Like many, perhaps most, half-hardy bulbous, or fleshy- 

 rooted plants with annual stems, it succeeds better if com- 

 mitted to the open ground in a frame or pit which is well 

 drained, has a southern aspect, and from which the frost is 

 entirely excluded. In such a situation, exposed to the open 

 air all summer long, it will form its leaves in perfection, 

 and will not lose them until they have completely fulfilled 

 the purpose for which they are created, namely, the ela- 

 borating a supply of food upon which in the succeeding 

 year the new stem will be fed, and by aid of which the 

 flowers will be developed. Plants under such treatment, 

 if unhealthy when first submitted to it, will probably not 

 indicate any great renovation the first year ; but in the 

 second the good effects cannot fail to be distinctly per- 

 ceptible. This is the only way in which Cape roots can 

 generally be cultivated successfully ; for few of them are 

 capable of living, or at least of flourishing, so far north as 

 London, if treated as hardy plants ; a fact which we fear 

 many who have unfortunately suffered themselves to be 

 persuaded to trust their Cape bulbs to the open borders, 

 have discovered to their cost. 



Whether or not this is the Anthericum plumosum of 

 Ruiz and Pavon we have not the means of positively deter- 

 mining : if the figure of these authors can be relied on, theirs 

 must be a different plant, and may possibly be Dr. Hooker's 

 Anthericum? plumosum, well figured in the Botanical 

 Magazine, t. 3084 : that the latter, which seems to be 

 very common about Valparaiso, is distinct from the subject 

 of the present article, we judge from its narrower leaves, 

 smaller seeds, and erect flowers with spreading, not reflexed 

 petals ; characters which exist equally in the wild and 

 cultivated specimens. It may be called Trichopetalum 

 stellatum. 



J. L. 



