Book II. 



FRITILLARY. 



841 



striped -with white. It flowers tn the 

 beginning of June; is a native of the 

 Levant, and was cultivated by Gerrard 

 in 1596. 

 The bulbous-rooted, or Spanish iris (J. 

 xiphium) (Bot. Mag. 686, and. fig. 601. 

 a) has channelled leaves, convoluted 



wild plant are blue, with emarglnate 

 petals, and appear in June; but culti- 

 vation has produced a great number 

 of varieties with yellow, white, violet, 

 and variegated flowers. It is a native 

 of the south of Europe, and was cul- 

 tivated by Gerrard in 1596. 

 The great bulbous-rooted iris, the English 

 iris of the Dutch, (/. xipkioides) (Bot. 



Mag. 602. and .fig. 601. 6), fe much 

 larger than the other in all its parts, 

 the flower-stalk is near twice the 

 height, .and the flowers are more than 

 double the size. It is equally prolific 

 in varieties as /. xiphium, of which it is 

 by some botanists considered only a 

 variety. The tubers of both sorts are 

 annually imported from Holland. 



during their whole length, and awl 

 shaped at the tip ; the flowers of the 



6305. Culture of the first three species. These seldom ripen their seeds in this country, 

 nor are they often propagated here from offsets, annual supplies of bulbs being obtained 

 from Holland, and generally forced like the hyacinth. Justice says (Brit. Gard. Direct. 

 222. ) the Dutch florists told him, that they never could obtain any varieties from sowing the 

 seeds of the Persian iris ; nor could this author himself, who cultivated the plant, and 

 raised seedlings at Crichton, near Edinburgh, with great care and considerable success. 

 The three sorts are best cultivated under the protection of a frame, where their flowers will 

 be less liable to injury than in the open air, and where their leaves will be stronger and 

 more able to nourish the bulbs and offsets. The Chalcedonian iris, Curtis observes, thrives 

 best in a loamy soil and sunny exposure, with a pure air, but guarded from moisture, and 

 from frosts during winter. The Persian iris thrives best in a light sandy loam and eastern 

 exposure, sheltered from rains and frosts, like the other. The snake's-head iris is the hardi- 

 est of the three, requires the same soil and exposure as the Persian, but less care during 

 winter. None of these sorts need be taken up oftener than once in three years, when the 

 leaves decay ; they should be replanted in a month or six weeks afterwards, at six inches' dis- 

 tance every way, and covered from two to four inches according to the size of the bulbous 

 tuber. If the soil in which the bulbous and tuberous sorts of iris is planted be loose and deep, 

 and the plants not taken up every three, or at most four years, they will run down and be lost. 



6306. Culture of the bulbous irises. Miller and Justice recommend a light sandy loam, not rich, and an 

 eastern exposure. The plants are multiplied abundantly by offsets, and as they also produce seeds freely, 

 manv new varieties are obtained in that manner. Justice says, he raised a great number with very little 

 trouble {Brit. Gard. Direct. 430.) ; and Masters says, " I know of no flower that better repays the time 

 and attention of the horticulturist." The following are this author's directions for its propagation by seed. 

 " In August the seeds become ripe, and are plentifully produced on all seedling plants, although, like 

 many other plants, but sparingly, and very frequently not at all, on such as have been long increased by 

 offsets, or parting 'the roots ; they may be sown in slight drills, about six inches asunder, as soon as ripe ; 

 and in the March following, thev will make an appearance very similar to rows of young onions. With 

 no other care than frequent weeding, they may remain in the seed-bed for three years, for they are much 

 more hardy than most kinds of seedling bulbs, and, therefore, will not even renuire protection from the 

 frosts. In'August or September of the third year, it will be necessary to transplant them into beds, 

 at one foot's distance, row from row, and the bulbs six inches apart ; and in two years from their re- 

 moval, most of the strongest will show blossom, and nearly all in the year following, or the sixth 

 from the seed. If, during the time the roots are at rest, the 

 top surface of the earth is carefully removed, and fresh light 

 loam is substituted, a year will be saved, for this treat- 

 ment will greatly promote the growth ot the bulbs, and with 

 these, as well as many other seedling plants, it is not a 

 stated time that must pass before they blossom, but only 

 such a portion as will allow the bulb to attain a size sufficient 

 to contain vigor to produce and perfect a flower-stem, the 

 rudiment of which is formed in the preceding summer. 

 When they blossom, a selection can be made, and the va- 

 rieties perpetuated by the increase of their offsets. The ,. 

 most proper time for removing the bulbs is in August and ** ^^ 

 September, those kept out of ground until Christmas rarely 

 blossom in the succeeding summer." {Hort. Trans, iv. 413.) 



6307. Flowering bulbs. Every third year, in August, is the 

 most proper time for taking them up ; and they should, if 

 possible, be replanted in September following. Masters 

 says, those kept out of ground till Christmas rarely blos- 

 som in the succeeding summer. They may be planted 

 either in beds, at eight inches or a foot distant every way, 

 or in mingled borders, care being taken in either case to 

 prevent the roots running down by removal every third 

 year, or by a substratum of tiles or compact rubbish within 

 eighteen inches of the surface. These species are very 

 hardy, and flowering so late as June, require no protection 

 either in summer or winter. They are seldom or never forced. 



Subsect. 8. Fritillary. — Fritillaria, L. Hexan, Monog. L. and Lilue, J. (fig.602.) 



6308. Of the fritillary there are three species which are considered as florists' flowers ; 



of these species there are numerous varieties. 



The crown-imperial (F. Imperials. (Bot. 

 Mag. 194.) La Cowrotme Imperiale, Fr. ; 

 Kauerkrone, Ger. ; and La Corona Im- 

 periale, Ital.) (.fig. 602. n) has a scaly 

 bulb, from which arise strong stems, 

 from two to four feet in height, fur- 

 nished with numerous broad shining 

 green leaves, and crowned with a 

 whorl of showy pendulous flowers, yel- 

 low, red, or striped in various ways, 

 which appear in March and April. It 

 is one of the earliest ornaments of the 

 flower-garden, producing a fine ap- 

 pearance in the middle of large borders, 

 at a season when such flowers are most 

 wanted. The " singular nectary," Pro- 

 fessor Martyn observes, " cannot but 

 engage the attention of the curious 

 observer ; it is a white glandular cavity, 

 as the base of each petal, and has a drop 



of limpid nectareous juicestanding in it, 

 when the flower is in vigor. Another 

 of the wonders of nature may be ob- 

 served in the peduncles which bend 

 down while the plant is in flower, but 

 become upright as the seed ripens." 

 There are above a dozen varieties in 

 cultivation, distinguished by the dif- 

 ferent shades of yellow, white, and red 

 in the flower, and by being striped 

 double or semi-double. 

 The Persian fritillary (F. Persica) (Bot. 

 Mag. 1557, and Jig. 602.6) has a 

 large round root, the size of an 

 orange ; the stem is three feet high, 

 and the flowers in a loose spike at 

 the top, forming a pyramid. They 

 are of a dark purple color, and appear 

 in May, but seldom produce seeds in 

 England. It is a native of Persia, and 



was cultivated here in 1596. There is 

 a smaller variety, with a shorter stem, 

 and smaller leaves and flowers. 

 The common fritillarv, or chequered lilv, 

 (F. Mcleagris (Fng. Bot. 602.) La Fritil- 

 laire Meleagre, Fr.; Kiebitr.ey, Ger. ; and 

 Giglio vanegato, Ital. (Jig. 602. c),has 

 a solid tuber, about the size of a nut, 

 a stem from twelve to eighteen inches 

 high, with linear leaves, and one or 

 more pendulous flowers on the top ot 

 the stem. It is a native of Britain, 

 and flowers in April and May, or in 

 March in mild seasons. There are 

 nearly twenty varieties, with red, white, 

 purple, black, striped, and double 

 flowers, besides an umbellate fritillary, 

 a mule between this species and the 

 crown-imperial. 



