COOPERIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



COKYDALIS 



prevented from doing so by the low 

 temperature. This process is known 

 as "retarding'"' the crowns. When, 

 however, the phints are taken from 

 the refrigerator and placed in fine 

 gritty mould, and given a good water- 

 ing, their pent-up energies soon start 

 into growth during the summer 

 months, even in an ordinary well- 

 lighted dwelling - room. Water is 

 given as often as necessary, and in 

 this way "retarded" Lilies of the 

 Valley can be had in bloom from 

 the time those in the open air 

 fade until the " forced " crowns in 

 November and December again come 

 into season. 



COOPERIA (after Mr Cooper, 

 formerly gardener at Wentworth 

 House, Yorks). Nat. Ord. Amaryl- 

 lideai. — A small genus of bulbous 

 plants closely related to Anoiganthus 

 and Sternhergia, and with the habit 

 of the Zephyranthes, from which it 

 may be distinguished by its stamens 

 and long, cylindrical tube. Flowers 

 solitary, funnel-shaped, with spreading 

 segments. Leaves linear, appearing 

 at same time as flowers. 



C. Drummondi. — A pretty species 

 about 1 ft. high, native of Mexico and 

 Texas. It has roundish, short-necked 

 bulbs about 1 in. through, and narrow 

 linear leaves about 1 ft. long. The 

 white, sweet-scented, starry flowers, 

 tinged Avith red on the outside, appear 

 during the summer months on slender 

 stalks 6 to 12 ins. high, but only 

 expand fully in the cool of the evening. 

 {Bot. Reg. t. 1835.) The variety 

 chlorosolen has stouter flower-stems, 

 flowers tinged with green, and having 

 less spreading segments {Bot. Mag. t. 

 3482). 



C. peduncxxlata {Sceptraiithns and 

 Zephj/rantlLes Drummondi). — A 

 stronger-growing plant than C. Drum- 

 mondi, with long-necked bulbs, and 



leaves about 1 ft. long and \ in. broad. 

 The flowers are about \\ ins lontr. 

 white tinged with red or orange out- 

 side, {llerh. Amaryll. 179, t. 42- 

 Bot. Mag. t. 3727.) 



Being natives of Mexico and Texas, 

 the Cooperias are probably only hardy 

 in the mildest parts of the Kingdom. 

 In other places it is safer to treat 

 them as cool greenhouse plants. 

 They may be grown in the open air 

 during the summer months if the 

 bulbs are planted in rich gritty soil 

 under a south or west wall about 

 March or April. To secure a fine 

 effect during the summer months 

 several bulbs should be planted within 

 a couple of inches of each other, and 

 about 3 ins. deep. In the autumn 

 they may be taken up and stored in 

 dry soil or sand in a frost-proof place 

 during the winter. Increased by 

 ofl'sets from the older bulbs. 



CORYDALIS {korydalos, a lark ; the 

 spur of the flowers resembling that of 

 a lark). Fumitory. Nat. Ord. Fuma- 

 riacea^. — A genus containing about 

 seventy species of smooth grey-green 

 herbs Avith tuberous or tufted root- 

 stocks, slender stems, much-divided 

 leaves, and irregular flowers in 

 terminal or leaf -opposed racemes. 

 Sepals two, often scale-like. Petals 

 four, the two outer ones larger than 

 the others. Stamens six, in two 

 bundles opposite the outer petals. 



C. Alleni. — This appears to be a 

 hybrid between C. cava and another 

 species. It produces its yellowish- 

 white flowers tinged with purple early 

 in the year. {Gard. 1!J08, 294, f.) 



C. angustifolia.— A tuberous-rooted 

 Fumitory from the Caucasus and 

 Persia, about 8 ins. high, with leaves 

 twice ternately divided into long 

 linear segments. The flowers are 

 flesh or cream-coloured, and are borne 

 in loose racemes. {Gard. Chron. 1 904, 



151 



