ZEPHYKANTHES 



TH1-: l^UI.B BOOK 



ZEPHYEANTHES 



stems. The genus Habranthus is 

 now merged in this. 



Only a few species of Zephyr 

 Flower can be regarded as hardy 

 enough for out-door cultivation, and 

 these are specially mentioned below. 

 In most cases, especially in the less 

 favoured parts of the Kingdom, it is 

 safer to grow the bulbs in pots or 

 pans in a frame, or slightly heated 

 greenhouse. All species like a rich 

 and fairly sandy loam, with a little 

 leaf - mould or well - decayed cow- 

 manure added. The bulbs vary from 

 i in. to H ins. in diameter, so that 

 when planted in the open border or 

 rockery they should be buried about 

 three or four times their own 

 diameter. When gro\A-n in pots it 

 will be sufficient if the tops of the 

 bulbs are just beneath the surface of 

 the soil. To secure a display several 

 bulbs should be planted together, as 

 an odd one here and there is 

 practically lost to view, and gives 

 one a poor impression as to the real 

 beauty of the plants when in blossom. 

 The simplest way to increase the 

 plants is by offsets from the old 

 bulbs. 



The following are some of the best- 

 known species : — 



Z. Anderson! {Ilahranthus Ander- 

 sonO.— This pretty little species from 

 Monte Video is fairly hardy in the 

 milder jjarts of the countrj'. It has 

 pale green leaves 5 to G ins. long, and 

 yellow flowers, tinged with coppery- 

 red outside, borne on slender scapes 

 3 to 6 ins. long during the summer 

 months. {Bot. Rerj. t. 1345.) 



Z. andicola. — A native of the 

 Chilian Andes, with grey-green linear 

 leaves and bright violet flowers 2 ins. 

 long, borne on scapes 6 ins. or more 

 high, in January or February. 

 Greenhouse or frame. 



Z. Atamasco {Amfiryllis Atamasco). 

 — A fine .species from the damp 



woods and fields of Virginia, with 

 bright green leaves, and pure white 

 scentless flowers, 3 ins. long, borne 

 from April to May on stalks G to 



Fig. Sil.—ZephyrajUhes Atamasco. 



12 ins. high, and tinted with pink or 

 purple in the bud state (Bot. Jfaff. 

 t. 239 ; Jied. Lil. t. 31 ; Lodd. Bot. 

 Cab. t. 1899). 



Z. aurea. — A Peruvian species, 

 having narrow acute leaves about 1 

 ft. long, and erect, funnel-shaped, 

 orange-yellow flowers nearly 3 ins. 

 across {Rev. Ilort. 1904, 166, f. 67; 

 Gard. Chron. 1908, xliii. 390; Gard. 

 1908, 325, f.). 



Z. Candida {Amaryllis Candida ; A . 

 nivea), Su-amp Lily. — This pretty 

 Zephyr Flower Is abundant on the 

 marshes of La Plata, and has bright 

 green roundish leaves about 1 ft. 

 long, and scentless flowers pure white, 

 or slightly tinged with rose outside, 

 borne on slender stalks G to 9 ins. 

 long, in September {Bot. Jfaj. t. 

 2607 ; Bot. Reg. t. 724). The variety 



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