286 LILIACE^. 



and are erect, only an inch or two above ground ; they open 

 Crocus-Uke, and are deeply divided into six lance-shaped rosy- 

 purple segments. The leaves are lance-shaped, channeled, or 

 concave on the upper side, and ultimately grow about 9 inches 

 long. Its very early-flowering quality should render it popular 

 in gardens of all classes when it becomes better known, but at 

 present it is not often seen in private gardens. Native of 

 mountain pastures on the Alps and Pyrenees. 



Camassia esculenta ( Qua?nash). — A very handsome bulbous 

 plant, but the flowers are not very lasting. The leaves are all 

 radical, or having one or two only developed at the base 

 of the stem. They are lanceolate, weak, and shortlived. The 

 flower-stems are garnished with several flabby leaf-like appen- 

 dages, and produce a long, graceful, loose raceme of soft 

 purplish-blue flowers, i ^ or 2 inches across. They appear in 

 July. The plant succeeds best in peat and loam, and requires 

 ample supplies of moisture in the growing season'; drought, in- 

 deed, is death to it, but stagnation is equally to be avoided. 

 Division should be done when needful, immediately after the 

 foliage is ripe. Native of Columbia. Height of scapes about 

 18 inches or 2 feet. 



Chrysobactron Hookeri {New Zealand Asphodel). — A very 

 beautiful plant, with the aspect of some of the Asphodels. The 

 leaves are strap-shaped, channeled at the base, 9 inches to i 

 foot long, and all are radical The scape is i foot or 18 inches 

 high, supporting a handsome raceme of beautiful golden-yellow 

 flowers, which open in May and June. Native of New Zealand. 

 It succeeds best in moist peat and loam, in a moderately sunny 

 position, and is quite hardy. Propagate by division in early 

 autumn or spring. 



Colchicum {Meadow Saffroii). — These are very wonderful 

 plants, and withal beautiful. They are wonderful, especially as 

 regards the manner of and the time required for the production 

 of seeds. All are autumn-flowering plants, and very late in 

 that season it generally is in most parts of the country before 

 they do open their flowers, and they die ofl" without leaving a 

 trace behind of the usual seed-vessels that follow after flowers. 

 The seeds, however, are formed, and safely stored up, deep 

 down in the earth away from danger, where they lie till spring 

 comes round and calls them forth, after months of burial, to 

 mature their development above ground. They succeed best 

 in moist, deep, sandy loam, but do very well in a variety of 

 soils, and are propagated by oftsets, which they produce freely. 



C. autumnale {Common Meadoia Saffron). — This is very 

 commonly in gardens named Autumn Crocus. It is one of the 



