HYMENOCALLIS 



THE BULB BOOK 



HYMENOCALLIS 



length. The cup in centre is very 

 flat and shallow, 1^ to 2 ins. across. 

 (Bot. Mag. t. 827 ; Lodd. Bot. Cab. 

 t. 19 ; Saund.. Ref. Bot. t. 357.) 



H. littoralis (//. adnata ; Pan- 

 cratium littorale ; P. americanum). 

 A very old and variable species, 

 native of Tropical America, where it 

 is widely distributed. The bulbs are 

 3 to 4 ins. through, and bear several 

 bright green leaves 2 to 2j ft. long 

 and 1 j ins. broad. From four to eight 

 flowers are borne on top of a two- 

 edged scape 1^ to 2 ft. high, the 

 perianth-tube being 6 to 7 ins. long, 

 tinged with green, and the long 

 narrow segments being recurved and 

 attached to the base of the broadly 

 funnel-shaped cup. (Trans. Linn. 

 Soc. ii. 74, t. 13; Jacq. ffort. Vind. 

 iii. t. 750; Journ. Hort. Feb. 1909, 

 165.) 



H. Macleana (Ismene Madeana). 

 Introduced by Maclean in 1834 from 

 the Andes of Peru. It has very pro- 

 liferous ovoid bulbs about 2 ins. 

 through, and bright green narrow 

 leaves a foot or more long. Flowers 

 with a greenish tube and linear sub- 

 erect segments surrounding a white 

 funnel-shaped cup striped with green. 

 (Bot. Mag. t. 3675.) 



H. macrostephana. This is prob- 

 ably a hybrid between //. calathina 

 and H. spedosa, as it is not recorded 

 as having been introduced from any 

 part of America. It is a strong- 

 growing plant with ovoid bulbs about 

 2 ins. through, and bright green 

 oblanceolate leaves 2| to 3 ft. long. 

 From six to ten large pure white 

 flowers are borne in March and April, 

 having a greenish tube 3 ins. long, and 

 linear segments surrounding a broadly 

 funnel-shaped cup about 2 ins. across. 

 (Bot. Mag. t. 6436.) 



H. ovata (Pancratium ovatum ; P. 

 fragrans ; P. anwenum, Ker). A 

 West Indian species closely related 



to //. spedosa. Bulbs 3 to 4 ins. 

 through. Leaves oblong acute, 1 ft. 

 or more long, 4 to 6 ins. broad. 

 From six to ten pure white fragrant 

 flowers are borne on a scape, the 

 linear segments surrounding a regu- 

 larly funnel-shaped cup about a inch 

 deep. (Bot. Eeg. t. 43 ; Bot. Mag. 

 1467.) 



H. quitognsis (Ismene tenuifolia). 

 A native of the mountains of Ecuador, 

 with tufts of thin narrow bright 

 green leaves a foot long. Flowers 

 solitary, with greenish slender tube, 

 and suberect lance-shaped segments 

 2| to 3 ins. long. The funnel-shaped 

 cup about 2 ins. long and 1^ ins. across 

 is pure white ribbed with green. 

 (Bot. Mag. t. 6397.) 



H. schizostephana. A Brazilian 

 species similar to //. caribcea in 

 appearance, but the filaments are 

 very stout and winged at the base, 

 forming an irregular cup as if torn 

 (Gard. Chron. 1899, xxv. 386). 



H. senegambica. This is remark- 

 able as being the only Old World 

 species, being a native of the sandy 

 shores of the Congo. It comes close 

 to //. littoralis, and has arching strap- 

 shaped leaves about 2 ft. long, and 

 large trusses of flowers on scapes 

 about 2 ft. high. Perianth-tube 

 slender, 5 to 6 ins. long. Segments 

 very narrow, about 4 ins. long, round 

 the funnel-shaped cup over 1 in. 

 across. 



H. spedosa (Pancratium apecio- 

 sum). One of the best-known species 

 in cultivation. It is a native of the 

 West Indies, and has bulbs 3 to 4 ins. 

 through, and numerous oblanceolate, 

 oblong, bright green leaves, Ij to 2 

 ft. long. The sweet-scented pure 

 white flowers have a greenish tube 

 about 3 ins. long, and shorter seg- 

 ments and funnel-shaped cup. (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 1453 ; Red. Lil. t. 412.) The 

 variety anyustifolia has very stiff 



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