Asperula odorata (Woodruff).-This is not a highly ornamental plant, but is nevertheless pleasing and attractive,- -as much, perhaps, on account of its agreeable fragrance as its pretty white flowers, and the handsome arrangement of its fresh green leaves. It is not unworthy of a place in the mixed border; but its greatest value lies in the facility with which it establishes itself in shady places under trees, where little else will grow. Many a naked unsightly spot in woods may be clothed with a cheerful carpet of verdure by the free use of this pretty plant, and the considerable profusion of pure-white flowers which it produces in spring and early summer, in even the shadiest places, if not imposing, is quite enjoyable. So old an inhabitant of gardens scarce requires description. It may be freely increased by division in autumn, winter, or spring. Native of Britain and most countries of Europe and northern Asia.

Crucianella stylosa (Long-styled C.)-This is an ornamental member of an otherwise weedy group. It is a diffusely-tufted plant, with a profusion of weak, straggling, procumbent stems, clothed with whorls of six or more narrow lance-shaped leaves, acutely pointed, and otherwise rough to the touch from short bristly hairs. The flowers are produced in small but handsome terminal heads, and are bright rose or pink, with long styles protruding conspicuously beyond the corollas. Flowers from June to September. Height about 1 foot. Flourishes best in light, warm, sandy loam, but succeeds well in any ordinary garden-soil, and is worthy of a place in any collection of ornamental herbaceous plants. Increase by division in autumn, winter, or spring.

Houstonia. This is a small genus of diminutive North American plants. They are simple, pretty, and interesting. They are adapted only for culture on rockwork among small alpine plants, for they should have no troublesome encroaching neighbours. They succeed best in moist sandy peat and loam, in warm positions. Propagate by division in spring; and the divisions will be more successful if first established in pots in a cold frame, or under a hand-glass for a time.

H. cærulea (Blue H.)-The plant forms dwarf rounded masses of small egg-shaped leaves, over which the tiny stems rise an inch or two, bearing small pretty flowers, with pale-blue four-lobed corollas, changing in age to white. Flowers from late spring till autumn. Height about 6 inches.

Mitchella repens (Creeping M.)—This forms flat close carpets of creeping, rooting stems, clothed with opposite pairs of broadly egg-shaped dark-green leaves, which are evergreen. In the axils are produced the small, white, rather long-tubed

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flowers, which are succeeded by small red berries. It is a pleasing and characteristic plant on rockwork, and suitable only for that position. Flourishes best in moist sandy loam, in moderate shade. Height 3 or 4 inches. Native of North America.

Nertera depressa (Flattened N.)-This extremely curious and pretty plant-pretty as regards its fruit only-is of recent introduction. I have no experience of its culture, and can only say that it is recommended for culture amongst alpines on rockwork, in moist sandy loam. It forms densely-matted, dwarf, flattened tufts of creeping and freely-rooting stems, clothed with small, egg-shaped, somewhat succulent leaves, in the axils of which appear the small greenish flowers, which are followed by handsome small orange-coloured berries. Native of the mountains of New Zealand and Tasmania, and the Andes at high elevations throughout the greater part of the range.

VALERIANACEÆ.

This is an entirely herbaceous tribe, but does not comprise much that is floriculturally beautiful. Centranthus ruber, and one or two species of Valeriana, are handsome ornaments of herbaceous borders or the marginal borders of shrubberies, and several of the latter genus are proper subjects for naturalising in wild places about woods. Some that are specially adapted for the latter purpose, but suitable for no higher class of ornamentation, are: V. officinalis, with corymbose panicles of pink flowers, and growing about 3 feet high, and of which there is a white-flowered variety; V. Phu, which is the spikenard of the Cretans, and grows to about 3 feet high, with white flowers; and V. pyrenaica, having pink flowers and about the same stature. V. sambucifolia, which appears in some catalogues, is not very distinct from officinalis, and is by some held to be only a variety of that species: it has the same style and colour of inflorescence, and differs mainly in having the leaves divided into fewer and broader segments. They are bold, vigorous, encroaching plants that will hold their own against all neighbours, and that should be planted near nothing more valuable than themselves. The kinds enumerated all flower about the same time in early summer; the flowers last a considerable time, and are followed by the pappus-like processes of the numerous calyces, which are interesting and graceful.

Centranthus ruber (Red C.)-This is a very handsome hardy

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border-plant, and an old inhabitant of British gardens. is originally from the Mediterranean, but having strayed from cultivation, and become naturalised in some parts of England and Ireland, it now finds a place in the British flora. There are two or three varieties-a white, a purple, and a red or crimson. Individual taste will guide in the selection of the colour; but it is necessary to state that neither the white nor the purple are good of their kind, nor can they be regarded as any improvement as regards effectiveness on the original red. The plant produces stout erect stems, rather woody at the base, and clothed with opposite, smooth, slightly glaucous, broadlylance-shaped leaves, and terminating in bold handsome corymbs of numerous small flowers. It begins to bloom in June, and continues through the summer; and perhaps not the least beautiful feature, as it is certainly the most interesting one, is the elegant pappus-like calyx which adheres to the fruit in maturity. It is a very accommodating plant as regards culture, requiring only ordinary garden-soil, and occasional lifting and cutting in, without which it is apt to become weak and die out in the lapse of a few years. I have seen it planted and doing fairly well on the crumbling walls of an old ruin, and it is very useful for planting on dry rockwork, and in rocky stony banks where sufficient soil may be had to plant it in. Propagate by division in spring or autumn, and by cuttings of side shoots in autumn under a hand-glass or in a cold frame in sandy soil. Height about 2 feet.

Valeriana (Valerian).-Several species of this group have been already alluded to. Those following are, however, more choice plants, and deserving of more than passing notice, and a better position amongst ornamental plants. Propagate by division in autumn or spring.

Valeriana dioica (Marsh Valerian). This is a distinct and pretty species. It has no bold or striking characteristics to recommend it to notice; it is a simple, lowly, creeping plant, throwing up many small corymbs of pink flowers to the height of 6 or 8 inches. The flowers begin to open in May, and last about two months. It is very useful for planting in marshy or wet ground, but succeeds well in any situation or soil; but in very dry soil it should, if possible, be planted in shade.

V. montana (Mountain Valerian).-This species grows from 9 inches to 1 foot high. The root-leaves are similar to those of the last; but the stem-leaves, which in that one are pinnate, in this are entire, and the corymbs of flowers are more compact. The flowers are pale red or pink, and appear in summer. Native of the Alps, Pyrenees, and Apennines.

DIPSACEÆ.

The most valuable genus in this tribe is Morina; and it is a choice and rather rare plant. In extensive collections of mixed ornamental and botanical subjects, one or two species of Cephalaria may be tolerated; but they are generally rather coarse plants, and not very long-lived perennials, requiring periodical attention in the matter of lifting and replanting in order to keep them vigorous. Scabiosa is the most numerous genus, and comprises a few handsome species; but the majority are either coarse or slightly ornamental, fit only at the most for naturalising on banks in half-kept parts of grounds.

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Morina longifolia, syn. M. Wallichiana (Long-leaved M.)— This is one of the most beautiful of border-plants. It produces dense tufts of bright-green, wavy-margined, spine-toothed leaves, from 9 inches to I foot long, and 1 or 2 inches broad. flower-stems are stout, erect, and about 18 inches or 2 feet high, clothed with shorter leaves, but otherwise the same as those of the roots, in the axils of which appear the handsome whorls of tubular, two-lipped, red-and-white flowers in July and onwards for a couple of months. The plant is accounted half-hardy, but is quite hardy in any part of the country. It is, however, impatient of wet stagnant soil, and assumes the biennial character in such very often. It flourishes best in light rich loam of considerable depth, being a deep tap-rooting plant. It ripens seeds pretty freely in many parts of the country, and may be easily kept in stock by means of these-sowing a few annually, or when requirements dictate, in spring, either in heat or in a cold frame in pots. Increase may be effected also by means of division in spring; but if doing well the plant should not often be disturbed, though when signs of weakness begin to show themselves in the centre of the tuft, it is advisable to lift and replant in fresh soil. Native of India.

Scabiosa (Scabious).—The Sweet Scabious, so well known as a border annual, is one of the best of this family; indeed none of the perennial species are equal to it in showiness, though a few are more neat and trim border-plants. They flourish best in light, rich, well-drained loam, and are easily increased by seed and division; and some shrubby or half-shrubby species may be increased by cuttings. I make but a small selection, but they are amongst the best of the species at present in cultivation.

S. agrestis (Field Scabious).—This species is nearly related to the British S. Columbaria. It forms tufts of slightly-divided

root-leaves and pinnate stem-leaves; the stems branching freely, and each branch ending in a considerable head of palepurple flowers, appearing in July and August. Height about 18 inches or 2 feet. Native of Hungary.

S. graminifolia (Grass-like Scabious) grows about 1 foot high, producing tufts of handsome, very narrow, lance-shaped leaves, clothed with hoary down. The stems bear each a single paleblue flower-head. They appear in June and July. Native of Switzerland.

S. Webbiana (Webb's Scabious).-This is a very dwarf species, producing short roundish root-leaves, wrinkled and hoary with down. The flowers are white, and appear in July and August. Height about 6 or 9 inches. Native of Mount Ida.

COMPOSITE.

This is a vast natural order. It is computed by De Candolle to comprise upwards of 9000 species, or about a twelfth part of the whole known vegetable kingdom. Of this immense number of forms there are upwards of 1000 in cultivation in botanic gardens in this country. The fine collection in the herbaceous department in Kew Gardens contained above that number of species of Composite plants fourteen years ago; and considerable additions will no doubt have been made since then, by the introduction of new species which explorations in various parts of the world have brought to light. In an order so extensive, there must, of course, be many worthless weedy plants, looked at from a floricultural point of view; but it cannot be but that there should also be a large number of beautiful subjects adapted to a great variety of purposes. The general impression, however, is, that the Composite are a horde of barbarians, which no sane gardener would admit within the boundaries of the refined circles of cultivated Flora; only a few, the Dahlia and a limited number of hardy and tender annuals, being thought worthy of that distinction, out of hundreds of species not inferior to many popular occupants of high places in flower-gardens at the present time. The Composite give us subjects beautiful and gay, of all aspects and many degrees of stature, and great variety of habit of growth. Yellow is the predominant colour, and white is abundant; blues and purples are more rare, and reds the rarest of any. There are many noble-foliaged plants, and odd and curious ones too, which are quite as eligible