AMARYLLIS 



AMBROSINIA 



271 



conditions, the bulbs in active growth at lifting time 

 may be heeled-in on a greenhouse bench until they 

 gradually ripen, taking care that some of the soil is 

 retained on the roots; otherwise the ripening process 

 is altogether too rapid, so that the roots and leaves 

 suddenly lose their robust nature, become flabby, and 

 eventually die. For this method, it can be said that a 

 larger number of bulbs can be grown with less trouble 

 than by the pot method, but neither bulbs nor flowers 

 compare in size with those kept in pots the year round. 

 For the purpose of merely increasing stock, the out- 

 door method is to be preferred. Most of the kinds are 

 naturally evergreen; potting under those conditions is 

 brst done either after the plants have made their growth 

 in the fall or after they have finished flowering in April. 

 When done in the fall, they are allowed to remain 

 rather dry during the winter; this will keep the soil of 

 the original ball in a sweet condition until the time 

 arrives to start them into growth, which may be any- 

 where after the first of January, or even earlier if neces- 

 sary. They will winter all right, and keep their foliage, 

 in a brick frame in which the temperature is not allowed 

 to fall below 45 F. By the beginning of February, in 

 a structure of this sort, they will be showing flower- 

 scapes, and should then be taken to a position in which 

 more heat and light can be given. A weak solution of 

 cow-manure will much help the development of the 

 flowers. When in bloom, a greenhouse tempera- 

 ture, with slight shade, will prolong the flowering 

 period. After flowering, the greatest care should be 

 taken of the plants, as it is from that period till the end 

 of summer that the principal growth is made. A heavy 

 loam, enriched with bone-dust and rotted cow-manure, 

 suits them well. -The seeds of hippeastrums should 

 be sown as soon as ripe, covered very lightly with finely 

 sifted leaf-mold, and, if this shows a tendency to dry too 

 quickly, cover with panes of glass until germination 

 takes place. As soon as the first leaves are developed, 

 they should be potted in the smallest sized pots and 

 kept growing. In the propagation of varieties, it will 

 be found that the large bulbs make two or more offsets 

 each season; these should not be detached until it is 

 certain that they have enough roots of their own to 

 start with after being separated fom the parent. If a 

 well-flowered specimen clump is desired, the offsets 

 may be allowed to remain attached to the parent; they 

 will, in most cases, flower the second year under gen- 

 erous treatment. Amaryllis Belladonna and the plant 

 known as A. longifolia (really a crinum) are hardy in 

 the District of Columbia; A. longifolia thrives even in 

 damp, heavy soils, with no protection, and flowers 

 abundantly each year. A. Belladonna needs a warm, 

 sheltered spot, with deep planting. This popular 

 autumn-blooming plant succeeds best where it can 

 remain out-of-doors all the year. It seems to thrive 

 in fairly rich sandy loam. A position facing south near 

 the wall of house or by the side of a greenhouse seems 

 to suit its requirements. In rather dry soils where frost 

 does not penetrate deeply, it is not necessary to lift 

 the tubers each year. (G. W. Oliver.) 



Belladonna, Linn. BELLADONNA LILY. Fig. 186. 

 Scape 2-4 ft., with a 2-lvd. dry spathe or involucre just 

 underneath the umbel : fls. on short pedicels, lily-like, 

 short-tubed, and flaring, with pointed segms. 2-3 in. 

 long, and 6 deflexed stamens, fragrant, normally rose- 

 red; scape solid: Ivs. strap-shaped, canaliculate and 

 acute. B.M. 733. Gn. 33:268; 47, p. 46; 49, p. 276; 

 54, p.414. G.C. III. 24:315. An old favorite, with many 

 Latin-named garden forms. There are varieties rang- 

 ing from white to red, and varying in shape and size of 

 fls., many of them receiving Latin descriptive names. 

 Var. purpurea, Hort. Fls. purple, at least on the limb. 

 Var. p411ida (A. pdllida, Red.), has pale flowers. 

 Var. blanda, VOBS (A. bldnda, Gawl. B.M. 1450), is a 

 large form, with white fls., fading to blush. Var. rosea 

 perfecta, Hort. Excellent blooms, satiny rose and white- 



striped: fls. late, at the time the Ivs. appear; the segms. 

 pointed. Gt. 45, p. 443. Var. spectabilis tricolor, Hort. 

 Fls. showy, in large umbels, rose-color, white inside, 

 highly perfumed. Gt. 45, p. 358. Var.- maxima, Hort. 

 Strong grower, with many large rose-colored fls. G.M. 

 45:303. Var. Parked (A. Pdrkeri, Hort.). Probably 

 hybrid of Brunsvigia Josephinse and Amaryllis Bella- 

 donna: umbel circular, with as many as 30 blooms; fls. 

 deep rose with white and orange at base inside, and 

 orange on outside of tube: 3 ft., handsome: also a 

 white-fld. form. G.C. III. 50:211. Gn. 75, p. 460. 



See Brunsvigia for A. ffigatitea and A. orierUalis; Crinum for A. 

 longi/olia and A. ornata; Hippcaatrum for A. aulica, A. equestris. 



Sternbergia for A. lutea; Vallota for A. purpurea; Zephyranthes 

 for A. Atamasco, A. Candida and A. erubescens. The following trade 

 names probably belong to other genera, most likely to Hippeastrum: 

 A. crocea, A. Graveana, A. macrantha, A. refulaens, T TT TJ 



AMASONIA (after Thomas Amason, early American 

 traveler). Verbenacex. About a half-dozen species of 

 under -shrubs of Trop. 

 Amer. Fls. yellow or sul- 

 fur-colored in racemose or 

 paniculate clusters; calyx 

 5-cleft; corolla 5-cleift, 

 almost 2-lipped. May be 

 treated as warmhouse' 

 species of Clerodendron. 



calycina, Hook. f. (A. 

 punicea, Hort. not Vahl. 

 Taligalea punicea, Hort.) 

 Lvs. 6-12 in. long, elliptic, 

 acuminate, coarsely irregu- 

 larly toothed or sinuate, 

 glabrous, except the floral 

 ones: fls. lJ^-2 in. long, 

 drooping; calyx nearly 1 in. 

 long, red. B.M. 6915. Gn. 

 27:130. R.B. 20:13. 



A. ertcta, Linn. A slender, 

 sparingly branched shrub: lys. 

 alternate and whorled, 4-5 in. 

 long, oblong, crenate-serrate, 

 dark green above, paler beneath: 

 fls. white, racemoseiy panicu- 

 late; bracts scarlet. Guiana. 



N. TAYLOR.f 186. Amaryllis Belladonna. 



AMBROSIA (a classical name). Compdsitx. About 

 fifteen species of weedy evil-smelling herbs, mostly 

 American. The common ragweed is A. arlemisisefolia, 

 Linn. The kingweed of western wheatfields, and also 

 of low waste places, is A. trifida, Linn. Probably none 

 is cultivated, the listed Ambrosia mexicana probably 

 being of some other genus, very likely an artemisia. 



AMBROSfNIA (Giacinti Ambrosini, an Italian). 

 Ardcese. A dwarf perennial tuberous herb of Italy and 

 Algeria. 



Spathe boat-shaped, lying on the earth, the mouth 

 gaping; spadix included: fr. a many-seeded berry. 

 Half-hardy; planted in the open or in pots, and bloom- 

 ing in the fall. A single species. 



Bassii, Linn. Three or 4 in.: Ivs. 2 or 3, overtopping 

 the spathe, the If .-blade ovate or ovate-elliptic, obtuse, 

 often retuse: spathe %in. long, tipped with a brown 

 tail, divided lengthwise, the anthers being in one com- 

 partment (which has a hole to admit insects), and the 

 solitary ovary in the other, thus preventing automatic 

 close pollination. B.M. 6360. There is a narrow- 

 leaved form (var. angustifolia, Guss.), a spotted- 

 leaved form (var. macula ta, Engler), and a form with 

 pale green reticulations (var. reticulata, Engler). Prop- 

 agation is by seeds started inside or in frames, or by 

 division in spring. L H B 



