27 AUGUST 1937, Page 17

Lawful Cousins The ragwort is useless and- not beautiful except

perhaps in mass ; but some of its very nearest relations are a real addition to a garden, or a landscape. There is a ragwort, whose proper name is senecio maritima, which grows on the coast of North Devon, and its white leaves are gloriously salient against the dark rocks. Its foliage is valuable in any garden ; for it is whiter and brighter than most of the other grey-leaved plants, brighter even than Lamb's Lug. A more popular plant, thotigh not nearly so striking, is senecio grayii, which is pleasing to look at on any rock garden at a time of year when no flowers .blow: ' It has this advantage over marititna that it is truly 45erennial ; but both are very easy to reproduce.