ORNAMENTAL PLANTS OF HORTICULTURE VALUE

Selection of perennials

About 120 species in the Northern Hemisphere, mostly in Arctic regions and mountains, 37 occur in the FSU flora, and are native to the Caucasus, Central Asia, Siberia, the Far East, and the Arctic regions, with only a few in the European portion. The genus includes annuals, biennials and perennials. Among the perennial species some are of gardening interest.

A. kozo-poljanskii Ovcz. (syn. A. barbulata Ovcz.)

Caucasus. In alpine and subalpine regions, on rocky, chalky and steppe slopes and screes at 1,400-3,000 m.

Plant forms a cushion or a small mat. Rosette leaves overwintering, lanceolate, 7 mm x 1 mm, grey-green, densely silky-pubescent. Flower stalks 3-6 cm, hairy. Flowers 3 to 6 in umbels, 8-12 mm diam., pink-purple or milk-white. V - evergreen, new growth beginning in early spring, a second flush of leaves in summer (July). Fl - May-June, for three weeks but in southern regions April. Fr - June, July. P - by seed or cuttings. Requires a protective cover in northern regions. Z 5. New.

Also of gardening interest are:

A. akbaitalensis Derganc.

Central Asia (Tien Shan, Pamiro Alay). Cushion dense.

Cushion dense. Leaves small, lanceolate, silver-green. Umbel with 6 to 10 white-pink flowers 7-8 mm across. Good for the rock garden. Z 4. New.

A. bryomorpha Lipsky

West Pamir.

Cushions small, very dense. Leaves small, grey green. Flowers solitary, pink with white tinge, 4 mm diam. Requires dry gravelly soil. Good for the rock garden. Z 4. New.

A. dasyphylla Bunge

Mountains of southern Siberia and adjacent regions of Central Asia, Mongolia.

Mat-forming plant with numerous branched stems. Leaves small, grey-green. Flowers small, 1 to 3 in an umbel. Very well suited to the rock garden. Z 4. New.