RICHARDIA 



RICHARDIA 



1535 



2127. Blade about twice as long as wide, cuspidate at 

 the apex, cordate-sagittate at the base, both leaves and 

 spathes varying greatly in size: spatlie 3-10 in. long, 

 white, creamy inside at the base, flaring outwards and 

 narrowing to a cuspidate tip. S. Africa. B.M. 832. Gn. 

 33:654. —Fragrant. Sports with double and triple spathes 

 often occur. A.F. 5:83. Gn. 4(5, p. 447. See Fig. 2129. 



Var. nina compActa, Ilort. (Ji'. ndna compdcta, 

 Hort.). Little Gem. Fig. 2130. Like the type, but 

 only 12-16 in. high: spathes 3—4 in. long. Var. Devoni- 

 ^nsis, Hort. (i?. DevoniSnsis, Hort.). Dwarf; freer 

 bloomer than Little Gem, and more fragrant. 



There are many forms of the Calla Lily in cultivation, 

 a number of which have received Latin names. Some 

 of these horticultural names are: candidissima, spathe 

 large, pure white; gigant^a, plant very large; Gode- 

 frey^na, dwarf, white; grandifldra, spathe large. 



P6ntlandii, Whyte. Erect perennial: Ivs. ovate-cor- 

 date, acuminate - caudate, with an open sinus, basal 

 lobes rounded: midrib thick: spathe golden yellow, 

 broadly trumpet-shaped, its lower margins convolute 

 one-third, flaring above, the subulate tip abruptly re- 

 curved, margins recurved, slightly warty and with a 

 black-purple blotch at the base within. Basutoland, S. 

 Afr. B.M. 7397.-Hooker writes (in B.M. 7397) that 

 "^. Pentlandii is much the largest-leaved species, and 

 is the only one with a deeply gamboge yellow spathe 

 within, which is much the largest and broadest of any." 

 First flowered in 1892 by R. Whyte, Pentland House 

 (Lee, England). 



cc. Base of the leaf-Made hastate. 

 hastata, Hook. f. (R. Lufivi/chei, N. E. Br.). Pride 

 OF THE Congo. Yellow Calla. Petioles bristly below; 

 blades dull green, hastate-ovate, twice longer than wide, 

 rather flaccid, 8-16 in. long, cuspidate at the apex, basal 

 lobes separated by a narrow sinus: spathe cup-shaped, 

 5 in. long (with a tail 1 in. long), greenish yellow, the 



tate, bright green, and somewhat exceeding the scape: spathe 

 short and rather open, cre.amy white with a black or purple 

 throat. S. Afr. Distributed by Max Leichtlin (Germany) in 

 1808. There are hylirids of tliis and R. Elliottiana. — Ji. angusti- 

 loba, Schott. Leafbhide hastate, narrow, the basal lobes one- 



2128. Richardia albo-maculata (X 1-5). 



tip erect, black-purple at the base within, the lateral 

 nerves usually rather prominent above. B.M. 5176. 

 Gn. 18:262. 

 E. Adlami, Hort. Leichtlin. Strong-growing, with Ivs. sagit- 



97 



2129. Calla with double spathe (X 34). 



fourth the length of the apical one, 20 in. long, 3 in. wide at the 

 base: peduncle 4-4 J'^ ft. long. Angola. — M. aurdta, Hort., said 

 to be a hybrid of hastata and albo-maculata, but better regarded 

 as a variety of hastata: leaves spotted; spathes large, yellow. 

 Said to be a hybrid of R. albo-maculata and R. hastata.— "i?. 

 suffiisa. A distinct dwarf -habited plant with a creamy white 

 spathe, the base in the inside of a rich violet-purple shade. It 

 is apparently a plant of good constitution." Gn. 55, p. 317. 



Jared G. Smith. 



Culture of C alias. — Richardia Africana has been 

 known for generations as the Calla Lily. Though often 

 grown as a window plant, it is very unsuitable and sel- 

 dom blooms under house treatment. When grown for 

 winter flowers, it is customary to give the roots a rest 

 during summer time. They may be dried and stored if 

 necessary. It is in this condition that we get Cali- 

 fornian Callas. It is the opinion of the writer that 

 summer-resting would be the best treatment for those 

 grown as house plants, as well-grown dried roots are 

 more likely to bloom. But rest must be enforced, for 

 Callas will grow all the year round, increasing in size 

 and numbers when planted out. We always get the 

 largest blooms from summer-grown plants. They are 

 taken up in the autumn, given good loam and plenty of 

 root-room, with a liberal allowance of liquid fertilizer 

 when well established. They thrive best under good 

 light, and in a minimum temperature of 55°. 



There are several varieties, all differing only in size, 

 from those which grow six feet to "Little Gem"— one 

 foot. Some are said to be more odorous than others, 

 though all are fragrant. Besides being invaluable pot- 

 plants, they can be used with good effect in indoor 

 winter gardens, growing luxuriantly when partly sub- 

 merged; and also in "bog" gardens, and on the margins 

 of ponds, to give subtropical efi'ects. 



7^. UlUottiana, although introduced to cultivation 

 about ten years ago, is yet rare. It is undoubtedly an 

 acquisition. It is a South African species, about which 

 we know comparatively little. From what scraps of in- 

 formation we have gathered regarding it from time to 

 time, we conclude it is rather an upland species, and 

 our experience with it would indicate that frost may 

 occasionally visit its habitat, or at least that it will 

 endure a lower temperature than Richardia Africana 

 and succeed. When introduced, we thought it diffi- 

 cult to grow. It was first grown in this country by 

 William Robinson, gardener to F. L. Ames, North 

 Easton, Mass., Mr. Harris, gardener to H. H. Hunne- 

 well, Wellesley, Mass., and Mr. Joseph Tailby, of 

 Welleslej'. The last named is a commercial grower, 

 who looked upon his importation as an investment. 

 The bulbs (corms or roots) were expensive, — a guinea 



