178 
THE GARDENING WORLD . 
March 4, ig05. 
The Rock Garden. 
Plants in Bloom. 
Iris Tauri. 
The species of bulbous Irises now in the country are getting 
very numerous, but amongst those which can be grown in the 
open air in suitably sheltered positions, few or any of them 
are more handsome than the subject of this note. The flowers 
are the most dominant feature of the plant while in bloom, as 
the leaves are yet very short. They are also amongst the 
darkest flowered of any of the species, leaving out of considera¬ 
tion the important forms of English and Spanish Irises which 
have been in cultivation for so many years. The flowers vary 
from 3 in. to G in. above the surface of the soil, while each 
bloom has an expanse of 3 in. to 4 in. The dominating colour 
is violet-purple with a very dark, nearly black, blotch at the 
tip of the falls. An orange ridge runs down the centre of 
these, with some white lines on either side of it. All the rest 
of the flower is of the rich hue above mentioned, so that the 
species takes rank amongst the best of hardy bulbous Irises. 
It is a native of Cilicia, 
Galanthus latifolius. 
In this we have a very distinct, break from the general run of 
Snowdrops, which have leaves of a more or less decided glau¬ 
cous hue, as in the common Snowdrop. The leaves of the 
species in question are rather broad and of a uniform rich 
green, though not in any way glaucous. The dowers are of 
large size, and white, with a. heart-shaped or kidney-shaped 
green blotch on both faces of the inner segments just below the 
notch. It will thus be seen that the flowers offer nothing- 
special by comparison with the common Snowdrop, but the 
foliage certainly marks out this species as one of the most 
distinct in the genus. It is a. native of the Caucasus, and lias 
now been in this country for twenty-seven years at least, 
though I find it in very few collections. This is rather sur¬ 
prising when one considers the distinctness which it offers and 
by which it may be singled out at sight, 
Adonis amurensis 
The leaves of this plant are very moderate in size at the time 
the plant is in bloom, and at a little distance one might 
imagine that he was looking at the fine foliaged Paeonia tenui- 
folia, if it were not for the large golden-yellow flowers on the 
top. After the flowering period is over the leaves enlarge con¬ 
siderably until they closely resemble the common Hare's-foot 
Fern (Davallia canariensis). Although the flowers when fully 
expanded are of a bright golden hue, they are more or less 
decidedly tinted with bronze on the back, so that in the bud 
state and when half closed they have a considerably different 
effect. I cannot compare this to the Pheasant’s Eye, which 
belongs to the same genus, for the two types are remarkably 
distinct. There are at least two European species more closely 
allied, but they have flowers much later than this one. It is 
distinctly a valuable plant, seeing that it has been more or less 
in bloom since the beginning of February. There is a, fine 
double variety of it in cultivation which I hope will soon 
become common in gardens. 
Crocus biflorus. 
The ordinary form of this Crocus in gardens has been in 
cultivation for a great many years and is one of the best known 
apart from the varieties of C. vermis and C. aureus, so much 
grown by the Dutch and annually sent in vast numbers foi 
bedding purposes and for flowering in pots. There are, how-- 
ever, some very handsome varieties, even if not so suitable 
for general cultivation. C. b. Alexandri is, however, an ex¬ 
ception, the flowers being quite as large as the ordinary Scotch 
Crocus, also known as Cloth of Silver. It differs only in 
colour, and is remarkably handsome. Imported conns show 
a considerable amount of variation, but the most handsome is 
that in which the colour on the back of the outer segments 
forms a broad, rich violet band. The stripes are quite obscure 
where the colour is so intense. There are, however, individuals 
where this band fades to a soft lavender, and the three dark 
veins then show themselves up. Two very pretty foims of 
previous introduction are C. b. Pestalozzae and C. b. Weldeni. 
The former has very small white flowers with an orange throat 
and tinted with yellow on the back of the outer segments, this 
again being washed with pale blue. C. b. Weldeni is also a 
tiny but pretty Crocus washed with pale blue or lavender on 
the back of the outer segments. 
Crocus aureus striatus. 
Some years ago a very pretty variety of the Dutch yellow 
Crocus turned up, I believe, as a result of seed sowing, and 
amongst the seedlings was a beautifully striped variety. The 
flowers are of a rich orange striped with rich bronzy-purple on 
the back of the outer segments. This is a. form of the Dutch 
yellow Crocus rather than the wild C. aureus, which was the 
parent of many garden ones. It was put into cultivation 
under the name of C. luteus striatus. There is also another 
striped yellow Crocus belonging to the same species—namely, 
C. aureus sutphureus striatus, but in this instance the flowers 
have a pale sulphur-yellow ground colour. 
Colchicum libanoticum. 
Gardeners who know anything about the Meadow Saffron 
associate it chiefly with the common autumn-flowering species, 
C. autumnale, but the flowers of that species are not accom¬ 
panied by leaves. C. libanoticum appears above ground at 
any time in the new year and sometimes before. The flowers 
are somewhat smaller than the better known species, but tliey 
vary between rosy-lilac and white, and are accompanied by 
their leaves, which practically keep pace with the development 
of the flowers, and unless the weather happens to be severe, 
the foliage keeps on developing until it reaches its full stature. 
It has been flowering more or less freely for some time past in 
a light, friable soil in the open. 
Hacquetia Epipactis. 
It is interesting to find an Umbellifer amongst early flower¬ 
ing plants, and this one, as far as I know, takes the lead in 
that family. The flowers are bright yellow, but the most pro¬ 
minent feature of the plant consists of the star-like, circle of 
bracts which surrounds the flowers, this being blight yellow 
when fully developed and gradually becoming green afterwards. 
Notwithstanding the uncertainty of the w r eather since the in¬ 
coming of the' new year, the flower-heads of this little plant are 
now becoming conspicuous just above the surface of the soil. 
The plant never attains a greater height than a few inches 
when fully developed. 
Narcissus Bulbocodium monophyllus. 
For many years past this beautiful form of the Hoop-Petti¬ 
coat Daffodil has been grown either in a greenhouse or a cold 
frame on account of its early .flowering. That is possibly the 
most certain way to make sure that the flowers will not be 
destroyed by inclement weather just after they have opened. 
If the weather happens to be mild during the period of bloom¬ 
ing the flowers attain their full development and are both 
unique and handsome in their way in the open ground. When 
nearly fully developed they are creamy white, but become 
quite pure in a short time. A sheltered posit ion should be 
selected for it on the rockery, where the flowers can be pro¬ 
tected if need be while in bloom. 
Merendera caucasica. 
Those who are unacquainted with this uncommon genus of 
the Lily family would at first sight regard it as a Crocus. 
There are six stamens, however, and that would separate it 
distinctly from any member of the Iris family. It is more 
likely to be mistaken at first sight for a better-known plant 
belonging to the same group by those who grow it. I refer to 
Bulbocodium vernurn. In outward appearance both are very 
similar, having clear purple flowers just rising out of the 
o-round accompanied by their leaves, which afford a certain 
amount of protection until the tube of the flower has become 
elono-ated. This tube is more evident than real, for when 
examined it is found that each segment of the flower is oar- 
rowed into a long, slender claw, and all six of them stand c o,e 
together so as to form an apparent tube. By this distinction 
alone it can easily be separated from Bulbocodium. 
