  Iberis Umbellata. Purple Candy-Tuft. Class and Order. Tetradynamia Siliculosa. Generic Character. Corolla irregularis: Petalis 2 exterioribus majoribus: Silicula polysperma, emarginata. Specific Character and Synonyms. IBERIS umbellata herbacea, foliis lanceolatis, acuminatis, inferioribus serratis; superioribus integerrimis. Linn. Syst. Veg. ed. 14. Murr. p. 589. Sp. Pl. p. 906. THLASPI umbellatum creticum, iberidis folio. Bauh. Pin. 106. DRABA S. Arabis S. Thlaspi CandiÆ. Dod. pempt. 713. THLASPI creticum umbellatum flore albo et purpureo. Candy-Tufts, white and purple. Park. Parad. p. 390. No 106 No106 The Candy-Tuft is one of those annuals which contribute generally to enliven the borders of the flower-garden: its usual colour is a pale purple, there is also a white variety of it, and another with deep but very bright purple flowers, the most desirable of the three, but where a garden is large enough to admit of it, all the varieties may be sown. For want of due discrimination, as Miller has before observed, Nurserymen are apt to collect and mix with this species the seeds of another, viz. the amara, and which persons not much skilled in plants consider as the white variety; but a slight attention will discover it to be a very different plant, having smaller and longer heads, differing also in the shape of its leaves and seed vessels, too trifling a plant indeed to appear in the flower-garden. Purple Candy-Tuft is a native of the South of Europe, and flowers in June and July: it should be sown in the spring, on the borders of the flower-garden in patches; when the plants come up, a few only should be left, as they will thereby become stronger, produce more flowers, and be of longer duration. |
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