1278 



FREESIA 



FREMONTIA 



refrada. Extremes of variation in form are shown in 

 Figs. 1578 and 1579, from the long and slender tube of 

 var. alba to the short and broader tube of var. Leicht- 

 linii. One of the earliest pictures of the plant is that in 

 the "Botanical Register" for 1816 (Plate 135, as Tri- 

 tonia refracta), a part of which is reproduced in Fig. 

 1578 to show the great irregularity of the corolla-lobes 

 at that early period, and the straggling habit of the 

 flowers, some pointing down and others up. The gar- 

 den evolution of the freesias has proceeded along two 

 lines. The greatest effort has been expended to pro- 

 duce a pure white flower, and in the best strains the 

 white color is mostly associated with a long and slen- 

 der tube. The ideal of a yellow flower is less popular, 

 and is mostly associated with the shorter and broader 



1579. Freesia refracta var. Leichtlinii. 



tube. In both cases the forms with straggling inflores- 

 cence and irregular corolla-lobes have been suppressed. 

 One may readily see how strongly two-lipped and gaping 

 were the flowers of 1816, and how much the tube 

 was bulged on one side. Any tendencies toward such 

 forms in modern bulbs are signs of undesirable charac- 

 ters. In pedigree plants the lobes are rounded and the 

 flowers symmetrical. 



These plants are much forced by florists, chiefly for 

 cut-flowers at Christmas. If cut when only two flowers 

 are out, the others will open. They may be had in 

 flower from Christmas until June by successional 

 plantings from August to February. For the best 

 results the largest and highest-priced bulbs should be 

 planted as early as August. Under good care, the 

 bloom may be secured in ten to twelve weeks after 

 the bulbs are planted ; it is not necessary that the bulbs 

 be kept cool or stored for a time after potting, as is the 

 case with hyacinths and tulips, for they root quickly 

 and start rapidly into growth. For holiday bloom, the 

 bulbs are planted in October. One of the strong points 

 of freesias is that planting may be delayed longer than 

 with many other bulbs. Bottoms may be dried off 

 gradually in the pots and then be shaken out and kept 

 dry during summer. Repot; the larger bulbs will 

 bloom, but will not give so good results as medium-sized 



imported bulbs not previously forced. When the plants 

 are growing, keep them cool and moist. Provide good 

 drainage, and let the potting earth contain a little sand 

 and more or less fibrous material. Usually several 

 bulbs are planted together in pots or boxes (about six 

 bulbs in a 5-inch pot). Offsets are freely produced and 

 these may be used for propagation; or seeds may be 

 employed, giving blooming plants in two or three 

 years, or sometimes the recent hybrid forms are said 

 to give bloom in six to seven months from seeding. 



refracta, Klatt. Fig. 1578. Weakly erect, 1-1^ ft., 

 from an ovoid reticulated corm, the st. more or less 

 distantly branched and bearing a few reduced Ivs: the 

 basal Ivs. about 6, linear, firm, about 6 in. long: fls. 

 in loose secund spikes on a flexuose rachis, the spathe- 

 valves oblong-lanceolate and acute and not covering 

 the ovary; perianth greenish yellow or bright yellow, to 

 1^2 in. long, the tube abruptly constricted below the 

 middle, the limb distinctly labiate and the segms. 

 unequal. B.R. 135 (as Tritonia refracta). The original 

 type is probably no longer in cult. Var. alba, Baker 

 (F. dlba, Hort.). Lvs. broader: infl. less branched; 

 spathe-valves broader, toothed, covering the ovary; 

 fls. large, clear white, with a gradually narrowing tube, 

 the perianth-limb not bilabiate (or only indistinctly so), 

 the segms. obtuse and nearly equal. G. 5:97; 8:575; 

 27:88. G.M. 50:927. Gn.W. 15:10. J.H. III. 43:272. 

 The common garden form, much prized. F. virginalis 

 grandiflora is a seedling of this, the fls. being much 

 larger, ground-color white and less yellow in throat. 

 G. 31: 215. Var.odorata, Baker (F.odorata, Klatt). Lvs. 

 broader than in the type, less rigid, and infl. less 

 branched and fls. fewer: spathe-valves broader and 

 more obtuse, toothed at the apex, covering the ovary; 

 fls. bright yellow, the tube abruptly constricted, the 

 limb not distinctly bilabiate and the segms. obtuse and 

 nearly equal. L.B.C. 19:1820' (as Tritonia odorata). 

 Var. Leichtlinii, Hort. (F. Leichtlinii, Klatt), (Fig.. 

 1579), differs in its shorter abruptly constricted tube 

 and large pale yellow fls.; by many considered to be a 

 distinct species. 



Armstrongii, W. Wats. Differs from F. refracta in the 

 color of the fls. and absence of purple from the lf.- 

 bases: 16-20 in.: tube white with orange at base, the 

 segms. markedly bordered with rose-purple: about 

 one month later in blooming then F. refracta alba. 

 Named for W. Armstrong, of S. Afr. Gn. 59, p. 374. 

 G.M. 48:833. 



hybrida, Hort. Here belong many hybrid forms, some 

 of them known as the "colored freesias," as: F. Chdp- 

 manii, a cross of the typical F. refracta (F. aurea, Hort.), 

 with var. alba, producing a soft yellow flushed with 

 deeper yellow and with an orange blotch (Gn. 71, p. 

 165. G.M. 50:164. G. 31:175); F. Tubergenii, being 

 a cross of F. refracta alba, and F. Armstrongii (G.W. 

 13, p. 199. G. 28:215. Gn. 69, p. 184. J.H. III. 

 52:299); F. kewensis, hybrid probably between F. 

 Armstrongii and F. Leichtlinii; F. Mdidenii, being F . 

 refracta alba x F. Armstrongii; F. Ragionieri, a race 

 resulting from the crossing of F. refracta, F. Leichtlinii 

 and their hybrids with F. Armstrongii, described as 

 producing scented fls. tinted in shades of pink, rose, 

 purple, blue, brown, orange, and spotted and veined. 



L. H. B.f 



FREMONTIA (after John Charles Fremont, dis- 

 tinguished western explorer, who discovered it in 1846). 

 Syn. Fremontodendron. Sterculiaceas. Ornamental 

 woody plant, grown chiefly for its showy yellow flowers. 



Deciduous shrub or small tree with stellate pubes- 

 cence: Ivs. alternate, slender-petioled, palmately lobed: 

 fls. solitary on short, lateral branchlets, apetalous; 

 calyx large, deeply 5-parted, with 3 small bracts at the 

 base; stamens 5, connate toward the base into a tube; 

 ovary superior, inclosed by the staminal tube; style 

 filiform: fr. a 5-celled, hirsute, dehiscent caps, with 



