Soldanella
(a diminutive of solidus, a piece of money; alluding to the shape of the leaves). ORD. Primulaceae. A small genus (three or four species) of very pretty, mostly hardy, glabrous, perennial herbs, inhabiting the Alps of Central Europe. Flowers blue, violet, or rose, rarely white, nodding; calyx five-parted, persistent; corolla hypogynous, infundibular-campanulate, five-lobed to the middle, the lobes imbricated; stamens affixed to the throat of the corolla; scapes slender, solitary or few, one-flowered or umbellately many-flowered. Leaves long-petiolate, thick, cordate-orbicular or reniform, entire. S. alpina is one of the most charming alpine plants in our gardens. The species succeed in a peat border, or in pots of peat and loam. Propagation may be effected by seeds, or by division.
S. alpina (alpine).* Blue Moonwort. fl. violet, fimbriated, pendent; style equalling or exceeding the corolla; pedicels pubescent, slightly glandular; scapes two to four-flowered. April. l. roundish-reniform, entire or sub-repand, or loosely and remotely ciliated. h. 3in. 1656. (B. M. 49; F. d. S. 994; J. F. A. 118.) A variety, Wheeleri, is the most floriferous form of this plant.
S. Clusii (Clusius'). fl. blue, campanulate, with a neatly notched margin; style shorter than the corolla; pedicels slightly scabrous, with minute, sessile glands; scape one, rarely two-flowered. April. l. cordate-reniform, slightly repand. h. 2in. to 3in. 1820. (B. M. 2163.) SYN. S. pusilla (S. B. F. G. ser. ii. 48).
S. minima (smallest). fl. suffused with lilac, purple-striped within, cut one-third its length, spreading; style shorter than the corolla; pedicels pubescent; scapes one-flowered. April. l. orbicular. h. 2in. 1823. (S. B. F. G. ser. ii. 53.) S. montana (mountain).* fl. purple; corolla cut to the middle, equalled or exceeded by the style; pedicels shortly glandular-pubescent; scapes two to four-flowered. April. l. nearly round, loosely and remotely crenated. h. 3in. 1816.(S. B. F. G. 11.) S. pusilla (small). A synonym of S. Clusii.