ANOMATHECA 



THE BULB BOOK 



ANTHERICUM 



Colony, with short-necked, ovoid bulbs 

 about 1 in. in diameter, and three or 

 four strap-shaped leaves 1 ft. or more 

 long. The bright, yellow flowers 

 appear from October to February in 

 a wild state, but during the spring 

 (April and May) in British gardens. 

 From two to ten are borne in an umbel 

 on top of the fleshy peduncle 6 to 12 

 ins. high. The variety minor is a 

 dwarf er plant, with narrow perianth 

 segments. (Sot. Mag. t. 7072 ; Gard. 

 Chron. 1889, i. 557; Gard. 1891, t. 814.) 

 This species flourishes in a mix- 

 ture of sandy loam and leaf -mould, 

 and may be grown in a cool green- 

 house ; or even in the open air with 

 protection in winter in the warmest 

 parts of the Kingdom. It may be 

 increased by offsets from the older 

 bulbs. 



ANOMATHECA (anomos, singular ; 

 theca, a capsule ; in reference to the 



FIG. 51. Anomatheca cruenta. (.) 



seed-pod). Nat. Ord. Irideae. This 

 genus is now referred to Lapeyrousia 



by botanists, but is still better known 

 as Anomatheca. 



A. cruenta. An attractive South 

 African species 6 to 12 ins. high, with 

 rather large, roundish corms or bulbs, 

 and sword-shaped, linear leaves. The 

 flowers, which are of a beautiful deep 

 crimson with a deeper coloured blotch 

 on the base of each of the three larger 

 and lower segments, appear in summer 

 and autumn in loose clusters at the 

 ends of the slender stems, and are 

 vBry effective when the plants are 

 grown in bold masses. This species 

 is only hardy on warm soils in the 

 mildest parts of the Kindgom. It 

 should as a rule be treated in the 

 same way as the Ixias (see p. 319), to 

 which it is closely related. 



ANTHERICUM (anthos, flower ; 

 kerkos, a hedge; in reference to the tall 

 flower-stems). Nat. Ord. Liliacese. 

 A genus containing about fifty species 

 of tufted, herbaceous perennials having 

 short root-stocks, more or less fleshy 

 roots, and radical, linear leaves. The 

 slenderly stalked flowers are borne 

 on tall, leafless, simple, or branched 

 scapes furnished with linear, scarious 

 bracts. The perianth, which is some- 

 times slightly twisted, has distinct 

 rotate-spreading, almost equal three to 

 five-nerved segments, and six stamens 

 hypogynous or slightly adnate to the 

 base of the segments. Most of the 

 Anthericums are natives of S. Africa, 

 but few of them are appreciated as 

 garden plants. Those mentioned 

 below are hardy and make effective 

 border plants, especially A. Liliago. 

 They like a compost of rich sandy 

 loam and a little leaf -soil, with good 

 drainage. To secure the best effects, 

 bold groups should be planted instead 

 of isolated specimens, and once 

 established, need not be disturbed for 

 four or five years. The soil, however, 

 in such cases should be given a good 



