AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



393 



Musa continued. 



species, resembling if. Ensete, only more compact. See Fig. 608. 



(B. M. 3849.) 

 M. velutina (velvety). fl. yellow, on an erect purple spadix ; 



lower ones densely velvety. 1. about 3Jft. long, and nearly 1ft. 



broad, unequal at base, decurrent on the petiole, which is lift. 



long. Stems stout, liin. in diameter, and about 4ft. high. 



Assam, 1875. (R. G. 823.) 

 M. zebrina (zebra).* I. oblong, dark green, with broad blotches 



of bronzy-red and purple, irregularly scattered. Pseudo-stem 



slender, h. 10ft India, 1820. A very distinct and desirable 



dwarf-growing species. 



MUSCADINE. See Vitis vulpiua. 



MUSCARI (from Moschus, Musk; alluding to the 

 smell of the flowers). Grape Hyacinth. Including 

 Botryanthns. ORD. Liliacece. A genus of very pretty 



Muscari continued. 



freely. For obtaining offsets, the old bulbs should be 

 lifted early in the autumn of every second year. When 

 none are required, they may be left alone for a much 

 longer period, and allowed to increase. An annual top- 

 dressing of fresh soil may be given with advantage in 

 early spring, before the flowering season commences. 



M. sestivale (summer), fl. yellow, with green ribs, the upper ones 

 tinged with purple ; scape 6in. to Sin. high, erect, pale green, 

 mottled with purple below. June. I. bright green, long-linear, 

 deeply concave. Native country unknown. 1877. (B. M. 6269.) 



M. armeniacum (Armenian). .;?. bright dark blue, \yith three 

 small yellow dots near the mouth of the perianth, disposed in 

 a dense spike about 2iin. long, very agreeably fragrant. May. 

 I. concave, acuminated, 9in. long, iin. broad- h. bin. Armenia. 



FIG. 608. FLOWERING PLANT AND DETACHED FLOWER OF MUSA SUPERBA. 



hardy bulbous plants, natives of Europe, North Africa, 

 and Western Asia. A great many plants have been 

 described as species, but probably not more than forty 

 are really distinct. Flowers suffused with blue, or 

 greenish-blue or white, pendulous or nodding, racemose; 

 perianth small, tubular, globose, often constricted at the 

 mouth, with small reflexed lobes ; scape simple, leafless. 

 Leaves radical, few, linear, rather fleshy. Bulbs tuni- 

 cated. The species of Muscari are well adapted for 

 planting in the mixed or shrubbery border, and for 

 naturalising in sunny spots amongst short grass, &c. 

 They succeed in almost any soil and situation, but in- 

 crease most rapidly where the former is rich, and of a 

 free, open description. Propagation is readily effected 

 by means of offsets, and by seeds, which latter ripen 



Vol. TL 



ff. botryoides (cluster-like).* fl. deep sky-blue, with six small 

 white teeth or segments, disposed in a short, dense, almost 

 globose cluster. Spring. I. linear, channelled, stiff, erect, 

 slightly glaucous, h. 6in. to 12in. Europe, 1596. A well-known 

 and pretty plant. (S. B. F. G. 15 ; B. M. 157, under name 

 of Hyacinthus botryoides.) This species has two or three 

 varieties, including album, with white, and pallidum, with pale 

 blue flowers. 



0. commntatum (changeable). /. bluish at first, changing to 

 reddish-purple, disposed in very short racemes ; teeth of perianth 

 inflexed. Spring. 1. linear, flaccid, longer than the flower-stern. 

 h. 6in. to lOin. Sicily, 1836. (S. B. F. G. ser. ii. 369.) 



tt. comosum (tufted). /., sterile ones blue, twenty to thirty, 

 corymbose ; fertile perianth obovoid-urceolate, amethystine-olive ; 

 racemes loose, forty to one-hundred flowered ; scape 1ft. or more 

 long, dusky-spotted. April. I. three or four, fleshy-herbaceous, 

 pale green, bnear-lovate, 1ft. to lift, long, iin. to Iin. broad. 

 South Europe, 1596. See Fig. 609. (B. M. 133, 



Hyacinthus comosus.) 



under name of 

 3E 



