THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



CUCURBITA. 



519 



best advantage under a cold frame. C. 

 Cliisi closely resembles C. scfotifiies, and 

 flowers with the leaves in October. 



C. Sieberi. — A vernal species common 

 in the Greek Archipelago and the moun- 

 tains of Greece. The flower is usually 

 bright lilac, orange at the base, but the 

 form found 111 Crete and the Cyclades 

 presents a great variety of colour, from 

 white to purple, and these colours are 

 mottled, intermixed, and striped in endless 

 variety, contrasting with the bright orange 

 throat. The Cretan variety is of excep- 

 tional beauty. It flowers in cultivation 

 from the end of February to the middle 

 of March. 



C. speciosus. — Among the handsomest 

 autumn Crocuses, flowering at the end of 

 September and early in October. Ranges 

 from North Persia, through Georgia, the 

 Caucasus, and the Crimea, to Hungary. 

 The perianth segments, 2 in. high, are 

 rich bluish-purple, suffused with darker 

 purple veins, with which the bright orange 

 much-divided stigmata form a beautiful 

 contrast. It has been long in cultivation, 

 and readily multiplies by small bulbels at 

 the base of the corm. 



C. susianus. — The well-known Cloth 

 of Gold Crocus, an early importation 

 from the Crimea. Both the orange and 

 bronzed susianus are among the earliest 

 vernal Crocuses, flowering in the open 

 border in« February. C. ste/laris is an 

 old garden plant somewhat resembling C. 

 susianus. The flower is orange, distinctly 

 feathered with bronze on the outer coat of 

 the outer segments. It is sterile, and never 

 produces seed. It flowers early in March. 

 C. vernus {_Sprmg Crocus).— One of 

 the earliest cultivated species. Alps, 

 Pyrenees, Tyrol, Carpathians, Italy, and 

 Dalmatia. Naturalised in several parts 

 of England. Remarkable for its range 

 of colour, from pure white to deep purple, 

 endless varieties being generally inter- 

 mixed in its native habitats, and corre- 

 sponding with the horticultural varieties of 

 our gardens. Flowers early in March at 

 low elevations, and as late as June and 

 July in the higher Alps. The parent of 

 nearly all the purple, white, and striped 

 Crocuses grown in Holland. 



C. versicolor. — This well-known spe- 

 cies has long been in cultivation. The 

 flowers present a great variety of colour- 

 ing, from purple to white, and are variously 

 striped and feathered. It differs from 

 the two preceding species in having the 

 whole of the perianth segments similarly 

 ■coloured, and the external buff coating of 

 €. Imperati and C. suaveolens is absent. 

 Its flowering time is March. 



C. zonatus.— Mountains of Cilicia. 

 Bright vinous-lilac flowers, golden at the 

 base, abundant about the middle of Sep- 

 tember. It is highly ornamental and free- 

 flowering, and easy of culture. The 

 flowers come before the leaves, which do 

 not appear till spring. It has been in 

 cultivation about fourteen years. 



This account of the genus is condensed 

 from an article in The Garden of 28th Janu- 

 ary 1882, by Mr. Geo. Maw, of Benthall 

 Hall, near Broseley. The article contains 

 a full account of the family with descrip- 

 tions of species not in cultivation, giving 

 botanical authorities, and fuller technical 

 descriptions. 



CRYPTOMERIA.— C japonica is a 

 graceful and famous Japanese and Chinese 

 tree much planted in Britain, but rarely 

 thriving except under the genial influence 

 of the sea, and even there never getting 

 to half the noble dimensions it does in 

 Japan. It has a number of synonyms 

 and some varieties, elegatis being the 

 most popular. This, which looks well in 

 the nursery state, is not a hardy or a good 

 tree, suffering much in cold and snow, 

 and is a "sport." 



CUCURBITA {Gourd).— i:\\G.x& is no 

 Order more w onderful in the variety and 

 shape of its fruit than that to which the 

 Melon and Cucumber belong. From the 

 writhing Snake Cucumber, which hangs 

 dawn 4 or 5 ft. long from its stem, to the 

 enormous round Giant Pumpkin or Gourd, 

 the variation in colour, shape, and size is 

 marvellous. There are some pretty little 

 Gourds which do not weigh more than ioz. ; 

 while, on the other hand, there are kinds 

 as large as a barrel. Eggs, bottles, goose- 

 berries, clubs, caskets, folded umbrellas, 

 balls, vases, urns, balloons, all have their 

 likenesses in the family. Those who have 

 seen a good collection will understand 

 Nathaniel Hawthorne's enthusiasm when 

 he says : " A hundred Gourds in my 

 garden were worthy, in my eyes at least, 

 of being rendered indestructible in marble. 

 If ever Providence (but I know it never 

 will) should assign me a superfluity of 

 gold, part of it should be expended for a 

 service of plate, or most delicate porcelain, 

 to be wrought into the shape of Gourds 

 gathered in my garden. As dishes for 

 containing vegetables they would be 

 peculiarly appropriate. Gazing at them, 

 I felt that by my agency something worth 

 living for had been done. A new sub- 

 stance was born into the world. They 

 were real and tangible existences which 

 the mind could seize hold of and rejoice 

 in." They may be readily grown in this 

 country, and there are many ways in 



