March 7th, 1885. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
425 
speak of a few of the more interesting hardy 
flowers met with in a stroll round the herbaceous 
border and open rockwork the other day. First, 
then, on a sunny corner of the rockwork we found 
quite a nest of those little gems, the early Saxi¬ 
frages. There was S. sancta, and S. juniperina, 
with the little heads of yellow flowers, appearing from 
the centre of the rosette of leaves ; S. Burseriana, 
with numerous solitary white flowers of ^-in. in 
diameter; and S. oppositifolia, with bright rosy 
purple flowers. S. ligulata and S. orbicularis were 
of course present in force. The Doronicums are not 
out yet, but the buds are already large and will make 
a brilliant show before long. Iberis gibraltarica is 
opening out well, and is unsurpassed in the genus for 
effect; while the hardier I. Garrexiana is clothing 
itself with a sheet of white. Draba aizoides much 
resembles one of the previously mentioned yellow 
rosette Saxifrages, and looks well on a rocky corner. 
DAVALLIA POLYANTHA. 
A fine specimen of this beautiful fern is at present 
to be seen in excellent condition in the well-kept 
garden of T. J. Bolland, Esq., Broome House, Dids- 
bury, near Manchester. This plant is in a pan nearly 
3 ft. in diameter, and so freely has it grown that some 
of the stout rhizomes have come over the sides of the 
pan and hang down from 2 ft. to 3 ft. ; and as the 
plant is well elevated on another high pot the 
rhizomes are perfectly safe from fear of bruising or 
rubbing against other plants ; in fact, its size will not 
allow of its being often moved about. 
The plant as it is raised up above its fellows 
measures 8 ft. across, and by measuring over the 
fronds from one side to the other 10 ft. scarcely 
covers it. Altogether it is the finest specimen of this 
species I have ever met with. Davallia Mooreana is 
also well represented in a healthy specimen measuring 
8 ft. across. The different shades of green of these 
two Davallias is very noticeable, and when the young 
fronds appear the contrast is even more distinct 
The bright rosy pink of D. polyantha gives it a 
character that is only to be met with in a few species 
of ferns. Associated with these is a large plant of 
Brainea insignis, measuring 4 ft. across, one that I 
have known for a considerable length of time, and 
overlooked, and first perhaps maybe placed the lovely 
Scillas. S. bifolia and S. sibirica, which form such a 
pleasing contrast to the pure white of the Snowdrop. 
Then there is a very early Grape-hyacinth in full 
flower, Museari lingulatum, the flowers being of a 
clear sky-blue,-—a charming thing. The Crocuses 
are so well known, and so numerous that a passing 
mention is all that can be given, but we should like 
to say that they are nowhere more effective than 
where planted here and there among the grass. 
The plants we have mentioned by no means 
exhaust the list of pretty things in flower that could 
now be compiled, but we have space only to mention 
some charming flowers sent us by Mr. Ware, and a few 
of which our artist has depicted in the accompanying 
illustration. The Hoop-petticoat Narcissus, one of the 
purest gems of early spring, will be recognized at once. 
Next comes a scarlet Anemone, not the wind-flower of 
English woods, but the dazzling Anemone fulgens ; a 
HARDY SPRING FLOWERS. 
The tiny Ionopsidium acaule will scon be covered with 
its pretty lavender flowers, as already they are 
opening. It is first-cousin to the Draba ; also to the 
white Arabis alpina which will soon be a sheet of 
white, and a happy hunting-ground for the industrious 
hive-bees, who we are sure are not sorry to see these 
tokens of returning spring. 
The Hellebores cannot be passed over, — the white 
H. olympicus; the tinted H. niger ruber ; the green 
H. foetidus and H. lividus ; the dark, dull purple- 
coloured H. orientalis purpureus; and the group 
comprising H. purpurascens, H. atrorubens, H. 
intermedius, H. colchicus, and others, with flowers 
running through the various shades from rose to 
dingy-purple are welcome additions to the list of early 
flowers. We found, too, under the shelter of some 
large stones a plant of Geum montanum, with three 
of its large orange-yellow flowers expanded. Hepaticas 
red, white, and blue, and both single and double, were 
not wanting, and where they do well there is nothing 
more pleasing or effective. The pretty rosy-purple 
flowers of Cyclamen coum and C. vernum are also 
now seen to advantage. One or two bulbs cannot be 
pretty purple-stripped Crocus; then the light rose- 
tinted variety of Christmas Bose, called ruber, 
followed by the purple variety of Helleborus orientalis. 
The Iris is the exquisite I. reticulata, the beauties of 
which no artist in black and white can ever do justice 
to; and the Snowdrop is represented by a small 
flower of Galanthus Elwesii, the largest and finest of 
all the Snowdrops. Since the above came to hand 
we have had another handful of spring flowers 
from the rich collection at Tottenham; and which 
included the ever-welcome Water Hawthorn, Aponoge- 
ton distachyon, whose white forked infloresence, and 
delicious odour of “ May,” all appreciate; Crocus 
Imperati, and a variety with foliage about 2 ins. 
longer than that of the type species; the pale yellow- 
flowered Fumitory, Corydalis bracteata; the pretty, 
pale lilac-flowered Primula obconica or poculiformis ; 
the Glory of the Snow, Chionodoxa Luciliie, perhaps 
the prettiest hardy bulbous plant of recent introduc¬ 
tion ; the Snowflake, Leucojum vernum ; and last, 
but by no means least in importance, the single 
Daffodil, Narcissus, Pseudo-Narcissus, and the double 
form of N. Telamonius. 
have always found it doing well under the manage¬ 
ment of the painstaking gardener, Mr. J. Fletcher.— 
IF. Swan, Falloicjield. 
PANAX MURRAYI. 
This stately plant was obtained from the South Sea 
Islands for Mr. W. Bull, in whose establishment it 
flowered in May 1881, where it received the provisional 
name of Aralia splendidissima. But it has proved 
to be a genuine Panax, very closely allied to, and 
possibly identical with, P. Murrayi, of New South 
Wales and Queensland. A plant was sent to Kew by 
Mr. Bull, which is now said to be 4 ft. high, with a 
stem as thick as the wrist. A figure is given in the 
February number of The Botanical Magazine. The 
leaves are elegantly recurved, forming an umbrella¬ 
shaped crown, 8 ft. in diameter, and with about ten 
pairs of lanceolate leaflets, 3 ins. to 6 ins. long. The 
racemes are crowded at the apex of the stem, and 
bearing numerous greenish brown flowers, all of 
which are male. The Australian plant is said to be a 
splendid tree, 50 ft. to 60 ft. high, and trichotomously 
branched. Without fruits it seems impossible to 
prove the identity of the two plants. 
