 
were plentiful. 
Of the forms in cultivation, we noted a number 
recently in the grounds of Messrs. Barr & Sons, at 
Long Ditton, S.W. The single blue or typical 
Anemone Hepatica was plentiful, and the white 
stamens formed a beautiful contrast to the deep sky- 
blue of the sepals. The Single Red had also con¬ 
spicuous stamens, and the sepals were deep rosy red 
and pink externally. The Double Red is extremely 
pretty on account of the beautifully regular arrange¬ 
ment of the inner segments, which represent the 
stamens in a petaloid condition. The outer or true 
sepals are much longer and larger than the latter. 
What is here called the Single White (true) is really 
A. H. nivea, all parts of the flower, including the 
stamens, being pure white. There is another white 
variety in cultivation—namely, A. H. alba, which has 
pink or reddish anthers. Another variety grown here 
under the name of Single White has the base and edges 
of the sepals tinted with violet, sometimes fading to 
blush, but otherwise white. It might well receive a 
distinctive varietal name. 
-.»$««-— 
A VISIT TO THE HOME OF 
FLOWERS, SWANLEY. 
Grand as were the Chinese Primulas, mentioned at p. 
363, they were not more so in point of culture and 
strain of flower than were several other classes of 
plants which are made a specialty of at Swanley, and 
among which may be mentioned a house, 100 ft. in 
length, filled with Cyclamens, which were just in their 
first flush of floral glory. This house, full of fine- 
grown plants, each carrying scores of flowers of large 
size and substance on stout foot-stalks well above the 
leaves, was a splendid sight to behold, and gayer than 
the Primulas, because they were more diversified in 
colour. 
Another house of the same length as the former, and 
filled with zonal Pelargoniums, was literally ablaze 
with colour of all conceivable hues; thousands of well- 
grown sturdy plants were carrying huge trusses of 
bloom, while the individual flowers of some of the 
varieties, all named sorts, were of large size and 
substance. 
Yet another house of similar length was full of 
Cinerarias, named kinds, in the finest condition of 
health, and just unfolding their first flowers, giving 
promise of a very fine sight presently. 
A casual look through a long house specially devoted 
to winter-flowering Begonias, revealed some very useful 
and serviceable varieties in this section of the Begonia 
family for winter decoration, either as cut flowers or 
pot plants. Knowing that Mr. Cannell was great in 
“ Mums,” I was not at all surprised to see four or five 
of his long houses given up entirely to the cultivation 
of the various sections of this plant, which, at the time 
of my visit, were furnishing thousands of cuttings, and 
which, as is mostly known, can generally be depended 
upon to be true to name from here. 
In another very long house were laid out on the 
stages on some moist material tens of thousands of 
tuberous Begonias, and in a temperature suitable to 
induce their springing or sprouting, preparatory to 
being potted, as also for furnishing cuttings when the 
young shoots should be sufficiently long for that 
purpose. A house full of dormant and brown-looking 
