TRITELEIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



high, with oval or oblong pointed 

 leaves, produces its pink tinted 

 flowers in April and May, and is 

 remarkable for having the three 

 styles united from the base to the 

 middle. 



TRITELEIA {treis, three ; teleios, 

 complete ; in allusion to the perfect 

 ternary arrangement of the flowers 

 and seed-pods). Nat. Ord. Liliacese. — 

 The species formerly knowTi, and 

 still known in gardens under this 

 name, are now referred to the genus 

 Brodljia — which see, p. 113. 



TRITONIA (ti'iton, a weathercock ; 

 in allusion to the variable direction 



Fio. 327.— Tritonia, showing corms and 

 rhizomes, (i.) 



of the stamens). Nat. Ord. Irideae. — 

 A genus of S. African plants, having 

 fibrous-coated corms, narrow sword- 

 like leaves, and flowers in gracefully 

 arching spikes. The plants so well 

 known in gardens under the name of 

 MoNTBKETiA are now referred to 

 this genus. 



433 



Being natives of S. Africa, these 

 plants are not considered sufficiently 

 hardy for open-air culture, except in 

 the very mildest parts of the Kingdom. 

 They are, however, easily grown in 

 cold frames and greenhouses, and in 

 all except the bleakest spots, they 

 may be grown with fair success in 

 open sunny borders during the 

 summer months. They like a com- 

 post of rich loam, leaf -soil, or peat in 

 about equal proportions, and during 

 growth plenty of moisture at the 

 roots. In the autumn the corms 

 should be lifted when the leaves 

 have turned yellow, and stored in a 

 frost - proof place till the end of 

 March or April. The best method 

 of increasing the stock is by offsets. 

 Seeds, however, may be sown when 

 thoroughly ripe, or in spring, by those 

 who have patience enough to wait 

 a few years for flowering-size corms 

 to develop. 



T. Clusiana. — This is a species about 

 1 ft. high, which seems to form a link 

 between Tritonia and Antholyza, the 

 flowers being hooded as in those of 

 the last-named genus {Gard. Chron. 

 1905, xxxviii. 269). 



T. crocata {Ixia crocata). — A fine 

 species about 2 ft. high, having a 

 two-ranked spike of safi'ron or orange- 

 yellow bell-shaped flowers in June 

 and July. In some forms the flowers 

 are spotted with red, yellow, or 

 brown {Bot. Mag. tt. 135, 184). The 

 variety miniata has scarlet flowers 

 {Bot. Mag. t. 609). T. deusta diff"ers 

 only in having a purple-black blotch 

 on the claw of the three outer 

 segments {Bot. Mag. t. 622). 



T. crocosmiaeflora {Montbretia 

 aureo-Pottsi). — This is a fine garden 

 hybrid between T. Pottsi and 

 Crocomna aiirea (see p. 164). It 

 resembles a Gladiolus in growth, 

 being 2 to 2i ft. high. About July 

 it produces masses of bright orange- 



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