24 THE BOOK OF BULBS 



herbaceous habit. The best known are bulbosa, known 

 also as solida and tuberosa, also called cava, of both of 

 which there are purple or lilac and white forms. Halleri 

 is a pretty variety of bulbosa. C. nobilis, with yellow 

 flowers, is a handsome May-blooming plant. Semenowii 

 and Sewerzowii are both good yellow species and 

 Scouleri has pale purple flowers and graceful leaves. 

 They like peaty soil and a little shade. 



CRINUMS 



The Crinums are remarkably effective flowers, and 

 some are perfectly hardy if given a warm position, pre- 

 ferably one in front of a greenhouse or a wall. The 

 best known is longifolium, also called capense, which 

 has fine fragrant pale rose flowers. The white variety 

 alba is also pretty. Moorei is hardy if planted as re- 

 commended, and Powelli and Powelli album are equally 

 as hardy as longifolium. Yemense is a fine white 

 Crinum. Some patience is often necessary until the 

 plants are strong enough to flower. They need copious 

 supplies of water, and should have little litter about 

 them in the first few winters. Their fine leaves are 

 handsome but require a place sheltered from the wind. 



CROCOSMIAS AND MONTBRETIAS 



These two flowers go naturally together, not only be- 

 cause Crocosmia aurea is understood to be one of the 

 parents of the hybrid Montbretias, but also because of 

 the resemblance of their long spikes of bright flowers. 

 The only species of Crocosmia, that named above, is a 

 pretty and showy plant, though it is scarcely so hardy 

 as some of the Montbretias and requires protection with 

 dry litter or ashes in some districts when grown in the 

 open. Plant about six inches deep in spring. The 



