HORTUS VEITCHI1 



The introduction of the beautiful species Hippeastrum pardinum, through the 

 collector Pearce, in 1866 gave a new impetus to the cultivation of Hippeastrums 

 and supplied hybridizers with new material. 



The magnificent flowers are spotted all over with vermilion on a yellowish 

 ground, as in the skin of a leopard. The flower-tube short or nearly absent, the 

 floral segments broad, recurved, and spreading, form a flower nearly 7 in. in 

 diameter. 



The Veitchian employes commenced the work of hybridizing in 1867, using 

 Hippeastrum pardinum as one parent and the hybrid Acramanni pulcherrima 

 as the other. The cross was effected by John Seden, and from the one capsule 

 obtained three distinct plants originated, named Chelsoni, Brilliant, and maculata 

 respectively, the former the best. With all its fine qualities H. pardinum did 

 not realize the expectations which were held of it as a breeder, and it was with 

 the introduction of H. Leopoldii discarded. 



Hippeastrum aulicum was also used in some of our early experiments, but the 

 results were always disappointing, and did not justify any further use of that 

 species as a parent, most of the flowers produced by its progeny being thin and 

 ill-shapen, with narrow pointed segments and a large amount of green in the 

 centre. 



Hippeastrum Leopoldii was the species most successfully used as a parent, and 

 one which exerted the most influence in producing the present race. The species 

 first flowered in 1870, was shown for the first time at the Royal Horticultural 

 Society's Exhibition held at South Kensington in honour of Leopold King of the 

 Belgians, at the time paying a visit to this country. His Majesty was much 

 struck by the beauty of the flower of the new species, and courteously granted 

 permission to name the plant in commemoration of his visit. The flowers are 

 large and widely expanded, the tube is short and the segments broad and of good 

 substance, the habit and general contour of the plant possesses points which it 

 became desirable to infuse into those at that time in cultivation. 



Many were raised of the Leopoldii type, the highest degree of perfection in form 

 and size being attained in John Heal. 



Beyond this the plants of this type refused to break into any form that could 

 be considered an improvement, and, as the constitution became weakened by 

 continued in breeding, new blood became necessary. Moreover the varieties 

 produced by Hippeastrum Leopoldii seldom bore more than two flowers on a 

 spike. 



The next step was to increase the number of flowers on a spike to five or six, 

 and to retain the symmetry and refinement characteristic of the Leopoldii type. 

 With this in view de Graaff's hybrid Empress of India was crossed with the best 

 Leopoldii forms, and resulted not only in an increase in the number of flowers on 

 a scape, but in decided breaks of colour, and shades and tints previously unknown. 



A further aim to obliterate or reduce as far as possible the green centre from 

 the blooms met with a like success ; the modern flowers seldom show sufficient 

 green to be objectionable, and in certain self-coloured forms it is usually 

 replaced by a darker shade of the ground colour. In other varieties the green 

 centre assumes a yellowish or orange tinge, a happy contrast to the prevailing 

 colour of the segments. 



Among the most striking colours of the past few years, the yellowish-green 

 tinge of the Veldt is probably the most novel. It is by no means so pleasing a 



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