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Androsace (From aner a man and sakos)

(from aner, a man, and sakos, buckler; in reference to the resemblance of the anther to an ancient buckler). Including Aretia. ORD. Primulaceae. Dwarf annuals or perennials, entirely alpine, agreeing in most characters with Primula, but having the tube of the corolla narrowed at the mouth. An airy, well-drained, and partially sunny position is essential in their culture. They thrive well between fissures of rocks or stones with a rich sandy peat soil. Drought and a sour soil are alike fatal, and both will be greatly obviated if small pieces of sandstone are mixed with the soil. The woolly species are best arranged beneath a jutting ledge of the rockery, which will afford them protection from the hottest sunshine, and from excessive wet in winter; additional comfort will be provided from the latter ill if a piece of glass is placed over them during the autumn and winter months. They can also be well grown, and make charming little specimens, in pots, with rich sandy soil and thorough drainage. Sprinkle sand among the small rosettes of leaves. They are increased by divisions, cuttings, or seed; the latter should be sown as early as possible, and raised in a frame. A. alpina (alpine). fl. purplish rose; throat and tube yellow, solitary; peduncles about 1/2in. long. June. l. crowded, small, tongue-shaped, in small rosettes. h. 2in. to 3in. Switzerland, 1775. This species requires a rather shady aspect, and to be planted almost perpendicularly in a soil composed of leaf mould, peat, fibrous loam, and sharp sand. SYN. A. glacialis. A. Aretia (Aretius'). Synonymous with A. helvetica.

A. aretioides (Aretia-like). Synonymous with A. obtusifolia. A. argentea (silvery).* fl. white, sessile, very numerous. June. l. densely imbricated, lanceolate, oblong, covered with short hairs, forming very pretty silvery-grey rosettes. h. about 2in. Switzerland, 1826. This requires a well drained, sunny fissure. SYN. A. imbricata.

A. carnea (flesh-coloured).* fl. pink or rose, with a yellow eye, three to seven, on hairy stalked umbels. July. l. awl-shaped, smooth, acuminated, not forming rosettes. Stem somewhat elongated. h. 3in. or 4in. Switzerland, 1768. This forms charming little cushions if allowed to remain undisturbed; it is easily increased. SYNS. A. Lachenalii, A. puberula.

A. c. eximia (select).* Larger and more robust than the typical species, and a more rapid grower. Forms compact tufts of dense rosettes, bearing heads of rosy-crimson yellow-eyed flowers, on stems 2in. or 3in. high. Auvergne Alps, 1871. It requires moist sunny ledges and fissures of rockwork in peat, loam, and sand.

A. Chamaejasme (rock jasmine).* fl. blush, ultimately deep pink, with a yellow eye, umbellate. June. l. lanceolate tapering to a point towards the base, in comparatively large, not dense, rosettes. h. about 2in. to 4in. Austria, &c., 1768. A very free flowering species, growing freely when established, ultimately forming large tufts. It thrives best in a deep, well drained and rich loam soil.

A. ciliata (ciliated). fl. deep carmine red, on stems double as long as the leaves. June. l. lanceolate-oblong, smooth on both surfaces, with ciliated margins, imbricated. h. 2in. to 3in., forming dense cushions. Pyrenees. A. coronopifolia (buckhorn-leaved).* fl. pure white, on slender pedicels, umbellate on peduncles, about 6in. high. April to June. l. lanceolate, distantly serrated, smooth, in flattish rosettes. Russia, 1755. This is a charming little annual, well worthy of a place on the rockery. A colony of it is extremely pretty; it seeds freely, and a batch of young plants almost invariably takes the place of the old ones. SYN. A. septentrionalis. A. glacialis (glacial). Synonymous with A. alpina.

A. helvetica (Swiss).* fl. white, nearly sessile, with a yellow eye, larger than the little rosettes of leaves on the stalk from which they spring. May. l. lanceolate, obtuse, closely imbricated, small, ciliated. h. 1in., forming dense cushions. Switzerland, 1775. A rare little gem, requiring a partially shaded position, and very sandy soil. SYN. A. Aretia. A. imbricata (imbricated). Synonymous with A. argentec. A. Lachenalii (Lachenal's).* Synonymous with A. carnea. A. lactea (milk-white).* fl. pure white, with yellow throat, large, on long graceful stalks, umbellate. June. l. linear, or nearly so, in rosettes, sometimes scattered on the elongated branches. h. about 4in. Austria, 1752. Very floriferous and strong growing. Should have an eastern or western aspect, and be propagated from seeds. SYN. A. pauciflora.

A. Laggeri (Lagger's).* fl. pink, sessile; when approaching maturity the stem becomes elongated, and bears a tuft of stalked flowers. March. l. awl-shaped, sharply pointed, in tiny rosettes. h. 3in. Pyrenees, &c., 1879. Very like A. carnea, but more delicate, earlier, and more abundant flowering, with deeper green foliage. It suffers from exposure to the sun, and therefore requires a partially shady position. Should be propagated from seeds or cuttings, which latter strike freely.

A. lanuginosa (woolly-leaved).* fl. delicate rose, with a small yellow eye, umbellate. June to October. l. nearly 1in. long, clothed with shiny silken hairs. h. 6in. to 9in. Himalaya, 1842. A very beautiful species, with spreading or trailing shoots, easily multiplied by cuttings or layers. It requires a warm sunny spot on the rockery, with a sandy peat soil. When planted so that its shoots drape the face of a rocky ledge, it is one of the most charming plants possible to grow.

A. obtusifolia (blunt-leaved). fl. white or rose, with yellow eye; umbels five or six-flowered. Spring. l. lanceolate or rather spathulate, in rather large rosettes. Stems downy. h. 2in. to 6in. European Alps. A very pretty form, closely allied to A. Chamajasme, and differing principally in its somewhat larger rosette of leaves and stronger growth. SYN. A. aretioides. A. pauciflora (few-flowered). Synonymous with A. lacteae. A. penicillata (finely hairy). Synonymous with A. villosa. A. puberula (puberulous). Synonymous with A. carnea. A. pubescens (downy). fl. white, with a faint yellow eye, solitary, at the ends of the branchlets, very numerous. June. l. oblong-ovate, ciliated, in a crowded rosette. Stem with a small swelling close to the flower. h. 2in. Alps, 1869. Treat like A. Chamaejasme.

A. pyrenaica (Pyrenean). fl. white, with yellowish eyes, on a scape about 1/4in. high. Summer. l. narrow-oblong, ciliated, recurved, keeled at the back. h. 1in. Pyrenees. An exceedingly pretty and diminutive little alpine plant, grown, according to Mr. Robinson, "to great perfection in fissures between large rocks, with, however, deep rifts of sandy peat and loam in them. It will also grow on a level exposed spot, but in such a position should be surrounded by half-buried stones."

A. sarmentosa (trailing).* fl. bright rose, with a white eye, in umbels of ten to twenty, on an erect scape. May and June. l. very silvery, forming dense rosettes, whence spring a number of runners, bearing at their extremities other tufts, which should be pegged down and covered with soil, when they will root freely. Himalayas, 1876. It requires rich sandy loam, a sunny position, and to be wedged between pieces of sand-stone. Cover the rosettes during winter with a sheet of glass.

A. septentrionalis (northern).* Synonymous with A. coronopifolia. A. villosa (hairy).* fl. rose or blush, with a deeper coloured eye, and a honey-like perfume, umbellate. May. l. narrow, oblong, covered with soft white down, chiefly on the under surface, in compact tufts. h. 2in. to 4in. Pyrenees, &c., 1790. When well grown, the flowers are produced in great abundance, almost covering the green cushions. Plant in a sunny fissure of the rockery, in sandy loam and leaf soil. SYN. A. penicillata. A. Vitaliana (Vital's).* fl. rich yellow, comparatively large; tube inflated at the middle, almost nestling among the leaves. May to July. l. linear, acute, greyish. Stems numerous. h. 1in. to 2in. Pyrenees, &c., 1787. When well grown, it produces flowers in abundance, and is the only species in cultivation having yellow flowers. A well-drained, sunny pocket is desirable, with a calcareous soil, covering the surface with nodules of sandstone. SYN. Gregoria Vitaliana.

A. Wulfeniana (Wulfen's).* fl. rosy or crimson, large. Summer. l. oval, acuminated, in dense rosettes. h. 2in. Styria. A very rare species in cultivation in this country.