TULIPA 



THE BULB BOOK 



TULIPA 



has defined a good Florists 3 Tulip as 

 one having a round cup-shaped flower, 

 with a good shoulder, and petals level 

 at the top, neither reflexing outwards, 

 nor curving inwards at their upper 

 edges. The base of the cup inside 

 must be white or yellow, according 

 to the class, and free from any stain ; 

 and the filaments, upon which six 

 bold black anthers stand, must be 

 pure as the ground colour. The 

 petals should be smooth on the edge 

 and of good substance, that their 

 colours may appear dense, and the 

 flower keep its shape. Breadth of 

 petal is a most valuable property, 

 otherwise the flower, as it expands 

 and grows, would show strips of 

 daylight through the base of the 

 cup, a deadly fault known technically 

 as "quartering." (Practical Guide to 

 Garden Plants.) 



These Florists' Tulips are originally 

 raised from seed, and at the end of 

 from four to seven years the first 

 flowers appear. These are always of 

 one colour, although the seeds from 

 which they were raised may have 

 been ripened in flowers beautifully 

 " flamed " and " feathered," and with 

 two or three distinct colours. Such 

 seedling Tulips are called " Breeder " 

 or " Mother " Tulips, and are similar 

 to what are now called "Darwin" 

 Tulips. In the course of time the 

 uniform colour becomes split up into 

 two or more colours. The flowers are 

 then said to "break" or "rectify." 

 These " rectified " Tulips are divided 

 into two groups, (i.) those having a 

 pure white centre, base, or ground, 

 the purer the white the better ; and 

 (ii.) those having a pure yellow one. 

 The " white grounds " are also divided 

 into two sections ; (a) Roses, in which 

 the flowers may be of delicate pink, 

 rose, scarlet, cerise, crimson, and 

 intermediate shades ; and (b) Byblce- 

 mens, in which the flowers may be 



shades of pale lilac, lavender, violet, 

 brown, and black, and the deeper and 

 blacker the colours the better. 



The " yellow ground " Tulips consist 

 of one class only, called Bizarres, in 

 which the flowers may be orange, 

 scarlet, crimson, black, brown, etc. 



All rectified Tulips, whether Roses, 

 ByUcemens, or Bizarres, have the 

 petals either " feathered " or " flamed." 



As stated in the Practical Guide to 

 Garden Plants, a "feathered" Tulip 

 is one in which the colour is beauti- 

 fully pencilled and feathered round 

 the edges only of each petal, thus 

 producing a light and graceful effect. 

 When the feathering is broken, 

 splashed, or confused, it is a defect. 



A "flamed" Tulip is beautifully 

 pencilled like the feathered group, 

 but is distinguished from it by 

 having strong and brilliant streaks, 

 bands, or flames of a distinct colour 

 shooting up the centre from near the 

 base, and forking out towards each 

 feathered edge. The "flaming" and 

 " feathering " should be well blended, 

 but always leaving the ground colour 

 pure and clear between them. 



In each group there are several 

 varieties, particulars of which, as to 

 shades of colour, may be obtained 

 from current catalogues. 



IV. PARROT OR DRAGON TULIPS. 

 These curious-looking and remark- 

 able Tulips are believed to be derived 

 from T. viridiftora, a curious green 

 and yellow striped form of T. Ges- 

 neriana. The garden forms have 

 brilliant shades of scarlet, and yellow 

 mixed with green, slashed and cut 

 into all kinds of curious shapes. 

 Unfortunately the stalks are rather 

 weak, and in windy seasons the 

 flowers are much blown about if not 

 supported by slender stakes. 



The following are the principal 

 varieties : Admiraal van Constanti- 



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