EUCOMIS 



THE BULB BOOK 



EUKYCLES 



from July to September in dense 

 cylindrical trusses, on stout scapes 

 U to 2 ft. high, heavily spotted %vitli 

 purple, and having a tuft of red-edged 

 bracts on top. The yellow-anthered 

 stamens are opposite the segments, 

 and the deep violet ovary in the 

 centre of the flowers is very conspicu- 

 ous and distinctly attractive. In the 

 variety stiiata {Bot. Mag. t. 1539) 

 the purple blotches on the leaves and 

 flower-stems partake more of the 

 character of stripes. {Bot. Mag. t. 

 913: Red.Lil.t. 208.) 



Fig. 140. — Eucomis punctata. (J.) 



E. robusta. — This strong - growing 

 species has narrow pointed leaves 

 about 2 ft. long, and green bell-.shaped 

 flowers, tinged with brown, borne in 

 dense racemes on sturdy scapes {Gard. 

 Chron. 1894, xvi. 562). 



B. undxilata {Bot. Mag. t. 1083), 

 with ovate oblong wavy green 

 leaves and greenish -yellow flowers ; 

 B. regla {Red. Lil. t. 175), with 



white or rose-tinted fragrant flowers ; 

 E. pallidiflora, with leaves over 

 2 ft. long and 4 to 5 ins. broad, 

 and greenish - white flowers 1 in. 

 across ; and E. zambesiaca, from E. 

 Tropical Africa, requiring greenhouse 

 treatment, are other species not so 

 well known. 



BUCROSIA {eu, beautiful ; krossos, 

 a fringe ; in allusion to the elegant 

 fringe forming the stamens). Nat. 

 Ord. Amaryllidese. — This genus con- 

 tains one species — 



E. bicolor. — A native of the Andes 

 of Ecuador, whence it was introduced 

 in 1817. It has ovoid brown-coated 

 bulbs about 1 in. through, and thin, 

 lance - shaped, stalked leaves, the 

 blades being about 6 ins. long and 1 

 to 2 ins. broad. The funnel-shaped 

 flowers, about an inch long, are 

 orange-yellow, the segments being 

 veined or keeled with green. The 

 stamens are much longer than the 

 perianth-tube, and protrude conspicu- 

 ously ; and the style is much longer. 

 {Bot. Reg. t. 207 ; Bot. Mag. t. 2490 ; 

 Hook, Exot. Fl. t. 209.) 



This species may be regarded as a 

 curious and somewhat ornamental 

 greenhouse plant. It will grow 

 freely in a compost of rich sandy 

 peat, and requires fair supplies of 

 water during active growth. The 

 blossoms appear in loose umbels on 

 a stalk about a foot high about April 

 and May. The plants rest in winter, 

 and may be increased by offsets in 

 spring when growth is commencing. 



EURYCLES {eurr/s, broad ; klas, a 

 branch ; referring to the broad leaves 

 or branch-like foot-stalks). Xat. Ord. 

 Amaryllideae.— This genus contains 

 two species of pretty plants with 

 tunicated bulbs, broad stalked leaves 

 with curving veins, and white flowers 

 produced in umbels. Perianth-tube 



219 



