570 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
May 4, 1895. 
SOME WAYSIDE THOUGHTS: 
MOSTLY FLORAL. 
(Concluded, from page 555 ) 
The Ground Ivy (Nepeta Glecho.-na), too, is here 
with its long creeping roots and stems, surmounted 
by suspicious-looking bluish flowers. The whole 
plant is aromatic, and used to be in request for 
herbal wants. The common Polypody, amongst 
Ferns, affected the higher parts of the banks, and 
still held out against the lapse of time. Its fronds, 
however, confessed the battle and the breeze, 
although they still maintained the perpendicular ; 
while its congeners, the Male and Shield Ferns, 
wrapt themselves entirely in their withered wings. 
While thus pondering we come upon the water 
meadows, through which meanders a tributary of 
the river Cole. Let us explore its banks, There is 
a good volume of water which a little lower down 
divides the counties of Berks and Wilts ; thence on 
and on until it loses itself at Lechlade in the Thames 
or Isis. Ah! here is the flower which Wordsworth 
has immortalised. It covereth the meadows, it is of 
a bright shining yellow, and hath smooth, heart- 
shaped leaves. What is it ?—- 
“Long as there are Violets, 
They will have a place in story ; 
There’s a flower that shall be mine, 
’Tis the little Celandine.'’ 
Yea, even the Celandine. It is, however, more 
commonly called Pilewort or Figwort. Perhaps the 
former explains itself; the latter is not so evident 
unless we examine the roots, when we shall find that 
the oblong tuberous roots resemble—fancifully, of 
course—Figs. But it is also dubbed “Buttercup.” 
The untrained rustic mind associates all the yellow 
species of Ranunculus—ay, and other genera besides 
—with the ubiquitous Buttercup. Murray, the 
lexicographer, thinks the word is a combination of 
old English "butter” and “cup,” because it 
resembles, not gives colour to, butter. Other 
authorities incline to the belief that it is, like the 
Dandelion, of French extraction. Anyhow, the 
French equivalent is bouton d'or, or bouton cop, that is, 
button of gold, or button head. It is, however, 
commonly believed that Buttercups do impart that 
rich yellow which is characteristic of good butter, 
although the great Linneus, over a hundred years 
ago, observed that not only cows, but horses and 
swine refused to eat them. 
Now we are on the butter question, mention may 
be made of the Butter-bur (Petasites vulgaris) 
which grows on the banks of the stream. It 
has dense panicles of pale purplish flowers. The 
leaves are very large and downy underneath, and 
the conjecture is that the plant was so-called because 
the leaves were used for wrapping butter in. The 
generic name petasis suggests a covering—in fact, a 
little umbrella. Of course the Coltsfoot's golden 
blossoms are in evidence. Where will they not be 
found ? By road or river on rubbish heap or crudest 
clay, they give the rambler welcome news of advent 
spring. This plant, like the last, possesses, later on, 
large downy leaves, which are bitter and mucilaginous; 
hence they were formerly used for coughs and colds. 
The generic name Tussilago implies this, and was 
used by Pliny in this sense nearly two thousand years 
ago. 
In the water meadows one expects to find the 
umbels of the drooping Cowslip, but it is not yet 
time ; we must wait for : — 
“The flowery May, who from her green lap 
throws 
The yellow Cowslip and the pale Primrose.” 
The plants are here, but the buds have not yet 
responded to the call of Nature; they look pensive 
and sad. Ah ! here is one which has outstripped its 
fellows. Welcome, little blossom! thou art a reminder 
of youthful days when, as children, we gathered you 
by the score for mother to make a pleasant and 
soporific wine. 
In those early days we were satisfied with the simple 
name of Cowslip ; it conveyed enough to childish 
minds. But as one grows more mature, and as 
wisdom increases, one is not so easily satisfied : and 
one looks about for an explanation of the why and 
wherefore. But as the origin of most things is veiled in 
obscurity, so it seems that even the names of many of 
our favourite flowers are beyond recall. I cannot 
think that this particular name has much to do with 
“ cow ” or “ lip,” and yet Murray, an etymological 
authority, derives it from old English cu, a cow, and 
slyppe or sloppe, a wet place ; thence it goes through 
various forms, such as Cuslyppe, Cowslippe, 
Couslip, down to our present spelling. It is Primula 
veris of botanists, and allied very closely to the 
Primrose (Primula vulgaris). Indeed, by some, the 
two species are considered to be only modifications 
of one ancient Primulaceous plant. There is no 
doubt that Nature abhors classification, and that the 
old ideas concerning rigidity of species are fast dying 
out. The difference between species and varieties is 
one of degree only, and Sir Joseph Hooker says that 
“ variations accumulated through successive 
generations will become specific, and these again by 
a like process generic.” 
But to the Primrose, which is perhaps the best 
known of all our wildlings, because “ Primrose Day,” 
which occurs in April, has caused such a popularisa¬ 
tion of the flower that cockney as well as countryman 
is well acquainted with it. To rustic Peter Bell:— 
“ A Primrose by a river's brim 
A yellow Primrose was to him, 
And it was nothing more.” 
If 1 might paraphrase this I would say that to 
political Peter Bell:— 
“ A Primrose in a buttonhole 
Suggests a party to his soul, 
And nothing more.” 
Primrose literally means the “ first Rose,” and is 
said to be derived from Latin primus, first, through 
the French prime rose, because it is one of the earliest 
plants to bloom. The old English word is primerole. 
But if this plant is the first “ Rose ’’ of spring, what 
about the last Rose of summer ? Truly the ways of 
etymologists are hard to discover. The Creeping 
Jenny or Moneywort, which does not bloom till June, 
must also be a Rose, for it is a cousin of the Prim¬ 
rose, and belongs to the same order ; so that while 
some plants have well-marked characteristics and 
cannot be denied, there are some like the Creeping 
Jenny that are not so obvious ; hence the value of 
botany. 
But the sun has passed the meridian ; we must 
give up our banks and braes, our streamlets and our 
water-meadows. We must awake from our dolce far 
nientc phase of existence and travel back to sights and 
sounds less fair. It is, however, good sometimes— 
and I hope my readers will thinks so—to get away 
from the aristocratic Flora of the gardens, and to 
coquette for a time with her sweeter, because more 
natural, sister of the wilds and woods.—C. B. G., 
Acton, TV. 
-- 
PLANTS RECENTLY CERTIFICATED. 
Amaryllis Lady Powis. —The scapes of this variety 
stand about 2 ft. high, and bear about three flowers 
of large size, with scarcely any tube, and widely 
expanded, brilliant, crimson-scarlet segments. The 
star is short and pale green. This forms a decided 
advance upon the bulk of the varieties of Amaryllis 
in cultivation. Floricultural Certificate, Royal 
Botanic Society, April 24th, to Messrs. B. S. 
Williams & Son, Upper Holloway. 
Begonia Mrs. Arthur Pitts. —In this case the 
blooms are large, and perfectly double, with the 
numerous wavy petals arranged round a single 
centre like a Hollyhock. The petals are of a dark 
and rich shade of rose, but the central ones are 
more or less tinted with white at the base in their 
younger stages. The foliage is dark green. Flori¬ 
cultural Certificate, Royal Botanic Society, April 
24th, to Mr. T. S. Ware, Tottenham. 
Begonia Miss Dora Richards. —Like the 
previous one, this also belongs to the tuberous 
race. The large, double flowers are of a delicate 
flesh colour, with a rosy edge to the wavy petals 
which are arranged round a single centre. In their 
earlier stages they are white or nearly so, but become 
tinted in the manner described as they reach per¬ 
fection. Floricultural Certificate, Royal Botanic 
Society, April 24th, to Mr. T. S. Ware. 
Begonia Prince Adolphus of Teck. —Here again 
the flowers are double and of beautiful Camellia-like 
form. The flat petals are neatly arranged round a 
common centre, and are of an intensely brilliant 
scarlet. The moderate sized leaves are deep 
green. Floricultural Certificate, Royal Botanic 
Society, April 24th, to Messrs. J. Laing & Sons. 
Begonia Princess Adolphus of Teck. —This 
double variety flowered for the first time about 
three years ago, and has pure white flowers of 
moderate size, with broad petals. The smaller 
blooms are not unlike those of a Gardenia. Flori¬ 
cultural Certificate, Royal Botanic Society, April 
24th, to Messrs. J. Laing & Sons. 
Begonia Samuel Pope. —The flowers of this 
tuberous variety are large, and beautifully double, 
although they consist of a moderate number of 
petals. The latter are very broad with wide undula¬ 
tions of the Hollyhock type, and are of a black 
colour with dark rose edges. The variety partakes 
therefore of the character of the Hollyhock and the 
Picotee, and is remarkably pretty and attractive. 
Floricultural Certificate, Royal Botanic Society, 
April 24th, to Mr. T. S. Ware. 
Bertolonia Madame Auguste Van Geert.— 
The leaves of this fine variety are large, and have 
seven to nine nerves of a silvery-grey in the younger 
stages, but as they become fully developed they 
assume a beautiful rosy tint. These nerves are 
connected by shorter transverse ones, and, like the 
spots distributed over the whole leaf, they take the 
same colours as the principal veins. Botanical 
Certificate, Royal Botanic Society, April 24th, to 
Messrs. J. Laing & Sons. 
Bougainvillea speciosa superea —This beauti¬ 
ful variety was raised from cuttings sent from Egypt. 
The floral bracts, which alone give beauty to this 
handsome climber, are of a dark and rich rosy- 
purple, difficult to describe, but they make the 
ordinary form appear pale and poor by com¬ 
parison. Award of Merit, R.H.S., April 23rd, to 
Mr. G. Stanton. Park Place, Henley-on-Thames. 
Caladium Puvis de Chavannes. —The leaves of 
this variety when in their best condition are broadly 
shield-shaped and of a uniform soft red all over with 
the principal veins crimson. With plenty of 
subdued sunshine this would make a bold and 
handsome variety for decorative purposes. Botanical 
Certificate, Royal Botanic Society, April 24th, to 
Messrs. John Peed & Sons, Roupell Park Nurseries, 
Norwood Road. 
Caladium Triomphe de Comte. —The leaves of 
this new variety are large, shield-shaped and of a 
dark crimson-red with bronzy-green markings 
towards the edges, and of great decorative value. 
Botanical Certificate, Royal Botanic Society, April 
24th, to Messrs. J. Laing & Son. 
Canna Cheshunt Yellow.— The three large 
segments of this variety are clear golden yellow, but 
two of the small and revolute segments are crimson. 
Floricultural Certificate. Royal Botanic Society, 
April 24th, to Messrs. Paul & Son. 
Epiphyllum Russellianum Makoyanum. —The 
joints of this cactaceous plant are narrowly obovate, 
and longer than those of E. Gaertneri. The flowers 
consist of numerous sepals and petals of a deep 
scarlet externally, and tinted with orange internally. 
They are openly funnel-shaped, like those of a Cereus, 
and produce one to three together at the apex of 
the joints. The variety is handsome for conserva¬ 
tory decoration. Floricultural Certificate, Royal 
Botanic Society, April 24th, to Messrs. J. Veitch & 
Sons, Chelsea. 
Polyanthus Hermand. —The blue colour origin¬ 
ally developed in the hardy Primroses of that hue 
has now been communicated to some varieties of 
Polyanthus, of which that under notice has deep 
violet-blue flowers. Award of Merit, R.H.S., April 
23rd, to G. F. Wilson, Esq., F.R.S., Weybridge. 
Pieris Formosa.— The leaves of this greenhouse 
species are large, very leathery, and of a dark green 
colour, showing off the large white clusters of 
flowers to the best advantage. Not being quite 
hardy, a greenhouse is necessary to enable this 
species to flower to perfection. Award of Merit, 
R.H.S., April 23rd, to Mrs. Ramsden, Guildford. 
Pteris cretica Wimsettii. —The leaves of this 
bold and striking variety are bipinnate, as in the 
type, but what gives them their peculiar and char¬ 
acteristic appearance is that the pinnae are 
irregularly developed here and there into segments 
of varying lengths, serrate on the margins, or 
sometimes again slightly lobed, or these secondary 
lobes may be reduced to mere teeth. The plant 
forms a bold and bushy specimen with the pinnae 
and pinnules spreading widely. Award of Merit, 
R.H.S., April 23rd, Mr. H B. May, Dyson's Lane 
Nursery, Upper Edmonton. 
Rhododendron Fosterianum. —The leaves of 
this greenhouse Rhododendron are elliptic, leathery, 
and dark green. The flowers, which measure 4 in. 
across, have slightly wavy segments, and are pure 
while, with exception of a pale yellow blotch at the 
