CALOCHOETUS VENTTSTTJS. 21 



be planted about three inches deep, and an ample drainage of broken crocks must 

 be provided. 



The pot must bo kept from frost, and if the compost be moderately damp when 

 used, but little or no water will be requisite until the leaves have made their 

 appearance above the soil. 



In April the pot may be plunged into the borders, or the entire ball of earth 

 may be turned out, if care be taken not to disturb the roots. In following the 

 former plan, we have the advantage of being able to remove the plant from the 

 ground as soon as the flowering season is past, and thus protect it from rain to any 

 desired extent. When planted without the pot, the bulbs should on no account be 

 dug up before the foliage has decayed ; where this does not take place so quickly as 

 is desirable, it may be greatly assisted by covering or screening the plant from 

 atmospheric moisture. 



When removed from the soil the bulbs should be dried in the shade, and carefully 

 preserved from damp and frost until the return of spring. Those bulbs which may 

 have been planted in a pot, will, however, be best kept in it during the winter, 

 the soil being allowed to become entirely dry after the decay of the stems and 

 foliage. 



Each bulb produces one or two stems about eighteen inches or two feet high, 

 with linear pointed leaves, fewer in number than in most of the other species. 

 The flowers, two on each stem, are produced about mid- summer, and, unlike those of 

 the Tigridia we have more than once referred to, remain expanded several days ; and 

 from the beautiful manner in which the petals are spotted with crimson and yellow 

 stains upon a pure white ground, present, when fully open, a truly magnificent 

 appearance. The petals of all the species are curiously bearded, either at the 

 base, or a short distance above it, as in the case of the species represented in 

 our plate. 



The genus comprises four or five other species, all very handsome plants, 

 although the one we have figured is certainly the most remarkable. The flowers of 

 Calochortus luteus, which is rather hardier than the others, are yellow, beautifully 

 spotted with brown ; those of C. macrocarpus, purple ; of C. splendens, lilac ; and of 

 ft nitidm, purple ; but we have never met with any account of this last-named 

 species, and wo therefore imagine that it has not yet been introduced to this 

 country. They are all increased by offsets, and also by seed, which must be sown 

 as soon as ripe. Three of the species, ft larbatus, ft venustus, and ft luteus, are in 

 the possession of Mr. Groom, as well as seedling varieties of luteus raised by this 

 gentleman. 



The generic designation, Calochortus, like so many other botanical terms, is 

 derived from the Greek, and is compounded of Jcalos, beautiful, and chortos, grass. 

 Well defined as are the leading characters of most of the natural orders or 



