ACOEUS 



THE BULB BOOK 



AGArANTHUS 



best. The variety eminent, from 

 l\henisli P.russia, reaches a height of 

 9 ft. or more, and has more open 

 flowers than the type. {liot. Mag. t. 

 8152.) 



A. Wllsoni is a tall, erect-growing 

 species, 5 to 6 ft. high, with large 

 flowers of a pale l)lue or violet colour. 

 It commences to bloom the beginning 

 of September, and after the terminal 

 raceme is over, others are produced 

 from the branches lower down on the 

 st^m, by which means the season of 

 flowering is extended to the end of 

 October. {Bot. Mag. t. 7130, as A. 

 Fischeri ; Flora and Sylva, 8ept. 

 1903.) 



There are many other tuberous- 

 rooted Aconites, natives of Central 

 and Southern Europe, but they are 

 of no great garden value. 



cinal properties). Nat. Ord. Aroi- 

 dcaj. — The only species of importance 

 is the Sweet Flag, A. Calamus, an 

 evergreen British marsh or water 

 plant with thickish cylindrical sweet- 



Fio. 38. — Acorus Calamus. (\.) 



scented rhizomes, from the terminal 

 buds of which arise sword-shaped 

 leaves 3 to 6 ft. long. The small 

 flowers are borne on a pointed club- 

 like spadix 3 to 6 ins. long, in June 

 and July. There is a variety, having 

 yellowish-striped leaves, rather at- 

 tractive. A more slender species, 

 A. gramineus, from China, has grassy 

 leaves, 4 to 6 ins. long ; there is also 

 a white-striped form. All the plants 

 flourish in shallow water, or in 

 marshy or muddy places such as the 

 edges of ponds, lakes, ditches, etc. 

 Propagation is effected by dividing 

 the creeping root-stocks in spring. 



ACORUS (a, privative ; ko7r, pupil AGAPANTHUS (agape, love ; 



of the eye ; in allusion to the medi- anthos, a flower). Nat. Ord. 



59 



