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In cultivation, the best known is L. fruticosum, a rock-garden trailer, which bears numerous leafy spikes of blue flowers, each about ½ inch across, from early summer to autumn. L. purpureo-caeruleum is also an old garden plant. The common gromwell, L. officinale, is rarely cultivated as a medicinal herb. Others are procurable from dealers in native plants. Seeds of the gromwell and the western species are procurable, and plants of the other kinds from dealers in rock-garden plants. L. fruticosum is said to be propagated only by cuttings of the previous year's wood; L. multiflorum by cuttings of young shoots. The kinds with red roots yield a dye. L. arvense is an annual or biennial introduced weed; but most of the species (and those cultivated) are perennial. The best known garden kinds are European, but the American species are deserving of greater attention.
In cultivation, the best known is L. fruticosum, a rock-garden trailer, which bears numerous leafy spikes of blue flowers, each about ½ inch across, from early summer to autumn. L. purpureo-caeruleum is also an old garden plant. The common gromwell, L. officinale, is rarely cultivated as a medicinal herb. Others are procurable from dealers in native plants. Seeds of the gromwell and the western species are procurable, and plants of the other kinds from dealers in rock-garden plants. L. fruticosum is said to be propagated only by cuttings of the previous year's wood; L. multiflorum by cuttings of young shoots. The kinds with red roots yield a dye. L. arvense is an annual or biennial introduced weed; but most of the species (and those cultivated) are perennial. The best known garden kinds are European, but the American species are deserving of greater attention.
The garden names of Lithospermum are confused and need to be re-studied. L. coelestinum, Hort., is described as "a most desirable low-growing plant for the rockery," with pretty blue fls. in June. Probably Moltkia caerulea.—L. froebellii, Hort., is said to be "a dwarf compact plant with rosemary-like lvs. and deep blue fls. on erect sts. about 9 in. high."—L. graminfolium Viv.-Moltkia graminifolia.—L. intermedifolium, Hort., is "a pretty dwarf shrubby plant with pale blue fls."—L. intermedium, Hort., perhaps the same as the last, is "a pretty dwarf shrubby species, with fls. a lovely shade of blue." Somewhat shrubby, 8-10 in. high: lvs. narrow and slightly hoary: fls. tubular, drooping. G. 34:857. Probably these are Moltkias.—L. petraeum, A. DC.—Moltkia.—L. rosmarinifolium, Tenore. Evergreen, from Italy and Greece, 1-2 ft.: lvs. narrow, 1 in. or more long: fls. bright blue, striped white about ¼in. diam. Gn.W. 22:139.
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