CHIONODOXA 



THE BULB BOOK 



CHIONODOXA 



and only require the soil to be well 

 drained, and of a rich and somewhat 

 gritty nature. When planted in the 

 autumn, say in September or October, 

 the bulbs may be left to take care of 

 themselves, and they will rapidly 

 increase and multiply by offsets in 

 the course of a few years. To keep 

 them in good condition a mulching or 

 top-dressing of old, short, and well- 

 rotted manure should be given every 

 autumn. This will help to keep up 

 the vigour and beauty of the flower- 

 spikes year after year. 



Apart from open air- cultivation, 

 Chionodoxas are also excellent plants 

 for forcing into early blossom during 

 the winter months. 'By potting up 

 in September and October, and keep- 

 ing the plants covered with a few 

 inches of soil or coco-nut fibre, or in a 

 cold frame, until the end of November 

 or December, they may then be 

 brought into the greenhouse or con- 

 servatory in a well-rooted condition. 

 In this way the blossoms can be had 

 early in January. The following are 

 the best-known kinds : 



C. cretica. A pretty species from 

 the mountains of Crete, having slender 

 scapes 6 to 10 ins. high, which bear as 

 a rule only one or two white or pale 

 blue blossoms over \ in. across. The 

 variety albiflora has white flowers. 



C. Luciliae (C. Forbesi).A beauti- 

 ful species having small white pear- 

 shaped bulbs, and beautiful flowers 

 about | in. across, of a brilliant blue, 

 shading to a zone of pure white in the 

 centre. 



There are several fine forms of C. 

 Lucilice. That known as gigantea or 

 grandiflora is particularly fine and 

 free, having flowers about twice as 

 large as those of the type. The 

 variety sardensis derives its name 

 from the ancient town of Sardis, near 

 which it grows at an elevation of 

 4000 to 5000 ft. It has Gentian -blue 



flowers, borne on nodding scapes, 

 without a distinct white zone at the 

 base of the segments. The variety 

 Tmolusi has flowers of a deeper blue 

 and with a larger white zone than in 

 Lucilice, and is valuable on account of 

 its later flowering. The variety alba 

 has flowers wholly white ; Boissieri, 

 flowers large, soft lavender - blue, 

 snowy white in centre; and Alleni 

 is a large-flowered form with blue, 

 white, and pink flowers. A hybrid 

 between this species (C. Lucilice) and 

 Scilla bifolia has received the name 

 of Chiono-Scilla. 



Fio. 94.- Chionodoxa Lucilice. (f .) 



C. nana. A pretty little Cretan 

 species with linear leaves 2 to 4 ins. 

 long, and umbels of white- or lilac- 

 tinted blossoms about | in, across, 

 produced in March and April on stems 

 3 or 4 ins. high. 



The plant known as C. amabilis 

 Leichtlini produces its large creamy- 

 white flowers shaded with rose-purple 

 a fortnight or so earlier than others. 



139 



