MOR^IA 



THE BULB BOOK 



MOILEA 



M. gloxiniaefolius. A pretty her- 

 baceous plant from Brazil, having 

 tuberous root-stocks, slightly stalked 

 rather broad coarsely toothed leaves, 

 and white flowers in clusters at the 

 ends of the shoots, and singly in the 

 axils of the leaves or bracts lower 

 down the stems. The corolla has a 

 cylindrical tube, oblique on the upper 

 side, split down the centre, and with 

 a very oblique limb. 



This little-known plant requires 

 the heat and moisture of a stove 

 house, and may be grown in sandy 

 loam, leaf-mould, and peat in equal 

 proportions. It may be propagated 

 by cuttings of the half-ripened non- 

 flowering shoots inserted in very 

 sandy soil under a hand-light or bell- 

 glass. The tubers may also be divided 

 just as growth is commencing. 



MOBJEA (after R. Moore, a British 

 botanist). Nat. Ord. Irideae. This 

 genus (which now includes DIETES, 

 HELIXYKA, and VIEUSSEUXIA) con- 

 tains about sixty species of plants 

 with roundish conns, narrow sword- 

 like leaves, and somewhat fleeting 

 lilac, yellow, or red flowers, having 

 three outer segments larger than the 

 three inner ones. 



Most of the Morseas are natives of 

 S. Africa, and may be grown in the 

 British Islands under almost identical 

 conditions with the IXIAS which see 

 and other South African bulbs. They 

 like rich gritty soil, warm, sunny, 

 and sheltered spots, and protection 

 from cold, miserable rains in winter. 

 In bleak localities it is safer to grow 

 the plants in pots or pans in cold 

 frames or greenhouses. Propagation 

 is effected by offsets, division, or more 

 slowly by seeds. Amongst the many 

 species the following may be noted : 



M. angusta. A plant about 9 ins. 

 high with lilac-coloured flowers (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 1276). 



M. bicolor. This was formerly 

 known as Iris and Dietes. It has 

 citron-yellow blossoms. (Bot. Reg. 

 t. 1404.) 



M. bituminosa. Grows about 1 ft. 

 high, and has yellow flowers (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 1045). 



M. catenulata, from Mauritius, has 

 white and blue flowers (Bot. Reg. 

 t. 1074.) Considered to be a form of 

 M. iridoides. 



M. ciliata. A very dwarf species 

 with ciliated leaves and yellow 

 flowers (Bot. Mag. t. 1061). 



M. crispa. Flowers lilac-blue with 

 yellow blotches (Bot. Mag. tt. 759, 

 1284). 



M. edulis. This grows 3 to 4 ft. 

 high, and has sweet-scented lilac 

 flowers blotched with yellow at the 

 base (Bot. Mag. t. 613). 



M. giaucopis. Flowers white with 

 a blue-black blotch at the base of 

 the outer segments (Bot. Mag. t. 

 168 ; Red. Lil. t. 42). 



M. iridoides. One of the best- 

 known species, having a short creeping 

 root-stock, clusters of narrow sword- 

 like leaves, and white flowers having 

 a yellow blotch at the base, and a 

 hairy or downy claw (Bot. Mag. tt. 

 693, 1407). The variety Johnsoni 

 differs from the type in having 

 longer leaves, 2 ft. long, erect, and 

 flowers 4 ins. across (Gard. Chron. 

 1907, xli. 296, f.). 



M. papilionacea. Flowers bright 

 lilac or red spotted with yellow (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 750). 



M. pavonia. A variable species 

 having red, purple, or yellow flowers, 

 usually blotched with blue - black 

 (Bot. Mag. t. 1247 ; and vars. villosa 

 and lutea at tt. 571, 772). Fig. 251. 



M. ramosa (M. bulbifera). Flowers 

 bright golden yellow blotched with 

 brown (Bot. Mag. tt. 771, 5785). 



M. Robinsoniana (Iris Robinsoni- 

 ana). Popularly known as the 



355 



