HERRERIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



HESSEA 



H. cristata. A native of the Trans- 

 vaal, having a short woody root- 

 stock with thin wiry stems, lance- 

 shaped toothed leaves, and orange- 

 red flowers, drooping from the axils 

 of the leaves (Bot. Mag. t. 7173). 



This plant flourishes in a green- 

 house in a compost of sandy loam, 

 peat, or leaf - soil, and may be 

 propagated from cuttings in spring. 



HERRERIA (after Gabriel A. de 

 Herrera, a Spanish agriculturist, 

 1470-1539). Nat. Ord. Liliaceae. A 

 genus with two or three tuberous- 

 rooted plants, having climbing stems, 

 narrow lance-shaped leaves or clad- 

 odes, in whorls, and small scented 

 flowers in axillary racemes. 



H. Sarsaparilla (//. parviflora). A 

 little-known Brazilian plant, with 

 stems about 8 ft. long, bearing lance- 

 shaped leaves and green and yellow 

 flowers (Bot. Reg. t. 1042). 



This plant should be grown in peat, 

 loam, and sand in equal proportions 

 in a warm greenhouse. Increased 

 by seeds or cuttings. 



HESPERANTHA'(Aes/?er(w, evening ; 

 1 1 a f It os, a flower), EVENING FLOWER. 

 Nat. Ord. Irideae. A genus con- 

 taining about thirty species of dwarf - 

 growing plants with tunicated corms, 

 narrow linear leaves, and loose spikes 

 of sweetly scented flowers which open 

 in the evening hence the name. 

 Perianth with six equal narrow 

 spreading segments. 



These plants being natives of 

 Southern or Tropical Africa are not 

 hardy, and require the protection of 

 a frame or greenhouse, or may be 

 grown in warm well - drained and 

 sheltered borders in the mildest 

 parts of the country. They like a 

 mixture of loam and peat, and may 

 be increased by offsets. The best- 

 known species are H. augusta, white ; 



H. cinnamomea, whitish (Bot. Mag. 

 t. 1054) ; H. falcata, outer segments 

 brown, inner pure white (Bot. Mag. 

 t. 566, as Ixia) ; H. graminifolia, 

 greenish- white (Bot. Mag. t. 1254, as 

 //. pilosa nuda); H. pilosa, inner 

 segments white, outer speckled with 

 red (Bot. Mag. t. 1475) ; H. radiata, 

 white striped with brown outside, 

 leaves fistular (Bot. Mag. t. 573, as 

 Ixia). 



HESPEROCALLIS (hesperos, even- 

 ing kallos, beauty). Nat. Ord. Lili- 

 aceae. The only species of this genus 

 is 



H. undulata. A Californian plant 

 with large, roundish, edible bulbs, 

 which bury themselves in the sand in 

 their native place at a depth of 6 to 

 18 ins. The narrow wavy leaves are 

 bordered with white, and the sweet- 

 scented, whitish, tubular flowers 

 appear in April and May. 



This plant seems to be unknown 

 in cultivation, but might be tried 

 in warm sheltered borders in well- 

 drained sandy loam. 



(after Paul Hesse, a 

 botanical traveller). Nat. Ord. 

 Amaryllideae. A genus containing 

 about eight species of South African 

 plants, with roundish tunicated bulbs 

 i to 1 in. thick, thread-like, linear, or 

 strap-shaped leaves, and small flowers 

 borne in umbels. Perianth segments 

 almost equal, more or less oblong, 

 spreading, three - nerved down the 

 keel. 



The Hesseas are only from 3 to 6 or 

 1 2 ins. high, and require to be grown 

 in a mixture of sandy loam and leaf- 

 soil or peat, and are perhaps most 

 satisfactory in a greenhouse or cold 

 frame. In warm parts of the King- 

 dom the little bulbs might be planted 

 in open, sunny, and sheltered borders. 

 The flowers are usually produced 



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