Flowering period, March to May, according to positions or climatic conditions.
Soldanellas.
Nat. Ord. Primulaceæ.
Diminutive herbaceous alpine perennials. This genus is small in number of known species as in size of specimens. They are found in very high altitudes in the Tyrol, Switzerland, and Germany; but they are easily managed even in our foggy climate, as is shown by the fact of the various species being grown in all collections of alpines; and, indeed, no collection can be said to be complete without such gems—they are great favourites, as they well deserve to be. They flower in early spring, some with one, and others more than one flower on a stem.
The flowers are very small, broadly bell-shaped, and of a feathery appearance, from the fact of their petals being finely divided. The foliage is also small, nearly round, of good substance, and in all the following species very bright green; the leaf stalks are long and wiry, and form neat and handsome little tufts, independent of the flowers, which, I may add, do not last more than five or six days.
S. alpina, smaller in all its parts, but otherwise much resembling S. montana—has leaves the size of a shilling piece, flowers bright blue, mostly two on a stem.
S. Clusii, from Germany, is smaller than S. alpina; in other respects similar, with the exception of flowers, which are purple.
S. minima (smallest). Very tiny in all its parts, many of its little thick leaves being only ¼in. across; flowers purple, single on the stem, which is only ½in. to 1in. long.
S. montana (Fig. 98) is the largest species of all—leaves the size of a half-crown piece, flowers bright blue, four or five on a stem, 5in. high. It has other distinctions, of a minute character, from the smaller species, but by difference of size alone it may be readily identified.