H^EMANTHUS 



THE BULB BOOK 



H^EMANTHDS 



easily increased by seeds or division 

 of the tuberous root-stocks. 



HJEMANTHUS (haima, blood; 

 antJios, a flower ; referring to the 

 colour of the spathe and stamen 

 filaments of some species), BLOOD 

 FLOWER. Nat. Ord. Amaryllidese. 

 This genus contains about forty 

 species of remarkable bulbous plants 

 having broad, blunt, more or less 

 fleshy leaves, stout and often speckled 

 peduncles, on top of which are borne 

 numerous red or white flowers in 

 dense umbels or heads surrounded 

 by several erect or spreading mem- 

 branous bracts or spathe-valves. 

 Perianth erect, with a sub-cylindrical 

 tube ; segments equal, linear, or 

 lance - shaped. Stamen filaments 

 often longer than the perianth 

 segments. 



The " Blood Flowers " as these 

 plants are often called are easily 

 cultivated in the greenhouse, or even 

 in the open air during the summer 

 months in some cases. They flourish 

 in a compost of sandy loam to which 

 a little fibrous peat, leaf-mould, or 

 old cow-manure may be added. The 

 pots should be well drained and not 

 too large for the bulbs although 

 several of the latter may be placed 

 in a large pot or pan when particu- 

 larly gorgeous effects are desired. 

 During active growth, which is best 

 secured in a temperature of about 

 60 F., the plants require fair supplies 

 of water, and a little weak liquid 

 manure occasionally will tend to 

 greater vigour and freedom of flower- 

 ing. When in bloom the plants 

 should be moved to cooler and less 

 humid parts of the greenhouse, as 

 the flowers thus last longer. When 

 the plants are neither in leaf or 

 flower, very little water is necessary, 

 and the bulbs are benefited by a 

 period of rest and dryness. The 



stock may be increased by offsets 

 that may be taken off when repotting 

 just as growth is commencing, each 

 offset being placed in a pot by itself in 

 the compost mentioned above. Some 

 of the more showy species, such as 

 Katherince, Lindeni, mirabilis, multi- 

 Jlorus, maynificiis, tiatalensis, etc., are 

 worthy of more general cultivation, 

 although some are more of botanical 

 than horticultural interest. 



All the species mentioned below 

 are natives of Cape Colony, except 

 where otherwise noted. 



H. albiflos (II. intermedium ; Diades 

 Claris). Bulbs compressed, 2 to 3 

 ins. thick. Leaves tongue-shaped, 6 

 to 8 ins. long, about 3 ins. broad, 

 and fringed with hairs ; contemporary 

 with the flowers. These are pure 

 white, and borne in June in dense 

 roundish heads about 2 ins. across, on 

 peduncles 6 to 9 ins. high. (Red. Lil. 

 t. 398; Bot. Mag. t. 1239; Lodd. 

 Bot. Gat. t. 602.) 



This species has several varieties 

 such as brachyphyllus, in which the 

 leaves and flower-stalks are shorter 

 and narrower than in the type. 

 Burchelli, the leaves of which are 

 hairy on the surface as well as densely 

 fringed with hairs ; the peduncle also 

 is hairy instead of glabrous ; pubescens 

 (Bot. Reg. t. 382; Lodd. Bot. Cat. 

 t. 702) has the leaves covered with 

 soft downy hairs. 



H. albo-maculatus. A native of 

 Natal, with bulbs about 2 ins. thick, 

 bearing two strap-shaped leaves, con- 

 temporary with the flowers, about 

 a foot long, 2 to 3 ins. broad, spotted 

 with white on the smooth surface, 

 but obscurely fringed with hairs when 

 young. Flowers all white, appearing 

 in November in dense roundish um- 

 bels about 2 ins. across, on smooth, 

 stout, green scapes about 6 ins. high. 

 (Gard. Chron. 1878, i. 202.) 



H. amarylloides. Bulbs ovoid, 



