CHIONODOXA 



CHIRITA 



749 



and the other with black stamens. C. grandiflora is 

 the largest-flowered of the group, the type being slaty 

 blue with dark lines down the center of the segments; 

 however, like others of the genus, there are pink and 

 white forms sometimes found in collected bulbs, 

 although somewhat rare. C. Tmolusii, one of the kinds 

 sent out by Whittall of Smyrna some 3 T ears ago, is 

 very like C. Lucilise in form but of a deeper blue and a 

 distinctly later flowering habit. Chionodoxas hybridize 

 with Scilla, and the hybrids are sometimes known as 

 chionoscillas. Chionodoxas thrive in any fertile soil, 

 well drained and not too heavy, and in any exposure, 

 the main requisite for growth being that they have 

 light and an adequate supply of moisture while grow- 

 ing and until the foliage is ripened. The bulbs should 

 be planted about 3 inches deep, and closely, say an inch 

 or less apart. Lift and replant about the third year. 

 They need no winter covering. They flower well in pots 

 in winter in a coolhouse temperature. Must be forced 

 only gently, and given abundance of air, light and 

 moisture. They are increased by offsets and seeds, 

 which they produce freely. Under favorable conditions 

 they increase rapidly by self-sown seeds. Preferably, 

 seeds should be sown in a frame, and may be expected 

 to germinate the following .winter. Under ordinary 

 conditions, self-sown seeds germinate early in the 

 year, or late winter. (J. N. Gerard.) 



Luciliae, Boiss. Fig. 921. Bulb ovoid, brown-coated: 

 Ivs. long and narrow, 2 or 3 with each st.: scape 3-6 

 in. high, bearing a dozen or less bright blue, more or 

 less hanging, white-centered fls. Asia Minor and 

 Crete. B.M. 6433. Gn. 28, p. 179. Runs into many 

 forms, one of which has white fls. C. gigantea, Hort., 



is a larger form of it, 

 distinct in habit. C. 

 grandifldra, Hort., is 

 a large garden form, 

 with fls. violet -blue 

 and white in the 

 throat. Var. F6rbesii, 

 Hort., somewhat taller 

 and bearing more fls. 

 C. amabilis Leichtlinii, 

 Hort., is a very hand- 

 some form, 2 weeks 

 later than the others: 

 fls. 1% in. across, with 

 broad full segms. of 

 soft creamy white 

 shaded rose-purple. 

 C. Tmol&sii, Hort., is 

 a late-blooming form, 

 bright blue and white, 

 apparently a variant 

 of C. Lucilise. 



sardensis, Drude. 

 Fls. 2-6, smaller, much 

 darker blue with no 

 white in the eye, the 

 perianth -limb twice 

 longer than the tube: 

 Ivs. channeled. Sardis. 

 Gn. 28:178. Probably 

 a form of C. Lucilise. 



cretica, Boiss. & 

 Held. Slender: fls. 

 smaller and fewer (1-2 

 on a scape) than C. 

 Lucilise, white or very 

 pale blue. Crete. Of 

 little horticultural 

 value. 



Allenii, Hort. (Chio- 

 noscilla Allenii, Hort.). 

 921. Chionodoxa Luciliae. (XH) Perianth segms. cut to 



the base: habit of C. Lucilise, but the white eye is 

 indistinct. Supposed natural hybrid of Scilla bifolia and 

 Chionodoxa Lucilise. G.C. III. 21 : 191. There is said to 

 be another C. Allenii that is a direct selection probably 

 from C. Lucilise, very like var. grandiflora. Chionoscilla 

 Penryi is another Chionodoxax Scilla hybrid, the exact 

 parentage not being stated. L H B 



CHIONOSCILLA: 



Hybrids of Chionodoxa 

 and Scilla; consult these 

 genera. 



CHIRANTHO- 

 DENDRON (Greek, 

 signifying handflower- 

 tree). Sterculiacese. 

 Odd -flowered orna- 

 mental tree of Mexico 

 and to be expected 

 in West Indies and 

 elsewhere in cultiva- 

 tion. 



A mono ty pic 

 genus, which together 

 with the Californian 

 Fremontodendron 

 forms the remarkable 

 group Fremontieae. 

 The fls. are devoid 

 of a corolla, but in 

 its place have a large 

 deeply 5-parted cup- 

 shaped calyx, con- 

 cave at the base, in 

 which there are 5 

 glands which secrete 

 an abundance of 

 honey; stamens 

 united together for 

 about one-third their length, above which they separate 

 into 5 rays bearing linear anthers which dehisce by a 

 longitudinal groove; style issuing from the center of 

 the stamens and terminating in a pointed stigma: fr. a 

 woody caps, with 5 valvate dehiscent lobes: foliage 

 linden-like and densely clothed with stellate hairs. 



platanoides, Baill. (Cheirostemon platanoides, 

 Humb. & Bonpl.). The celebrated MACPALXOCHI- 

 QTJAHUITL, or HANDFLOWER TREE of the Mexicans; 

 also called MANO DE Mico, MONKEY'S HAND, and 

 DEVIL'S HAND. Fig. 922. The remarkable feature of 

 the fl. is the form of the bright red stamens, which 

 resemble the fingers of a human hand and are tipped 

 with appendages like claws; from the base of the 

 fingers issues the style which is more or less like a 

 thumb. A single tree growing near the city of Toluca 

 was known to the ancient Mexicans, who regarded it 

 with superstitious- veneration. It was of great age and 

 was supposed to be the only tree of its kind in the world. 

 But an entire grove of the trees was discovered in 

 Guatemala on the slope of the Volcano de Agua, near 

 the town of Antigua, whence in pre-Columbian times 

 the specimen had been brought. This established 

 itself on the slope of the volcano of Toluca, where the 

 conditions of soil and climate were similar to those of 

 its original habitat. W> E SAFFORD. 



CHIRITA (Hindostani name). Gesneracese. Plants 

 much like gloxinias and streptocarpuses. A genus of 100 

 species, none of which is in the American trade. They 

 are natives of E. Asia and are herbs or low undershrubs 

 with opposite, often unequal Ivs. : fls. in shades of pur- 

 ple and blue, tubular, in clusters on the tops of short 

 scapes. For cult., see Gloxinia. 



C. barbata, Sprague. Perennial: fls. pedicellate; corolla funnel- 

 shaped, bluish lilac, with yellow band in front. India. B.M. 

 8200. C. rupestris, Ridl. Bushy, compact annual. Malay 

 Peninsula. B.M. 8333. C. sinensis, Lindl., is the best known 



922. Chiranthodendron platanoides. 

 The hand-flower. ( X 1 A) 



