304 LILIACE.^. 



fourteen years, and deservedly so, for we have no more beauti- 

 ful autumn-flowering hardy subject. Its style of growth and 

 gorgeous colouring are grand and unique. There are several 

 varieties of it, all of which are of high merit, but the one which 

 is most free in flowering is that named T. U. glaucescens. It has 

 leaves of great length, often in rich soil 3 or 4 feet long, at first 

 erect, but ultimately arching outwards ; they are very narrow, and 

 deeply channeled and prominently keeled, and the sectional 

 outline is sharply triangular ; their colour is glaucous, and the 

 edges and keel are rough from short bristles. The scape, when 

 luxuriant, attains a height of 4 or more feet, and as the spike 

 lengthens and becomes heavy, it becomes top-heavy and falls 

 over if not supported. The flowers are cylindrical, fine yellow 

 at the tips, shading quickly into the rich vemiilion of the lower 

 part of the tube; and the spike itself is somewhat club-shaped, 

 being widest in the centre, owing to the flowers taking a more 

 horizontal position there, and being pendent both above and 

 below. It flowers in August, September, and October; and in 

 very late localities, where it flowers imperfectly in autumn, I 

 have seen it throw up a few spikes in the earlier months of the 

 succeeding summer; but in most parts of the country its flower- 

 ing is done in autumn. The next most useful variety is T. U. 

 gra7idifloi'a, and a fine plant it is in the south, but quite value- 

 less in the north, owing to its later-flowering quality. At this 

 place (Minto) it grows freely, and is perfectly hardy ; but the 

 scapes are so late in moving, that the spikes are never fully 

 developed in all their beauty before the rigour of winter sets in 

 and cuts them down. Often in early summer we get a crop of 

 weakly spikes of the previous season's formation, but they are 

 never fine. It is very distinct, and as Tritomas are character- 

 ised, it might fairly pass muster as a species. The leaves are 

 shorter and much wider at the base than those of T. U. glaucescens; 

 they are never erect, but from the first have a tendency to arch 

 outwards and recurve. They are destitute of any glaucous tint, 

 and their edges and keel are smooth, or nearly so. The scape 

 is rigid, upright, very stout, and tapering from the base upwards, 

 and never inclines to break over unless in exposed positions, 

 where they may suffer damage from storms of wind. The spike 

 is pyramidal, being widest at the base and tapering somewhat 

 upwards, and the flowers nearly uniform scarlet, or faintly 

 marked with yellow at the tips. T. Uvai'ia is a native of the 

 Cape of Good Hope, as are all the species of Tritoma. 



Tulipa (7>//z/). — This splendid genus has been of the highest 

 interest to florists for centuries — much less so now than it was 

 two nundred years ago, when large fortunes changed hands often 



