338 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
April 23, 1904. 
Dog’s Tooth Violets. 
As far as records go the common Dog’s Tooth Violet (Ery- 
thronium Dens-canis) was amongst the earliest of hardy plants 
cultivated in this country, for it was in cultivation at least in 
1596. All of the other species now in, cultivation have been 
imported from America. The next introduction after the 
European species was E. americanum, which was said to be 
introduced in 1665. All the others are of much more recent 
introduction, but even now, with all the species at command, 
it is strange how few cultivators there are', which may be due 
to failure in some instances to cultivate them successfully. 
There is no difficulty with the European species, which 
may sometimes be se'en growing in the grass of lawns, but if 
care were taken, to select suitable positions for the American 
ones their cultivation should be attended with similar success. 
Many of them, at least, should be quite as hardy as the Euro¬ 
pean one, especially those coming from the eastern and north¬ 
western parts of America, 
They enjoy a. slightly shaded position, with a fairly moist 
soil. If the latter is naturally well drained and mixed with 
a, considerable quantity of peat or leaf-mould, there should be 
no difficulty in establishing these beautiful hardy Lily worts. 
They are more nearly allied to Tulips and Lilies than to 
Violets, the latter name being given by our forefathers when 
the natural relationship of plants was very indistinctly under¬ 
stood. There are many positions ini private gardens, and on 
well-made rockeries, where these spring flowers would thrive 
and appear to best advantage, and it is desirable that their 
cultivation should be extended. 
Erythronium Dens-canis. 
The ordinary wild form of the common Dogs. Tooth Violet 
has rose flowers with a. brown blotch above the base. Only 
one flower is produced on a, stalk, varying from 1 in. to If in. 
in length, with narrow reflexed segments 1 , which are common 
to all of the species. This has been considerably improved, 
and several varieties are now obtainable with broader seg¬ 
ments and rich colours. If a fairly moist and shaded position 
is selected for this species it gives no trouble whatever. 
E. grandiflorum. 
The flowers of this species 1 are bright yellow, with a pale 
lemon zone in the centre 1 . Usually only one flower is produced 
on a stem, and the leaves: are of uniform pale or sub-glaucous 
green, without markings. The character of the leaves is a 
very goed clue to 1 this species, because a large proportion of 
the Dog’s Tooth Violets, including the European species, have 
their leaves marbled or blotched with purple-brown. There 
is a very distinct variety of this species known as E. g. albi- 
florum, having white flowers with a deep yellow or orange 
base. E. g. robustum bears from three to six flowers on, a. 
stem and is considered more easy to cultivate successfully than 
the type. 
E. americanum. 
This is of much earlier introduction than the previous one, 
and is known as the Yellow Adder’s Tongue'. The flowers are 
produced singly from the stems and are yellow, often more or 
less tinted with purple, and finely spotted. Notwithstanding 
its antiquity, it is not so common in cultivation as one might 
expect. 
E. giganteum. 
As a rule this produces only one or two' veiy large flowers 
on a stem, but when very robust the stems may carry as many 
as ten flowers. They are creamy-white, with one. or two trans¬ 
verse deep yellow bars immediately above a pale lemon, base. 
When the number of the flowers is multiplied they are, of 
course, smaller. The late Dr. Lindley was very much taken 
with this species, and mentioned it in connection with E. 
graudiflorum. In the native state it ranges from Lower 
Columbia to California. The- leaves are netted with grey 
veins and are usually more or less blotched with purple-brown 
on the spaces between the veins. . It is a strong-growing plant 
and well worthy of cultivation. 
E. albidum. 
The flowers in this instance are produced singly and are 
creamy-white, more or less tinted with blue or purple. The 
leaves are usually slightly blotched, but may be altogether 
green. The species was introduced from North America in 
1824, and therefore conies next in age to E. americanum. 
E. Hartwegii 
The stems of this species bear from one to three flowers, 
which may either be pale yellow or creamy, with a yellow 
base. The leaves are more or less netted with heavy grev 
lines. It is of more recent introduction than the above-men¬ 
tioned forms, and comes from North America. 
E. Hendersoni. 
This is considerably different from either of the above-men¬ 
tioned species, and shows somewhat similar lines of ornamenta¬ 
tion as in the European -species. The segments are pale lilac- 
purple, fading to white in the central zone and then giving 
place to a dark maroon-purple zone round the ovary. This 
dark maroon-purple colour would serve to make the species a 
very handsome one, if it were not that the flowers hang their 
heads so much. This peculiarity of the species of Dog’s Tooth 
Violet offers a great incentive to their cultivation in pots for 
the greenhouse or cool conservatory where the beautiful mark¬ 
ings both of the flowers and leaves may be brought more 
directly under the eye. 
E. revolutum. 
The flowers and habit of the plant of this species have some 
resemblance to those of E. grandiflorum, under which many 
cultivators are inclined to place it. The leaves are marbled, 
however, and that alone would separate it from E. grandi¬ 
florum. The- flowers 1 are of a bright mauve-purple, which 
would also serve to> separate it from the better-known- species. 
It is a- native of British Columbia. 
E. Johnsoni. 
The flowers in this instance are' produced singly on the 
stems and are clear pinkish-rose 1 , becoming dark purple with 
a more or less rich yellow or orange zone at- the base of the 
segments. The leaves are heavily mottled or marbled with 
brown blotches. It is a strong-growing species when healthy, 
and is a native of Southern Oregon. 
E. citrinum. 
This comes from the same regions as the last-mentioned, 
but is altogether different- in- general appearance and somewhat 
different- in botanical structure. The stems- carry from one to 
eight flowers of a light creamy-yellow, fading almost to white 
with a bright yellow or orange base. The tips of the seg¬ 
ments after a time may also become tinted with pink. The 
leaves are often green but vary by being finely netted with 
grey and more or less distinctly blotched with brownish-purple. 
As far as the colour goes, it has some resemblance to E. gigan- 
teum and E. Hartwegii, but its botanical characters are dif¬ 
ferent. 
E. purpurescens. 
In structure this is allied to E. Hendersoni, but the- flowers 
are different- in colour, being pale yellow tinted with purple, 
with an orange blo-tc-h at the base of the segments. The 
leaves' are also tinted with bronze in patches. It is a native 
of California. 
E. Howelli. 
In general structure and appearance this seems related to 
E. purpurescens, but it comes from Oregon. The flower's are 
pale yellow, with an orange base, and more or less tinted with 
pink as they reach their last stages of development. The 
leaves are also- mottled or marbled with brown. 
Besides the above species' several others are in cultivation, 
and some of them that- are already known, to- science do not 
seem to have been introduced in the live state, otherwise 
they are very scarce. The above, however, would form a first- 
class collection for cultivation in the open air or in pots. 
