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Leaves basal, softly rugose: scapes leafless, 1- to few-fld. : fls. violet or pale purple; calyx free, 4-5- rarely 6-parted, the segms. ovate or oblong; corolla with scarcely any tube, rotate or broad-campanulate, 4-5- rarely 6-cleft, the lobes broad; perfect stamens as many as the corolla-lobes, affixed at the base of the corolla; ovary superior, conical: caps, oblong, rather acute.—About 10 species, mountains of Eu.
Leaves basal, softly rugose: scapes leafless, 1- to few-fld. : fls. violet or pale purple; calyx free, 4-5- rarely 6-parted, the segms. ovate or oblong; corolla with scarcely any tube, rotate or broad-campanulate, 4-5- rarely 6-cleft, the lobes broad; perfect stamens as many as the corolla-lobes, affixed at the base of the corolla; ovary superior, conical: caps, oblong, rather acute.—About 10 species, mountains of Eu.
Ramondia pyrenaica is one of the choicest and most interesting alpine plants. Few, if any, inhabitants of rock- gardens have been so often pictured. It is a small tufted, hardy perennial herb, like most alpine plants, and its scapes bear one or few flowers in spring. These are an inch or so across, and normally purple or violet, but there is a pure white variety which is in much favor. The ramondias vary in the number of their petals, or rather corolla-lobes. For example, P. Nathaliae often has four-lobed and five-lobed flowers on the same plant. The floral parts in the genus are in fours, fives, or sixes. These plants are rare and local in Europe and are interesting as being among the few alpine survivors of a family that is now essentially tropical. Although several ramondias are in the trade, only one is well known. This is R. pyrenaica, which is hardy in the eastern states. It is a beautiful dwarf alpine plant well adapted for the rock-garden. It is rather hard to establish but can be easily grown from seed. If seeds are sown in the spring, and the small plants grown along in pots for the first summer and kept in a cool shady position, they will make neat little plants by the end of autumn. They should be kept in a coldframe for the winter. These one-year-old plants grown in pots are much easier to establish than younger plants. They may be planted in small pockets in the rockery in a slightly shaded and elevated position, and given good deep peaty soil. When the plants become established they will blossom freely, and if allowed to ripen their seed they will sow themselves freely amongst the rocks. Old plants can also be increased by division. They ought to be covered in winter with hay or dry leaves so that they will not be heaved out of the ground by the alternate thawing and freezing. The plants require perfect drainage.
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