ERIOSPERMUM 



THE BULB BOOK 



ERYTHRONIUM 



rosy-pink flowers at the same season, 

 but the blossoms last longer. There 

 is a beautiful white-flowered form, 

 quite as vigorous and free-flowering 

 as the others. 



B. spectabilis {E. caucasicits). — This 

 variable species from Siberia, the 

 Caucasus, etc., has been in cultivation 

 since about the year 1800. It has 

 tufts of narrow, grey-green, strap- 

 shaped leaves, and its pale sulphur- 

 yellow flowers tinted with orange, 

 appear in May and June on stout 

 stalks 2 to 4 ft. high. {Bot. Man. 

 t. 4870.) A hybrid called vedrariemis 

 has been raised between E. spectahilis 

 and E. robiistns {Rev. Ilort. 1907, 

 229 f.). 



B. Tubergeni. — Another grand hy- 

 brid between the yellow E. Bungei and 

 the white E. himalaicus, and inter- 

 mediate in appearance between the 

 two. The flowers are pale yellow. 



E. turkestanicus. — A native of 

 Turkestan, 2 to 4 ft. high, with broadly 

 linear pointed leaves and reddish- 

 brown flowers, the segments of which 

 are edged with white {Gartevjl. t. 

 997). 



B. Warei.— This is probably a 

 natural hybrid between E. Buwjei 

 and E. Ohjm. It has very tall spikes 

 (8 ft.), the actual inflorescence being 

 a yard long, and studded with 

 hundreds of coppery-red blossoms 

 tinted with bronze. It comes from 

 Central Asia. {(iard. Chron. 1900, 

 xxvii. 409.) 



BRIOSPERMUM (evian, wool ; 

 spermos, a seed ; in reference to the 

 woolly seeds). Nat. Ord. LiliaccK. — A 

 genus containing over two dozen 

 species of plants, natives of Tropical 

 and Southern Africa, and closely 

 related to Eremurus, and formerly con- 

 fused with Bulbine. They are bulb- 

 ous plants re(iuiring the protection 

 of a warm greenhouse during the 



winter months, but would probably 

 flourish in the open air from June to 

 September. They are easily grown 

 in a compost of sandy loam and peat 

 or leaf -soil, and may be increased by 

 offsets. 



The following species are met with 

 in botanic gardens : — 



B. Bellendeni (^. I ati/olimii).— This 

 has roundish pointed leaves, cucullate 

 at the base, and produces its light 

 blue starry blossoms from June to 

 August, on stalks about 1 ft. high 

 {Bot. Mag. t. 1382). 



B. brevipes, from Algoa Bay, 

 grows about 1| ft. high, and has 

 white flowers tinted with green. 



B. folioliferum has green and yel- 

 low flowers {Bot. Rep. t. 521). 



B. Mackeni {Bidhine Macheni)^ 

 from Natal, has rather fleshy, ovate- 

 oblong, bluntish leaves, and bright 

 golden-yellow flowers in July {Bot. 

 Mag. t. 5955). B. latifolium has 

 light blue flowers {Bot. Mag. t. 1382; 

 Jacq. Ic. t. 420) ; E. parvifolium, 

 dark blue flowers {Jacq. Ic. t. 422) ; 

 and B. pubescens, white and green 

 flowers {But. Mag. t. 578), 



ERYTHRONIUM {evythros, red ; 

 referring to the colour of the leaves 

 and flower of first species). Dog's- 

 tooth Violet. Nat. Ord. Liliaceas. — 

 A genus of pretty plants with tuni- 

 cated bulbs which produce new ones 

 each year either at the base within 

 the old coats or at the end of long 

 off'shoots, or along a rhizome, some- 

 times in succession for several years. 

 The leaves on the stems are unequal, 

 one being usually narrower and more 

 tapering than the other. The mott- 

 ling varies greatly even in the same 

 species, and may sometimes be absent 

 altogether. The flowers are nodding 

 or drooping, solitary, or two or more 

 in a loose raceme. 



For three hundred years and more 



209 



