KNIPHOFIA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



KNIPHOFIA. 



637 



a time, and then potted in a sandy compost. 

 K. sarmentosa is the easiest to increase, as 

 it throws out underground shoots, which 

 may be taken off at any time. K. Quar- 

 tiniana develops small shoots almost at 

 right angles with the base of the stem, 

 and if these be taken off and treated as 

 cuttings they will strike freely. The 

 following are amongst the best of the 

 kinds in cultivation : — 



K. aloides {Flame Flower or Torch 

 Lily), or Tritoma Uvaria as it is still called 

 in many gardens, is perhaps the oldest, 

 and is certainly one oi the very best of its 

 family. It is the Flame Flower of cottage 

 gardens, and is one of the noblest and 



phofia grandi; 



most brilliant of Lilyworts : an excellent 

 border-plant, it is suitable for all soils, and 

 while few plants are better for picturesque 

 grouping in the pleasure-ground, in the 

 shrubbery with a fairly open space and 

 with deep rich soil it forms handsome 

 groups. It begins to flower in late summer 

 and lasts for many weeks in perfection, 

 and nearly 70 per cent, of the garden 

 varieties are traceable to it. K. pumila is 

 a pretty dwarf form. The variety pra^cox 

 flowers much earlier than K. aloides, from 

 the middle to the end of May; its leaves are 

 broader than those of the type, and are 



not glaucous, while the raceme is shorter, 

 the stem being about half as long as the 

 leaves. The variety nobilis, which very 

 much resembles grandis, if indeed it is 

 not the same kind, is a robust and noble 

 plant, its leaves more distinctly serrated 

 than those of grandis, its flowering stem 5 

 to 8 ft. in height, with flowers varying from 

 scarlet to orange-scarlet ; the anthers are 

 prominent. It blooms throughout August. 

 The ^'ariety serotina is interesting from 

 blooming a month or so after all the other 

 Kniphofias are over ; its flowers are green- 

 ish-yellow, occasionally tinged with red. 

 The variety Saundersi has bright green 

 leaves and very rich orange-scarlet flowers ; 

 the variety longiscapa has very long flower- 

 heads, and is a most desirable form ; the 

 variety maxima giobosa has globose heads 

 of yellow and red flowers ; and the \ariety 

 glaucescens has large flower-spikes, the 

 flowers being vermilion-scarlet shading 

 to orange. It is a free-flowering plant, 

 and is one of the best for heavy rich soil. 



K. Burchelli, introduced by Mr. 

 Burchell from the Cape, is a distinct and 

 beautiful plant with a purple-spotted stem 

 and bright green leaves, firm in texture, 2 

 to 3 ft. long, which taper gradually to the 

 apex. It flowers soon after midsummer, 

 and just between praecox and the other 

 forms of K. aloides. The flower-heads 

 are moderately dense, and the flowers are 

 bright red, excepting those at the lower 

 end of the head, which are bright yellow, 

 the style protruding, the stamens being 

 included in the tube. A useful and distinct 

 plant, suited for dry banks and borders. 



K. carnosa is a beautiful plant, forming 

 low spreading leaf-rosettes, from the midst 

 of which a number of flower-stalks rise to 

 the height of i ft., with cylindrical flower- 

 spikes about 3 by i^ in. ; the smallness of 

 the flowers is compensated for by their 

 glowing apricot colour, enhanced by bright 

 j'ellow anthers. The flowers open first 

 on the top side in September. Abyssinia. 



K. caulescens and K. Northise 

 differ from all other cultivated kinds in 

 their caulescent habit. K. caulescens 

 differs from all the forms of aloides in 

 being smaller, and in having very glaucous 

 leaves, short heads, and smaller and less 

 curved flowers. The stem, at 5 or 6 in. 

 from the ground, can just be spanned by 

 both hands ; the scape is about 4^ ft. 

 high with a dense head of flower 6 in. in 

 length of a reddish-salmon colour in its 

 earlier stages, but in the fully-expanded 

 flower it gradually becomes white, faintly 

 tinged with greenish-yellow, producing an 

 effective contrast. The glaucous blue- 

 grey foliage is pretty. Though less 



