SAGITTARIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



SAGITTARIA 



known species. It comes from the 

 Himalayas, and has clusters of 

 spindle-shaped tuberous roots, from 

 which arise leafy striated stems less 

 than a foot high, the leaves being 

 stalkless, lance-shaped, wavy and 

 pointed, and 6 to 8 ins. long, while 

 the flowers are pale purple or lilac 

 (Bot. Mag. t. 4630; Sot. Reg. 1840, 

 t. 61). The variety sikkimensis is 

 a mere colour variety. 



S. montevidensis is a beautiful 

 aquatic from Buenos Ayres. It has 

 large fleshy, tuberous root-stocks, 

 emitting stolons from which other 

 tubers arise, somewhat in the same 

 way as potatoes. The large sagittate 

 leaves have stalks 3 to 6 ft. long, 

 and the pure white flowers with a 

 crimson blotch at the base of the 

 three segments are borne in whorls 

 on stems 3 to 5 ft. high during the 



FIG. 305. Roscoea purpurea. (J.) 



This species flourishes in a compost 

 of rich fibrous loam and well-decayed 

 manure or leaf -soil. It appears to be 

 perfectly hardy in the milder parts of 

 the Kingdom, and is easily increased 

 by division of the root-stocks in 

 spring. 



SAGITTARIA (sagitta, an arrow ; 

 in allusion to the characteristic shape 

 of the leaves), ARROWHEAD. Nat. 

 Ord. Alismacese. A genus of orna- 

 mental aquatic or marsh plants, 

 some of which have tuberous or 

 stolon-bearing root-stocks. 



FIG. 306. Sagittaria montevidensis. 



summer months. (Bot. Mag. t. 

 6755.) 



This majestic plant is best grown 

 in a warm greenhouse in rich muddy 

 soil, and the leaves should be 

 syringed frequently to keep them 

 bright and clean. Easily increased 

 by division of the root-stocks. 



8. sagittaefolia. A beautiful 

 British and European aquatic, with 

 stolons which produce tubers about 

 the size of an olive. The bright 

 green arrow-shaped leaves have three- 

 sided stalks 1 to l ft, long, and the 

 white flowers with purple claws are 



410 



