206 
THE GARDENING WORLD . 
March 7, 1903. 
NOTES ON THE ILLUSTRATIONS IN THIS ISSUE. 
Saxifraga burseriana magmfica. (See p. 203.) 
The above splendid early-flowering and new variety of Saxi¬ 
fraga bears the same relation to the type as S. oppositifolia 
pyrenaica. maxima does to its type. The whole plant is only 
1-1) in. to 2 in. high, and, practically, each individual would 
consist of a small dense rosette of subulate gray leaves, bearing 
a flower-scape surmounted by one huge solitary flower. The 
petals are orbicular, deeply crenate and white. The disc is of 
a paler yellow than that of S. b. major, than which the flower 
is also veiy much larger. 
Our illustration was taken from a specimen exhibited by 
Messrs. Barr & Sons, King Street, Covent Garden, at the Drill 
Hall on the 24th ult. 
The cultivation of the ordinary form of S. burseriana usually 
proves very simple, though it grows slowly. It is an alpine 
plant, and perfectly hardy, but its flowers are liable to appear 
too early in our climate, out of doors, and are liable to get 
cut with a severe frost. This does not always happen, and the 
plant then constitutes one of the prettiest and earliest to 
flower in the rock garden. It is eqmlly easily grown in pots, 
which may be sheltered in frames during the winter, and when 
so protected, the flowers are usually safe, no matter what the 
character of the weather may be. 
Primula megaseaefolia. (Seep. 211.) 
The above species gives promise of being a useful and in¬ 
teresting species for flowering during the winter months. It 
is practically new to cultivation, not yet having appealed in 
gardening books. It is a native of tiie Caucasus and other 
parts of Asia Minor, and was described in “ Boissier’s Mora 
Urientalis, IV., 26.” 
The habit of the plant is somewhat similar to that of Primula 
obconica, but the calyx is altogether different. The leaves are 
more squat on the ground, judging from specimens which we 
have hitherto seen, and more leathery in character. They are 
roundly oblong or oval, with a heart-shaped base, and wrinkled 
like those 'of Megasea, as the name is intended to convey. It 
may be remembered that Megasea includes those members of 
the genus Saxifraga which have large, leathery, and usually 
massive leaves. At present the leaves are small by compari¬ 
son with those of any Megasea coming under our notice, but 
there is no telling what they will develop to under cultivation, 
by seed sowing and selection; or even by the crossing of 
varieties. P. obconica has already departed from the original 
to a great extent in response to the care and art of the cul¬ 
tivator, and possibly the species under notice would respond in 
a similar manner. 
The flowers are produced in umbels on red and downy scapes, 
about 4 in. to 6 in. high ; and, judging from the specimen which 
we illustrate, the species will be very productive of flowers. 
Referring to the plant as seen in the alpine house at Kew, at 
the beginning of January last, the small specimen in a 48-size 
pot was then throwing up eight' flower-crowns, most of which 
may be seen in the illustration, while others only just making 
their appearance will form a, succession. Tire flowers of the 
wild plant are moderate in size and bright red-purple, but no 
doubt if the plant is amenable to cultivation the $ize of the 
flowers could be increased and the segments of the corolla made 
broader, so as to overlap. 
The specimen in question was flowering in the open previous 
to the date above mentioned, but the early flowers got hurt by 
frost, so that to enjoy this species it must be protected in some 
wav or other by glass during the winter months, which is its 
flowerin'? period. The alpine house at Kew is unheated, so that 
all the plant wants is merely to be protected from frost while 
in bloom. It is just possible, however, that the flowering 
period of the plant may be extended over a greater part of the 
winter by placing it under genial conditions, in the same way 
as P. obconica is treated. 
When that first came to Kew it was placed under similar 
conditions to the plant under notice, but cultivators have since 
shown that a slightly more genial atmosphere enables the plant 
to go on flowering continuously practically all the year round. 
Whether P. megaseaefolia will behave in this manner remains 
to be seen, but at present it is very promising. 
Cyclamen ibericum (See p. 205.) 
Several of the hardy species of Cyclamen succeed very well 
under ordinary treatment in the rock garden, and of these we 
should make special mention of C. lepandum, better known 
under the name of C. hederaefolium ; C. Coum and C. ibericum, 
the plant under notice. The latter has also been grown in 
gardens and nurseries under the name of C. Coum vernum, the 
latter' name having been given by liegel. 
The species under notice is one of the prettiest of the 
decidedly hardy ones, although the flo~wers may not be the 
largest. The flowers are rosy-purple, more or less intensified, 
but of a. decided crimson at the mouth, and were the petals 
somewhat longer than they are the flowers would c-ertainly 
be very conspicuous. At present they are notable for their 
breadth rather than for length, and we surmise from this that 
they are capable of considerable improvement by cultivation, 
seed sowing, and selection of the very best types. 
Hitherto this species has been frequently crossed with C. 
Coum, but though flowers were produced, there did not seem 
a. very great range of variation. The most noteworthy result 
was that the species were mixed up in a way that both the 
leaves and flowers were intimately combined, but there seems 
to have been no selection, but, rather, a collection of seedlings 
just as they happened to appear in the seed bed. 
Before anything decided could be the result with the raising 
of seeds the operator must select the very best that first make 
their appearance, and then select the choicest of the second and 
third generation. By this means the best characteristics would 
accumulate as a result of this repeated intercrossing and selec¬ 
tion. Nothing of any great importance may be expected in 
the first cross between two species so closely allied, so that the 
operation must be repeated for a number of generations. The 
leaves of the two species mentioned are quite undivided, those 
of C. ibericum having a beautiful gray band on the upper sur¬ 
face, though this is lacking in C. Coum. 
A Fine Hartstongue. (See p. 208.) 
(Scolopendrium vulgare var. crispum fimb i»tum ) 
The Hartstongues gener ally are of such a distinctive character 
that they cannot well be mistaken for any other Fern. There 
are, however, some strange exceptions, such as in the varieties 
known as cristulatum, Kelwayii, K. densum, and others, in 
which the normally tongue-shaped fronds have been so reduced 
by ramification and division that they resemble rather balls of 
fine Moss than approach even approximately to their lingual 
representatives. Then again, the crispum section lias become 
so specialised that the old order of things, as regards shape, 
have likewise become alnrGst obliterated, so that, in order to 
make provision for this additional leafy development, frilling, 
or deep undulation, or folding of the fronds has been resorted 
to. This in a well-grown symmetrical specimen has a veiy 
pleasing effect, and one that invariably recommends itself to 
all classes of gardeners. But this simple character of frilling, 
to accommodate the surplus growth, has also been departed 
from in many of our finer forms in which the frills themselves 
are much cut or fimbriated. The accompanying illustration is 
also another example of the way these Ferns behave sometimes 
under cultivation. The raiser, the late Mr. Troughton, nur¬ 
seryman, of Preston, sent me this rather more than twelve 
months ago; and although the crispums do not, as a rule, 
produce spores, there are exceptions, and this is a result of 
one of those exceptions. Mr. Troughton had a very fine col¬ 
lection of these plants, but his decease has brought about their 
dispersal. The one in question he colloquially termed his 
“ Little Gem.” . C. B. G. 
