EKIOSPERMUM 



THE BULB BOOK 



ERYTHRONIUM 



rosy-pink flowers at the same season, 

 but the blossoms last longer. There 

 is a beautiful white-flowered form, 

 quite as vigorous and free-flowering 

 as the others. 



E. spectabilis (E. caucasicus). This 

 variable species from Siberia, the 

 Caucasus, etc., has been in cultivation 

 since about the year 1800. It has 

 tufts of narrow, grey-green, strap- 

 shaped leaves, and its pale sulphur- 

 yellow flowers tinted with orange, 

 appear in May and June on stout 

 stalks 2 to 4 ft. high. (Bot. Mag. 

 t. 4870.) A hybrid called vedrariensis 

 has been raised between E. spectabilis 

 and E. robustus (Rev. Hart. 1907, 

 229 f.). 



E. Tubergenl. Another grand hy- 

 brid between the yellow E. Bungei and 

 the white E. himalaicus, and inter- 

 mediate in appearance between the 

 two. The flowers are pale yellow. 



E. turkestanicus. A native of 

 Turkestan, 2 to 4 ft. high, with broadly 

 linear pointed leaves and reddish- 

 brown flowers, the segments of which 

 are edged with white (Gartenfl. t. 

 997). 



E. Warei. This is probably a 

 natural hybrid between E. Bungei 

 and E. Olgoe. It has very tall spikes 

 (8 ft.), the actual inflorescence being 

 a yard long, and studded with 

 hundreds of coppery-red blossoms 

 tinted with bronze. It comes from 

 Central Asia. (Gard. Chron. 1900, 

 xxvii. 409.) 



ERIOSPERMUM (erion, wool ; 

 sjjermos, a seed; in reference to the 

 woolly seeds). Nat. Ord. Liliaceae. A 

 genus containing over two dozen 

 species of plants, natives of Tropical 

 and Southern Africa, and closely 

 related to Eremurus, and formerly con- 

 fused with Bulbine. They are bulb- 

 ous plants requiring the protection 

 of a warm greenhouse during the 



winter months, but would probably 

 flourish in the open air from June to 

 September. They are easily grown 

 in a compost of sandy loam and peat 

 or leaf -soil, and may be increased by 

 offsets. 



The following species are met with 

 in botanic gardens : 



E. Bellendeni (E. latifolium).Ti}iis 

 has roundish pointed leaves, cucullate 

 at the base, and produces its light 

 blue starry blossoms from June to 

 August, on stalks about 1 ft. high 

 (Bot. Mag. t. 1382). 



E. brevipes, from Algoa' Bay, 

 grows about Ij ft. high, and has 

 white flowers tinted with green. 



E. folioliferum has green and yel- 

 low flowers (Bot. Rep. t. 521). 



E. Mackenl (Bulbine Mackeni\ 

 from Natal, has rather fleshy, ovate- 

 oblong, bluntish leaves, and bright 

 golden-yellow flowers in July (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 5955). E. latifolium has 

 light blue flowers (Bot. Mag. t. 1382 ; 

 Jacq. Ic. t. 420); E. parvifolium, 

 dark blue flowers (Jacq. Ic. t. 422); 

 and E. pubescens, white and green 

 flowers (Bot. Mag. t. 578). 



ERYTHRONIUM (erythros, red ; 

 referring to the colour of the leaves 

 and flower of first species), DOG'S- 

 TOOTH VIOLET. Nat. Ord. Liliaceae. 

 A genus of pretty plants with tuni- 

 cated bulbs which produce new ones 

 each year either at the base within 

 the old coats or at the end of long 

 offshoots, or along a rhizome, some- 

 times in succession for several years. 

 The leaves on the stems are unequal, 

 one being usually narrower and more 

 tapering than the other. The mott- 

 ling varies greatly even in the same 

 species, and may sometimes be absent 

 altogether. The flowers are nodding 

 or drooping, solitary, or two or more 

 in a loose raceme. 



For three hundred years and more 



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