EUCOMIS 



THE BULB BOOK 



EUCOMIS 



E. subedentata (Calliphruria sub- 

 edentata). A distinct plant with ovoid 

 bulbs 1| ins. in diameter, and bright 

 green oblong acute leaves deltoid at 

 the base. Flowers white, six to eight 

 on a slender scape a foot or more high. 

 The stamen filaments are lance- 

 shaped and occasionally toothed at 

 the base. (Hot. Mag. t. 6829; III. 

 Hort. n.s. 415.) 



EUCOMIS ( eucomis, beautiful - 

 haired, referring to the tufted crown 

 of flower-spike). Nat. Ord. Liliaceae. 

 A small genus of S. African plants 

 often with large tunicated bulbs, 

 oblong wavy leaves, and stoutish 

 erect scapes, bearing a dense raceme 

 of waxy-looking flowers surmounted 

 by a tuft or rosette of leaf -like bracts. 

 Segments of perianth, six, spreading, 

 nearly equal, each with a stamen 

 attached at base. Ovary sessile, 

 tapering into a columnar or conical 

 style. 



Although not well-known outside 

 botanic gardens, these bulbs are 

 worthy of more general cultivation. 

 Except in the northern parts of 

 England perhaps, and most parts of 

 Scotland, they may be regarded as 

 fairly hardy, and quite so in the 

 southern counties. Grown several 

 together, they look effective in foliage 

 and blossom. They like a rich, 

 gritty, and well-drained soil of a 

 loamy nature, and the bulbs should 

 be planted deeply so as to leave about 

 6 ins. of soil above the tops. Warm, 

 sunny situations are best in the 

 border or rockery. The growths 

 appear later in spring than most 

 other bulbous plants, and this is an 

 advantage, as the spring frosts are 

 likely to be evaded. When doing 

 well, the plants should not be dis- 

 turbed for some years, but it will be 

 necessary to give a good top-dressing 

 of well -rotted manure each year, 



preferably in spring, when the shoots 

 have appeared above the soil. The 

 plants are easily increased by offsets 

 from the old bulbs in spring. 



If seeds ripen, they may be sown in 

 rich gritty soil in pots under glass. 

 The seedlings will require careful 

 attention for the first two or three 

 years, and when about five years old 

 the bulbs may reach flowering size. 



E. amaryllidifolia. A distinct 

 species, having ovoid bulbs, fleshy, 

 suberect, strap-like leaves, channelled 

 on the upper surface towards the base, 

 and devoid of spots on both surfaces. 

 The green blossoms are borne in dense 

 cylindrical spikes on stems about 

 1 ft. high. 



E. bicolor. A handsome vigorous 

 species from Natal, with round fleshy- 

 rooted bulbs, and oblong, unspotted, 

 deep green leaves, somewhat wavy on 

 the margins. The pale greenish -yellow 

 flowers appear in August in dense 

 racemes, and are rendered conspicuous 

 and even handsome by means of the 

 distinct purple edge to the oblong 

 segments. (Bot. Mag. t. 6816.) 



E. Jacquini. This name has been 

 given to the plant figured as E. nana 

 in Jacquin's Hort. Schonbrunn, i. t. 

 92. It differs from the true E. nana 

 in having shorter and broader leaves, 

 and in the absence of purple from the 

 flower - spikes (Gard. Chron. 1903, 

 xxxiv.). 



E. nana. This grows about 9 ins. 

 high, having broadly lance -shaped 

 acute leaves, and rather club-shaped 

 scapes of brownish-green flowers (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 1495). The variety purpureo- 

 caulis has purple flower-stems. 



E. punctata. A fine species with 

 large oblong lance-shaped, channelled 

 leaves, gracefully spreading and re- 

 curved, of a bright shining green, 

 densely spotted with purple beneath. 

 The creamy-white or yellowish, star- 

 shaped, sweet-scented flowers appear 



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