;6 THE BOOK OF BULBS 



single pots of light soil. Cuttings taken off in summer 

 and rooted in small pots, form good "pot roots" for 

 planting out in spring. 



GALAXIAS 



Few people grow these pretty little bulbous plants, 

 which do well in a frame with some protection in winter, 

 although, perhaps, even better in pots in a cool green- 

 house. They bloom in May, the clusters of flowers 

 being almost stemless. Graminea has yellow flowers, 

 and the other species, ovata, has purple-violet blooms. 

 They belong to the Irids. A sandy peat is the soil they 

 prefer. 



GEISSORHIZAS AND HESPERANTHAS 



These are closely related to each other, and require 

 practically the same cultural treatment. The Geissorhiza 

 is a pretty little plant, but both it and the Hesperantha 

 seem a little more tender than the Ixia and do best 

 with greenhouse treatment. They may be potted and 

 grown in the way recommended for Ixias under glass. 

 Both have loose spikes of flowers. They bloom in May 

 or June. 



Practically the only Geissorhiza grown in Britain is 

 G. rochensis, a charming thing, with Tyrian blue flowers 

 with crimson blotches, but alba, white ; and violacea, 

 light blue, are also procurable ; while a demand for them 

 would probably bring out humilis, yellow ; purpureo- 

 lutea, purple-black and yellow ; secunda, red, rose, and 

 white, with a number of others from South Africa. 



The Hesperanthas are even less grown, but one may 

 meet with graminea and pumila, white, and pilosa, rose, 

 out of the twenty-six or so species known. Their 

 drawback is that they flower in the evening. 



