ANTHOLYZA. 29 



within doors from October, until they have ceased flower- 

 ing ; when, if it is intended to save the seeds, they are set 

 abroad to perfect them ; but the better mode of raising 

 them in private gardens is to part the offsets from the 

 bulbs, which furnish them in plenty. Those raised from 

 seed do not flower till the third year. The best time to 

 plant the roots is in August ; they should be housed at 

 the end of September, and will continue growing all the 

 winter. In April, or early in May, the flowers appear: 

 when these and the leaves have decayed, the bulbs should 

 be taken up, dried in the shade, and cleaned, and pre- 

 served as directed for other bulbs. In August they may 

 be replanted : the offsets may be planted three or four in 

 a pot, the first year ; the second, they should be separated 

 to flower. In winter, they should be gently watered once 

 or twice a week ; in the spring, they will require it oftener, 

 perhaps every evening, but sparingly. 



The principal species are the Plaited-leaved Antholyza, 

 with red flowers ; the Scarlet-flowered, which is very beau- 

 tiful; the Broad-leaved, which has also scarlet flowers; 

 and the Red-flowered [or Antholyza Meriana, Fr. la me- 

 rianelle, so named by Dr. Trew, from Sybilla Merian, the 

 celebrated female Dutch botanist ; but placed by some 

 in the genus Gladiolus; and by others in Watsonia\^ of 

 which the flowers are of a copper-red colour outside, and 

 of a deeper red within. They are all handsome plants; 

 having, in addition to the beauty of their flowers, large 

 dark green leaves, some of them a foot in length : they are 

 natives of the Cape of Good Hope. 



