62 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Amarantus continued. 



A. 8 anreus (golden), fl. of a fine brownish-golden hue. Very 

 effective when grown in masses. 



A tricolor (three-colouredX* I- of a fine, transparent, purplish- 

 redordark carmine from the base to the middle ; a large spot of 

 bright yellow occupies the greater part of the upper end of the 

 leaf- point generally green; leafstalks yellow, h. lift. .East 

 Indies 1548 See Fig 74. There are several garden vaneties 

 of this species, requiring a somewhat warmer situation. 



AMARYLLIDE2E. A large and important order of 

 usually bulbous plants, sometimes with a stem. Flowers 

 solitary, umbellate, or paniculate ; perianth superior, six- 

 lobed, often with a corona at the top of the tube. Leaves 

 ensiform or linear. This order contains many very beau- 

 tiful genera, including Agave, Amaryllis, Crinum, Hatman- 

 thus, Hippeastrum, Narcissus, Pancratium, and several 

 others. 



AMARYLLIS (from Amaryllis, the name of a country- 

 woman mentioned by Theocritus and Virgil). OBD. 

 Amaryllideai. Half-hardy or hardy, deciduous, bulbous 

 plants. Flowers large, sweet-scented, pedicelled; spathe 

 two-leaved; umbels few-flowered; perianth with a very 

 short tube, funnel-shaped, six-parted, sub-regular or ir- 

 regular ; segments many-nerved, broad, undulate, spreading 

 somewhat at the apices; stamens at the summit of the 

 tube, unequal, declined ; anthers fixed by the middle, in- 

 cumbent, curved into a circular arch after bursting; style 

 declined; stigma thickened, sub-three-lobed ; scape tall, 

 solid, compressed. Capsule obovate ; seeds globose, fleshy. 

 Leaves appearing at a different season from the scapes, 

 numerous, strap-shaped. The following genera are some- 

 times arranged hereunder, but in this work are treated 

 separately: Brunsvigia, Crinum, Hippeastrum, Nervne, 

 Spretelia, Stembergia, Vallota, Zephyranthes. Warm, 

 dry, and well-drained positions in front of hot-houses, 

 or at the base of south or south- 

 west walls, are the most suit- 

 able sites for A. Belladonna and 

 its varieties. The soil should 

 be composed of good, fibrous 

 loam, leaf mould, and sand, in 

 equal parts. Insert the bulbs 

 Gin. to Sin. deep, and surround 

 with sand, after which they 

 may be covered with the com- 

 post, which should be pressed 

 firmly about them ; they should 

 not be again disturbed for years, 

 when they will ultimately es- 

 tablish themselves, and produce 

 grand masses of blossom. The 

 best time to plant a fresh stock 

 is June or July, when they 

 commence root-action, before 

 the flower- stems are sent up. 



DONNA, showing^Habit at In their growing season, and 



FIG. 75. AMARYLLIS BELLA- 



A, showin 



Flowering ^^u. . Q ^ weather) an occasional 



soaking of clear water, or liquid manure, will be 

 greatly beneficial. The extremely ornamental plants now 

 largely grown, and frequently classed as Amaryllis in 

 nurserymen's catalogues, belong to the genus Hippeastrum. 

 For pot-culture of the Belladonna Lily, see Hippeastrum. 



A. Belladonna.* Belladonna Lily. This splendid species is 

 very variable, both in the size and colour of the flowers, fre- 

 quently producing variously-shaded flowers, from almost white to 

 a reddish or purplish hue. Autumn. West Indies, 1712. See 

 Fig. 75. The leaves and flowers are not produced together. In 

 Fig. 76 they are both shown in the same illustration for economy 

 of space. 

 A, B. pallida (pale).* A pale-coloured variety, h. 2ft. 



AMASONIA (named in honour of Thomas Amason, 

 one of the earlier American travellers). STN. Taligalea. 

 OED. VerbenacecB. A genus comprising six species (which 

 may be reduced to four) of stove sub-shrubs, natives of 

 tropical America. Flowers yellow or sulphur-coloured, 

 racemose or panicled ; calyx five-cleft ; corolla five-cleft, 



Axnasonia continued. 



sub-bilabiate. Leaves alternate, toothed or rarely entire. 

 For culture of the only species introduced, see Clero- 

 dendron. 



A. punlcea (reddish-brown). H. yellow, with pretty, brownish 

 bracts peduncles once or twice trifld, cymose or one-flowered. 

 May and June. I. slender, Sin. to 2in. long, oblong- or elliptic- 

 lanceolate, shortly acuminate, unequally toothed. Stem erect, 

 simple or slightly branched, h. 2ft. to 3ft. Brazil, 1884. 

 AMATEUR. This term is usually meant to refer 

 to one who has a taste for a particular pursuit, and who is, 

 in a pecuniary point of view, independent of it. An 

 Amateur gardener is one who rears and grows his plants, 

 and cultivates his garden, for his own amusement for 

 mere love of horticulture. 



Fid. 76. AMARYLLIS BELLADONNA, showing Bulb and Flower Scape. 

 AMBER, SWEET. See Hypericnm Androsse- 



AMBER-TREE. See Anthospermnm. 



AMBROSINIA (commemorative of Professor Gia- 

 cinti Ambrosini, of Bologna). OED. Aroidece (Aracece). 

 A curious, half-hardy, tuberous perennial, thriving in any 

 light soil, with protection in winter. Increased by seeds, 

 and by divisions. The former should be sown, as soon 

 as ripe, in a cool house ; and the latter should be made 

 just previous to new growth in spring. 



