HELIASTHUS 



THE BULB BOOK 



HELONIOPSIS 



HBLIANTHUS (helios, the sun; 

 anthos, flower), SUNFLOWER. Nat. 

 Ord. Compositse. Of the fifty species 

 of Sunflower, the Jerusalem Arti- 

 choke {H. tuberosus) and //. riyidus 

 are the best known for their tuberous 

 roots. The tubers of the former are 

 too well known to need any descrip- 

 tion beyond saying that they are 

 something like elliptic - shaped ir- 

 regular potatoes with white or 

 purple skins. They are planted 

 largely by some market-gardeners, in 

 rows about 2 ft. apart, in the same 

 way as potatoes, and the thick 

 hollow stems attain a height of 8 

 to 12 ft., being furnished with large 

 coarse heart-shaped leaves. Although 

 grown as a vegetable the Jerusalem 

 Artichoke is ornamental in appear- 

 ance, and would be an excellent 

 plant for growing in poor or heavy 

 soil, which becomes enriched by the 

 action and decay of the roots. 



H. rigidus (formerly known as 

 Harpaliiim) has long thick roots 

 ending in a slender spindle-shaped 



FIG. 179. Rhizome of Heliantlms, 

 " Miss Hellish." (i.) 



tuber, from the end of which the new 

 stem arises and attains a height of 

 3 to 5 ft., and produces bright yellow 

 flowers with a purplish centre, from 

 July to September. The variety 



270 



known as Miss Mellish is much more 

 vigorous than the type, often attain- 

 ing a height of 8 or 9 ft., and having 

 flowers 4 to 5 ins. or more across. 

 Both the Jerusalem Artichoke and 

 H. rifjidm are easily increased by 

 the underground tubers in autumn 

 or spring. 



HBLONIAS (kelos, a marsh ; refer- 

 ring to natural soil). Nat. Ord. 

 Liliaceae. The only species is - 



H. bullata. A beautiful North 

 American perennial 1 to li ft. high, 

 with a short tuberous root-stock, and 

 oblong lance-shaped, radical leaves 

 contracted into a short stalk. The 

 small purple-rose flowers with six 

 spreading segments appear from 

 May to July, in dense cylindrical 

 racemes. The variety latifolia has 

 leaves broader than in the type. 

 (Bot. Mag. t. 747; Lodd. Bat. Cab. 

 t. 961 ; And. Bot. Rep. t. 352.) 



This plant may be grown in boggy 

 soil or wet ground near ponds or 

 lakes, but will also succeed in sandy 

 loam, peat, and leaf-soil in a moist, 

 shaded part of the garden. It may 

 be increased by seeds, or by carefully 

 dividing the root-stocks. It is safer, 

 however, not to disturb the plants 

 until they have made good strong 

 clumps. 



HELONIOPSIS (from Helonias, the 

 preceding genus; and opsis, like). 

 Nat. Ord. Liliaceae. There are about 

 four species in this genus, the best 

 known being 



H. japonlca (//. itmbellata). A 

 curious little Japanese plant with 

 short thickish root-stocks, tufts of 

 lance-shaped, abruptly pointed leaves, 

 and a few deep rosy flowers on a 

 stalk about March and April, having 

 deep blue stamens. 



This species very much resembles 

 Helonias bullata in appearance, and 



