NERINE 



NERINE 



2137 



brids or varieties of A'', sarnicnsis and A^. curvifolia, 

 t}ie former species being the most prolific of varieties. 

 In these two species the strong vertical lines of the 

 erect long-protrudeil stamens make a striking feature. 

 The flowers of the other species have more of a droop- 

 ing tendency and the stamens arc shorter and declinate, 

 as in Fig. 247.5. A'^. pudica is perhaps the choicest white- 

 ffowered kind. Nerines have bulbs 1 to 2 inches or less 

 in diameter, and about six leaves, varying from 8 to 18 

 inches in length and 4 to 9 lines in width. Among the 

 uncultivated kinds are some with short stout scapes 

 and others with ajipendages at the base of the fila- 

 ments. Nerine is closely related to Brunsvigia, being 

 separated technically on the character of the capsule 

 which is globose and obtusely angled in Nerine as 

 distinguished from turbinate and acutely angled in 

 the other. This distinction, however, seems not 

 always to hold clearl}'. To the gardener, the differences 

 are largely in relative size, Brunsvigia having larger 

 bulbs, more numerous mostly larger flowers and com- 

 monly broader leaves. 



The nerines are treated mostly as greenhouse plants. 

 When well established in pots, they bloom year after 

 year. In winter, the fohage is grown, and in spring 

 water is gradually withheld until the bulbs are well 

 ripened, when they remain dormant until August. 

 John Robertson, in "Florists' Review" 1:67.5, gives 

 ad\'ice as follows : the secret of success with nerines is to 

 secure the fullest possible development of the bulbs. 

 This refers to their winter treatment. They enjoy 

 abundance of water at the root and overhead, with 

 occasional applications of liquid manure. This treat- ' 

 ment should never cease until the leaves turn yellow, 

 which is a sign that the plants are finishing their growth. 

 Then diminish the water-supply gradually, lay the 

 pots on their sides where they are not likely to get wet, 

 and in full sunlight, so that the bulbs may ripen thor- 

 oughly. The plants should not have their roots dis- 

 turbed, nor do they require much root room: they grow 

 and flower best when hard pot-bound. Three bulbs 

 planted in good fibrous loam with a little sand may 

 remain in a .5-ineh pot for five or si.x years, or even 

 longer, as the offsets can be rubbed off and separately 

 potted while the parent bulbs go on increasing in size. 

 Each year as the flower-scape appears pick off about 

 an inch of the surface soil mth a sharp-pointed stick, 

 and give the ball of roots a good soaking and a slight 

 top-dressing. 



A. Stamens and style nearly erect. 

 B. Lvs. green, suberect. 

 1. samiensis, Herb. Guernsey Lily. Bulb ovoid, 

 to 2 in. diam., the coverings pale brown: lvs. about 6, 

 bright green, developed after the fls., about 1 ft. long, 

 linear, not curved laterally: scape or peduncle 12-18 

 in. high: fls. bright crimson, 10-12 in an umbel; 

 perianth-.segms. oblanceolate, )^in. or less broad, fal- 

 cate, slightly crisped; filaments suberect, bright red, 

 longer than the segms. Coast region, S. .\fr. B.M. 

 294. R.H. 1912, p. 4.5.5; 1913, p. 4.56. It runs into 

 many form.s, as: Var. Plantii, Baker (N. Plantii, Hort.), 

 has a longer scape, duller fls., and more distinctly 

 clawed segms. On. 21 :200. Var. venusta, Baker (N. 

 veniisla, Herb.), ha.s bright scarlet fls. produced earlier 

 than any of the other varieties. B.M. 1090 (as Amaryl- 

 lis venusta). Var. rdsea, Baker (A', rdxea. Herb.), 

 has lvs. darker green than the type: fls. rose-red: seeds 

 oblong instead of globose. B.M. 2124 (as A^. rosea). 



Var. corusca, Baker (A'^. cortisca, Herb.), has bulb tunics 

 not chaffy: lvs. broader than in the type, with distinct 

 cross-bars between the main veins: fls. large, bright 

 .scarlet. B.M. WHO (as Amaryllis humilis). Gn. 21:200. 

 N. corusca major has rich crimson-red fls. Var. camdsa, 



ill ,|y ^. 







Hort., carmine ros}'. Var. insignis, Hort., is considered 

 by Baker synonymous with the type of the species, 

 but is probably horticulturally distinct. The lis. are 

 said to be rosy. 



BB. Lvs. glaucou,^, sickle-shaped. 



2. curvifoUa, Herb. Bulb ovoid, to 2 in. diam., the 

 coverings pale brown: lvs. 6, appearing after the fls., 

 strap-shaped, curved laterally, thicker than in A'^. 

 samiensis, about 1 ft. long: scape or peduncle slender 

 and glaucous, 12-18 in. long, the umbel 8-12-fld.: 

 fls. bright scarlet; perianth-segms. hardly crisped, 

 oblanceolate, J^in. broad, falcate; stamens erect or 

 nearly so, about as long as the perianth-limb. S. Afr. 

 B.M. 725 (as Amaryllis curi'ifolia) . — Cult, in the form 

 of var. FothergilUi, Baker (A^. Fdthergillii, Roem.), 

 which is more robust in all parts (Fig. 2474) : fls. more 

 numerous, between crimson and scarlet. R.B. 22:1.3. 

 Gn. 22, p. 463. G. 3 : 503 ; ,5 : 380. Var. FothergilUi major 

 (A'. Fdlhergillii nmjor, Hort.) is a form with still larger 

 fl.s. J.H. III. 55:277. F.R. 1:675. 



AA. Stamens and style declined. 



B. Outer fls. of the umbel opening before the inner ones. 



c. Segms. distinctly crisped or fluted. 



3. flexuosa, Herb. Bulb subglobose, IJ^ in. diam.: 

 lvs. 4-6, appearing with the fls., linear-strap-shaped, 

 arcuate, bright green, Ji'in. or less broad, sometimes 

 pustulate: scape flexuous, longer than in the other 

 kinds, sometimes 2-3 ft. long: fls. generally pale pink, 

 the segms. oblanceolate and crisped, 3-^in. broad; 

 stamens declined, the 3 longer ones rather shorter than 

 the segms. Kalahari and central region of S. Afr. B.R. 

 172. R.H. 1913, p. 4.56. Var. pulcheUa, Baker (A^. 

 pulchella. Herb.), has glaucous lvs., firmer than in the 

 type: scape not flexuous: fls. pale pink, keeled rose-red. 

 B.M. 2407 and Gn. 21:200. Var. Sandersoiui, Baker, 

 has peduncle and pedicels more robust and lvs. 1 in. 

 broad: perianth-segms. less crisped, 1}4 in. long, and 

 more distinctiv united in cup at ba.se. Var. alba, Hort., 

 has white fls. G.C. III. 40:336. N. Mansellii, O'Brien, 

 Fig. 2475, is a fine hybrid between A', flexuosa and A^. 

 Follicrf/iUii. Gn. .56:378. It has very broad fleshy lvs. 

 and bright red slightly irregular fls. This is one of the 

 most interesting kinds. 



