SCILLA 



THE BULB BOOK 



SCILLA 



to twelve in a truss {Bot. ^f<l<J. t. 

 5308). Greenhouse. 



S. bifolia.— A Central European 

 species, with narrow lance - shaped 

 leaves 4 to 8 ins. long, and deep blue 

 somewhat starry or bell - shaped 

 llowers in February and March {Bot. 

 Mag. t. 746). 



There is a white-Ilowered variety 

 (alba) ; a rose-coloured one with a 

 tint of violet (rosea) ; splendens has 

 intense cobalt - blue flowers ; and 

 taurica, of a rich violet colour, from 

 the mountains of Asia Minor. One 

 of the earliest - flowering forms is 

 ruherrima, the flowers of which are 

 much brighter in bud than those of 

 the tyi^e; they also open reddish 

 rather than blue (Gard. Chron. 1906, 

 xxxix. 165). 



S. Buchanani. — A species from 

 Nyassaland, with small bulbs, lance- 

 shaped green leaves a foot long, and a 

 flexuose scape 8 ins. high, bearing a 

 dense raceme of green flowers with 

 purple filaments (Gard. Chron. 1893, 

 xiii. 568). Must be grown in a 

 greenhouse. 



S. chinensis (Barnardia sciUoides). 

 — A pretty but little-known Chinese 

 Squill about 9 ins. high, with spikes 

 of rosy-pink flowers produced from 

 June to August (Bot. Rerf. t. 1029 ; 

 Bot. Mag. t. 3788). This species 

 should be grown in a frame or 

 greenhouse, or in a warm sheltered 

 spot if in the open air. 



S. cilicica. — This is like S. sibirica, 

 but has longer and broader leaves, 

 and the flowers are more intensely 

 blue, but smaller (Gard. Chron. 1908, 

 xliv. 194, f.). S. Hohenbackeri seems 

 to be intermediate between this and 

 *S'. sibirica. 



S. concinna. — A South African 

 species with narrow leaves 8 to 12 

 ins. long, heavily spotted with purple 

 behind. The flowers are oblong, 

 bell - shaped, rosy - purple, produced 



in spring twenty to thirty on a scape. 

 (bot. Reg. t. 235). Greenhouse or 

 frame. 



S. Cooperi. — Another S. African 

 Squill, with leaves 9 to 12 ins. long, 

 striped and spotted with purple. 

 The drooping bell - shaped bright 

 purple flowers appear in spring, thirty 

 to fifty in a truss (Bot. Mag. t. 5580). 

 Greenhouse or frame. 



S. Cupanl. — A hardy Sicilian plant, 

 with strap-shaped leaves 3 to 4 ins. 

 long, finely ciliated on the edges. 

 The blue flowers are borne in loose 

 racemes in May and June. (Bot. 

 Reg. t. 1878.) 



S. festalis (S. nutans; Hyacinthus 

 non-scrij^tus). — This is the Common 



Fig. zn.—ScUlafestaU 



Bluebell or Wild Hyacinth of British 

 woods and copses. It has whitish 

 pear-shaped bulbs, deep shining green 

 leaves 9 to 18 ins. long, and racemes 



415 



