ZINGIBER 



THE BULB BOOK 



ZYGADEXUS 



Z. tubispatha (Z. nervosa ; Amaryl- 

 lis tubispatha). -^ A native of the 

 West Indies and Central American 

 mountains, with narrow linear flaccid 

 leaves over 1 ft. long, and white, 

 slightly fragrant flowers 1^ to 2 ins. 

 long, in early summer (Bot. Mag. 

 t. 1586). Fairly hardy. 



Z. verecunda (Z. sessilis ; Z. 

 striata). A native of the highlands 

 of Central Mexico, with narrow green 

 leaves 6 to 12 ins. long, and white 

 flowers l to 2 ins. long, keeled 

 with red, and borne on stems 3 to 9 

 ins. high, in the spring and early 

 summer months (Bot. Mag. tt. 2583, 

 2593 ; Ref. Bot. tt. 212, 356). Green- 

 house or frame. 



Z. versicolor. A South American 

 species, with leaves a foot long, 

 produced after the flowers, which 

 appear in January or February, and 

 are white, 2 to 2^ ins. long, flushed 

 outside with red and green (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 2485). 



ZINGIBER (the Indian name). Nat. 

 Ord. Scitaminese. This genus con- 

 tains about twenty species of 

 herbaceous perennials, having tuber- 

 ous rhizomes, large more or less 

 oblong or lance-shaped leaves, and 

 flowers borne in dense spike - like 

 clusters. 



These plants are more of botanical 

 and economic interest, although they 

 are by no means unornamental. The 

 root -stocks of the East Indian Z. 

 officinale supply the Ginger roots of 

 commerce ; Z. Cassumunar supplies 

 Bengal Root (Bot. Mag. t. 1426) ; Z. 

 Parish!, from Moulmein, has creeping 

 root - stocks about 3 ft. long, and 

 produces stems about 3 ft. high, 

 having elliptic lance-shaped leaves, 

 and pale yellow flowers veined with 

 purple (Bot. Mag. t. 6019); Z. 

 spectabile, from the Malay Peninsula, 



is about 8 ft. high, with oblong 

 lance-shaped tapering leaves and pale 

 yellow flowers with a red-brown lip 

 spotted with yellow (Bot. Mag. t. 

 7967); Z. Zerumbet, from the East 

 Indies and Malaya, grows 3 to 4 ft. 

 high, with broadly lance-shaped wavy 

 leaves and pale sulphur-yellow flowers 

 (Bot. Mag. t. 2000). There is a 

 variety with variegated leaves. 



ZYGADENUS (zygos, a yoke ; aden, 

 a gland ; in reference to the double 

 glands on the perianth). Nat. Ord. 

 Liliaceae. A little-known genus of 

 herbaceous plants with rhizomes or 

 bulbous root - stocks, clusters of 

 narrow leaves, and branched racemes 

 of more or less bell-shaped flowers. 



These plants are chiefly of botani- 

 cal interest. They like a deep, moist 

 peaty soil in somewhat shaded places, 

 and may be increased by division 

 of the root-stocks or offsets. The 

 following species are met with. 

 They are all natives of N. America. 



Z. an gust if oil us. A slender- 

 stemmed plant 12 to 18 ins. high, 

 with reduced leaves, and racemes of 

 small white flowers, turning purple 

 with age (Bot. Mag. t. 1540). 



Z. glaberrimus (Helonias bracteata). 

 This species grows 2 to 3 ft. high, 

 and has narrow grassy leaves 12 to 

 18 ins. long, and small white flowers 

 in June (Bot. Mag. t. 1703). 



Z. glaucus (Z. elegans). A plant 

 1 to 2 ft. high, with grey-green leaves 

 1 to 2 ft. long, and loose racemes of 

 whitish - green flowers in summer 

 (Bot. Mag. t. 1680, as glaberri- 



Z. Muscaeto^ncum (Helonias la?ta), 

 Fly Poison Plant. This grows 1 to 

 2 ft. high, has the leaves much 

 reduced, and bears greenish - white 

 flowers in summer (Bot. Mag. t. 

 803 ; Load. Bot. Cab. t. 998). 



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