ni.F.DT^ANARSA 



THE l^ri.B 1KK)K 



PII.rDTJAXASSA 



grey-green leaves 2 to 21 ft. long, and 

 four to eight sweet-scented Howers 

 from July to September, on stalks 

 about 1 ft. high (Jie<I. Lil. t. 8 ; Jiot. 

 Btfi. t. 161). May be grown like 

 P. illy ric Hill. 



P. trianthum. — A species from 

 Tropical Africa, having a roundish 

 bulb 1 to 2 ins. through, and a long 

 neck with six to eight straight narrow 

 leaves about a foot long. From one 

 to three white flowers are borne on 

 a short slender scape. 



P. verecundum. — A Avarm-house 

 species from N. India, Avith bulbs 

 about 2 ins. through, and a long 

 cylindrical neck. Leaves 1 to H 

 ft. long, and from two to six flowers 

 on a scape about 1 ft. high. {J}ot. 

 R€<j. t. 413 ; ^yvJht, Ic. t. 2023.) 



P. zeylanicum. — A native of 

 Tropical Asia, with round bulbs \h 

 to 2 ins. in diameter, and thin lance- 

 shaped glossy green leaves less than 

 1 ft. long. A single white flower is 

 borne on the slender scapes about 

 1 ft. high. {Bot. Rerj. t. 479; Bot. 

 Mag. t. 2548.) 



PILffiDRANASSA (/JiaiJros, gay; 

 rimi.ssa, a queen). Nat. Ord. Amaiyl- 

 lideje. — A genus containing five 

 species of bulbous plants with stalked, 

 oblong, or lance - shaped leaves 

 produced after the blossoms. The 

 more or less cylindrical flowers are 

 usually bright red or scarlet, the 

 segments being often tipped with 

 green. 



Being natives of the Andes of 

 Ecuador and Columbia, and one from 

 Costa Rica, the Phiedranassas are 

 almost hardy enough for growing in 

 the open air in the warmest jjarts of 

 the Kingdom. They are, however, 

 generally treated as cool greenhouse 

 plants, and grown in pots in a 

 compost of rich yellow loam to 

 which a little coarse sand and leaf- 



soil may be added. The bulbs go 

 to rest in A\-inter, during which 

 period of course practically no water 

 is retiuired. 



P. CarmloU. — A native of Costa 

 Rica, with round brown-coated bulljs 

 2 to 3 ins. through, and bright 

 green oblong lance-shaped leaves 

 about 3 ins. broad in the middle, and 

 a foot in length without the stalk. 

 Flowers bright red, edged Avith pale 

 green, about a dozen being borne on 

 a round scape about 2 ft. high. (Ref. 

 Bot. t. 46.) 



This species is more tender than 

 the others, and should be grown in 

 the stove or warm greenhouse. 



P. chloracea. — This grows Avild at 

 an altitude of 12,000 ft. on the Andes 

 of Ecuador. It has bulbs 2 to 3 ins. 

 thick, oblong lance - shaped leaves 

 8 to 12 ins. long without the stalk, 

 and six to twelve drooping scarlet 

 flowers tipped with green, borne on 

 top of a scape 2 to 3 ft. high during 

 the summer months. (Bot. Rey. 

 1845, t. 17.) 



P. Lehmanni. — This comes from 

 the western slopes of the Columbian 

 Andes, at an altitude of 7000 ft. 

 The ovoid bulbs are about 2 ins. 

 thick, and the bright green oblong 

 lance-shaped leaves are 6 to 8 ins. 

 long without the stalk. Flowers 

 bell-shaped, Avith a green tube, and 

 bright segments not tipped Avith 

 green. {Go.rtenfl. t. 1138.) 



P. schizantha. — A native of the 

 Andes of Ecuador, at an altitude of 

 10,000 ft. Bulbs ovoid, 1 in. thick. 

 Leaves bright green, 6 to 8 ins. long, 

 appearing at same time (October) as 

 the bright red bell -.shaped floAvers, 

 Avhich are tipped Avith salmon colour. 



P. viridlflora.— According to Mr 

 Baker this may be only a colour 

 variety of P. chloracea. It has, 

 however, smaller bulbs, narrower 

 leaves, shorter fioAver scapes, and 



396 



