HALF-HARDY PLANTS 81 



and a capital thing ; Donnatello, scarlet ; erubescens 

 major, rose-carmine; Excelsior, crimson-scarlet; magni- 

 ficum, yellow; nitens, magenta; Queen of Roses, rose; 

 viridiflora, a charming thing, with sea-green black- 

 centred flowers ; and White Queen, pure white, with 

 crimson centre, are all desirable. Morphixias are now 

 included by botanists with the Ixia. They bloom rather 

 later. The varieties of paniculata should be grown. 

 Sparaxises are equally beautiful, but are of dwarfer 

 habit. Among the most useful is S. tricolor, which 

 has scarlet flowers with a yellow centre. The others 

 are not so much grown under name as formerly, as 

 mixed varieties are cheaper, and give good flowers. 

 Fire King is bright with its scarlet and black flowers, 

 with a yellow centre, and Angelique, white ; Garibaldi, 

 crimson ; Lady Carey, white, blotched purple ; macu- 

 lata, white, purple, and primrose ; Queen Victoria, 

 white, yellow, and black, are all good. 



Babianas are also very beautiful with their dwarf 

 habit, plaited hirsute leaves, and their self-coloured or 

 strongly contrasted flowers. Apart from the species, of 

 which there are upwards of twenty, there are a number 

 of named varieties. Atro-cyanea, purple -blue and 

 white ; and rubro-cyanea, blue and crimson, are both 

 varieties of B. stricta. Others worth growing are : 

 Attraction, blue ; General Scott, lavender ; Hellas, 

 yellow ; Julia, white and blue ; speciosa, mauve ; and 

 villosa, blue. The plant called S. pulcherrima is 

 Dierama pulcherrimum, which is named among hardy 

 bulbs. 



The Tritonias now include Montbretia Pottsii, but 

 the plants, forms of T. crocata, generally known in 

 gardens by the former name, more resemble the Spar- 

 axis in their habit than the popular Montbretia of 

 modern times. They are grown like the Ixia, but are 

 rather more tender, and do best if kept indoors in 



