514 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Strelitzia continued. 



collate, with a long-exserted perianth ; sepals three, ovate- 

 lanceolate, long, free ; petals unequal, the two lower or 

 front ones united, each one lobed on the outer side 

 towards the upper part, so that the two petals are 

 distinctly halberd-shaped, and conceal within a fold the 

 five perfect stamens, the third or posterior petal much 

 smaller than the other two and somewhat hooded ; bracts 

 large and spathe-like, boat-shaped, acuminate ; scape 

 terminal or in an upper axil, shortly exserted from the 

 leaf sheaths. Leaves in long, sessile or stalked sheaths, 

 ample, flabellately bifarious. Ehizome sometimes hypo- 

 gfflus, sometimes produced into an erect, woody stem. 

 Strelitzias succeed in a mi ture of two parts loam, and 

 one part peat, with a littl > sand added. They require 

 a liberal supply of water during summer ; but very little 

 need be given during winter. The principal methods of 

 propagation are by suckers, and b'y division of old plants. 



Strelitzia continued. 



posterior one nearly round, long and abruptly acuminate; 

 spathes four, alternate, livid-green and purplish, at length lift. 

 long; scape shorter than the petioles. May. I. oblong, obtuse 

 at base. h. 25ft. A superb 

 the "Genera Plantarum," 

 S. augusta. (R. G. 235.) 

 S. parvlfolia juncea (small-leaved, Rush-like). fl. purple and 

 yellow ; scape equalling the petioles. May. I., blades absent 

 or nearly so (in the type they are linear-lanceolate with flat 

 margins) ; petioles resembling the stems of large Rushes, h. 4ft. 



. . . , 



plant, considered, by the authors of 

 to be specifically identical with 



(B. R. 516.) The variety anattfttfgtta bu lanceolate leaf blades, 

 one-seventh the length of the petioles. 



S. Reginso (queen's).* Jl. orange and purple, large, abundantly 

 produced ; scape free, equalling the leaves. April. I. very fine, 

 ovate or ovate-oblong, green, mostly equal at base, broadly 

 undulate- crisped on the margins, h. 5ft. 1773. This is the most 

 magnificent species of the genus. The seeds are eaten by the 

 Kaffirs. See Fig. 544. (A. B. R. 442 ; B. M. 119-20 ; R. G. 1877, 

 216.) S. humiltx has been called a " reduced copy" of S. Retjince. 



S. R. Lemoinierii (Lemoinier's). A variety with golden-yellow 

 sepals. 1880. (F. d. S. 2370-1.) 



FIG. 545. STRELITZIA REGIN^E PROLIFERA, showing Habit and detached Inflorescence. 



Seeds, which are also sometimes procurable, should be 



sown in light soil, and the pots plunged in moist bottom 



heat. 



S. auguata (mapestic).* fl. whitish ; calyx and corolla both pure 

 white ; the sagittate petals very short and rounded, the posterior 

 one very small, acuminate. March. 1. dark grt 

 2ft. or more long, lin. to IJin. broad, oblong, 



L dark green, distichous, 



v . U.W '",, . -~ * 2 .... uiv.ad, oblong, sub-cordate at 

 base ; petioles 3ft to 6ft. long, slightly glaucous, longer than the 

 5. A. 10ft. 1791. A noble plant. (B. M. 4167-8 ; F. d. S. 



scape. 



173-4.) 

 S. farinosa (mexly). fl. purple and yellow ; scape free, longer 



than the petioles. February. I. oblong, unequal at base; 



petioles half as long again as the leaves, h. 4ft. 1795. 

 S. humllis (humble). .. A form of S. Regince. 

 S. Nicolai (Prince Nicolajevitsch's). fl., calyx whitish ; petals 



blue, the sagittate ones rather large, triangular-ovate, the 



S. R. prolifera (proliferous). This only differs from the type 

 in the longer petiole and shorter blade of the leaf, and in there 

 being two spathes developed on the same scape. See Fig. 545. 



S. R. pumila (dwarf). A dwarf, compact variety. 1879. 



STREFTANTHERA (from streptos, twisted, and 

 anthera, an anther ; alluding to the shape of the anthers). 

 ORD. IridecB. A small genus (only a couple of species) 

 of dwarf, bulbous, greenhouse plants, natives of South 

 Africa. Flower solitary in the spathe, sessile; perianth 

 with a very short, campanulate tube, and a rotate- 

 spreading limb ; stamens affixed to the throat ; spathes 

 one, two, or three, sessile at the sides of the peduncles ; 

 peduncles two or three in the upper axils. Leaves 

 ensiform-lnneeolate, erect or falcately spreading. The 



