SINNINGIA 



THE HI^LH HOOK 



SISYRINCIIIUM 



on the edges, and .sparsely hairy on 

 the iinder-surface. The bhic starry 

 flowers appear in corymb - like 

 clusters in spring (JJot. Ma<j. t. 3211). 



SINNINGIA (after Wm. Siiiniiuj, 

 gardener at the University of Bonn). 

 Nat. Ord. Gesneracese.— This genus 

 has already been referred to as hav- 

 ing been confused with the genus 

 Gloxinia. Although closely related, 

 the two genera are kept distinct 

 botanically. The Siiminr/ius proper 

 are all natives of Brazil, and are 

 herbaceous plants with tuberous root- 

 stocks, large opposite long-stalked, 

 softly hairy leaves, and flowers borne 

 singly or in clusters from the leaf- 

 axils. The corolla is tubular, bell- 

 shaped, inllated at the base, and 

 obliquely five-lobed. 



There are about sixteen species 

 altogether, requiring precisely the 

 same cultural treatment as described 

 for the Gloxinias at p. 257. Among 

 the best-known kinds are : — 



S. Carolinae {Tapeinotes Carolime). 

 —With oblong lance - shaped leaves 

 and white Howers marked inside with 

 red {Jiof. M'i'j. t. 5623). 



S. concinna {Stenorjastra cominim). 

 —A charming little species, having 

 small tubers and roundi.sh oval deeply 

 crenulate leaves, and drooping tubular 

 inflated flowers purpli.sh above, yellow 

 beneath, and spotted with purple 

 within {Bot. Mwj. t. 5253). 



S. Helleri (.S'. veluthm).—h. species 

 with oval oblong velvety leaves 4 to 6 

 ins. long, and white flowers having 

 red spots on a greenish throat {B(jt. 

 Mil. I. 4212 .; Jht. Rerj. t. 997). 



S. hirsuta {Gloxinin hirsiitd). — 

 This species has broadly oval heart- 

 shaped leaves, deeply crenated on 

 the margins and purplish beneath. 

 Corolla blui.sh - lilac, spotted with 

 purple within. (/Jot. May. t. 2690; 

 Bot. Keg. t. 1004.) 



S. speciosa. — The typic<il species 

 has already been described and com- 

 mented upon under Gloxinia at 

 1». 257. It has been figured in the 

 Jiot. Mar/, t. 1937; Hot. Reg. iii. t. 

 213; XXX. t. 48; and its variety 

 albijlora, with white flowers, in Rot. 

 Mofj. t. 3206 ; the variety caules^cem, 

 Avith large leaves, in Rot. Reg. 1. 1127 ; 

 and the large-leaved variety mncro- 

 phtlUa, with white veins, in the Rot. 

 Mag. t. 3934 ; in both jiublications 

 as Gloxinia. Under this name the 

 innumerable garden forms are still 

 known, and probably will continue to 

 be so for several generations. 



The variety Menziesiana has a 

 large calyx with long hairy segments, 

 and a large violet corolla heavily 

 spotted Avith red {Rot. Mag. t. 

 3943). 



S. velutina has oval roundish 

 crenulate leaves Avith purplish veins ; 

 funnel- or bell-shaped corolla, and 

 pale greeni.sh floAvers {Lodd. Rot. 

 Cab. t. 1398). 



S. villo.sa has oblong oval, ix)inted, 

 crenulate leaves, and greenish-yelloAv 

 flowers (AV. Reg. t. 1134). 



S. Youngeana, said to be a hybrid 

 between .S'. lipeviosa and (S'. vrlutiua, 

 has violet or purple floAvers, yelloAvish- 

 Avhite at the base, spotted in the 

 throat (Rot. Mag. t. 3954). 



SISYRINCHIUM (.s/Av, a pig; 

 ri/iirhos, a snout ; in reference to pigs 

 grubbing out the root-stocks). Nat. 

 Ord. Iride;e.--There are about sixty 

 species knoAvn, but comparatively few 

 are of a garden value. Many of them 

 are quite hardy, but a feAV are tender. 

 They all flourish in a light rich soil of 

 peat, loam, and sand in about equal 

 proportions, and may be increased by 

 division of the root-stocks in autumn. 

 Although usually clas.sed with bulbous 

 plants, there are jtractically neither 

 rhizomes, tubers, or bulbs in the genus, 



418 



