FLOWER committee's REPORT. 17 



beautiful ; very ornamental for the greenhouse, blooming in March. Leaves 

 radical, raceme conical, segments of perianth lanceolate, spreading. A 

 most lovely variety. We have cut a flower spike of this variety just as the 

 lower blooms were expanding, and preserved it in water for more than 

 three weeks, new flowers opening each day. 



All the above bloomed in the collection of the Chairman ; a very large 

 number of varieties, however, did not perfect bloom, owing to the weakness 

 of the bulbs ; another year many more may show flower. This is a lovely 

 class of bulbs, and is too little known and cultivated ; many of the above 

 would no doubt prove hardy, certainly with a slight protection. 



Sparaxis tricolor ochreleuca, by Edward S. Rand. A lovely variety ; 

 each petal red, beautifully edged with white on the exterior; interior pink- 

 ish white, with deep yellow eye. Very fine. 



Vieusseuxia glaucopis, by Edward S. Rand. A lovely delicate plant of 

 natural order Iridacae ; height about one foot ; flower in spathe, leaves 

 linear ; outer segments of perianth spreading, large and bearded ; inner 

 small ; color pearly white, shading at base to the most vivid tints of pur- 

 ple, blue, black and gray ; period of expansion transient, being only about 

 twenty-four hours ; blooms in the greenhouse about February. As the 

 bulbs are very small many should be planted in a pot. 



Cypella plumbea has done well in the open border; the flowers have 

 been more numerous, and of firmer substance. (For description, see Flower 

 Report of 1858.) 



Ixia alba oculata, by Edward S. Rand. Color white, shading to yellow, 

 with a dark chocolate eye ; exterior of petals pink, yellow and white. A 

 very fine variety. 



Homeria lineata, by Edward S. Rand. Leaves very long and stiff, 

 marked with white and green lines ; bulb small ; flower stem about one 

 and a half feet long, producing from spathes single flowers of a copper 

 color, in shape very like those of Ixia crocata ; single blooms transient, but 

 many are produced in succession, and the plants are thus in flower for a 

 long time. Blooms in the greenhouse about the middle of February. A 

 showy plant. The flower has a disagreeable perfume ; perfects seeds in 

 abundance, but we have not yet raised seedlings. A number of bulbs 

 should be planted in a pot, to produce a fine effect ; and as the roots grow 

 the plants should be repotted, (taking care not to break the ball of earth, 

 and to disturb the roots as little as possible,) for the growth of the roots is 

 so strong as often to break the pot, if it is not large enough for their devel- 

 opment. 



Ixia viridiflora, by Edward S. Rand. A most lovely species ; leaves ver}- 

 slender ; flower spike very long, producing from ten to thirty flowers ! 

 Words cannot describe the beauty of the flower; the petals are of a pecul- 

 iar vivid green ; the base of each black ; stamens large and yellow ; the 

 contrast is most marked ; a very free bloomer, of the easiest culture. This 

 old but charming variety has been most successfully flowered by the 

 exhibitor ; why it is so seldom met with in our greenhouses is unaccount- 

 able. 



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