POLEMOXIL'M 



I ft. or has: Ifls. feirei; 5-15. 

 ;iender, weak and diffuse but never 

 not viscid or glandular: lis. ligbt 

 K in. across, in a sort of loose panicle. Open 



woods, N. Y. to Ala., west to Mo. and Minn. Apr., May. 



B.M. 1887.-Said to be an eusv prpy to snails, especially 



lOLlANTHES 



1385 



DD. Iltiyi 

 rSptans, Liun. 

 reeping; foliage 



in ■ 



Var. Himalay4num, 



notBenth. i'. .„,»/. ,- 



ig)- ' 



d ii ke 



rounded lobes nearly % in. across; c.ilyx and ays o 

 panicle very hairy. Himalayas. Described in G.C III 

 1:7C6. 



AA. Color of fls. yellowish or flesh color. 

 B. FU. salmon or flesh color. 

 cimenm, Gray. Rather stout, 1-2 ft. high : Ifts. o-li, 

 often VA in. long: fls. failing to purplish, 1-1>^ m 

 across. Mountain woods, Calif. -Offered by Pilkington, 

 Oregon, 1892, but probably not in cult, now Closth 

 allied to P. repluns. 



BB. Fls. yellowish. 



pauciJldmm, Wats. Height 1-2 ft.: Ifts. 1(3-24, about 



1 in. long: fls. tubular, the tube 1-1^4 in- long, much 



longer than the lobes. Mex. — The color is said to be 



POLIANTHES (name discussed below). Amaml 

 lidi'ti-i'ie. Tuberose. Every one knows the wavy white 

 Tuberose, a single flower of which will scent a whole 

 house. It belongs to a genus of one, or at least of vet \ 

 few, species. It is placed in the sub-family of wbu li 

 the Century Plant (Agave) is the type, but differs in 

 not having thick, fleshy spiny leaves. From its neai 

 est allies (Prochnyuuthes, Beschorueria, Doryanthes) 

 it is distinguished as follows: perianth white; tube 

 long, narrowly funnel-.shaped, curved: segments short, 



iddle of the 



t apex: stigmas .i 



ersistent perianth 



subequal; stamens affixed at the 

 not exserted: ovary 3-ceIled, free 

 ovate, falcate: fr. crowned by the ] 

 see<ls flat. Baker, Amaryllidese, 1888. 



The name Polianthes was given to the Tuberose by 

 Linnaeus in 17.53 in his Species Plantarum. which is usu 

 ally taken as the beginning of nonienclatnie. Unfor 

 innately he wrote "Polyanthes " in an earlier woik, 

 published in 1737. This was probably a slip of the 

 pen. Many writers have changed the spelling to Polyan- 

 thus, supposing that Linnfeus had in mind the idea of 

 "many-flowered," from polys and anthos. Others have 

 supposed he derived it from polls, a city. It seems 

 probable, however, as Bentham and Hooker suggest, 

 that Linna?u3 had in mind polios, "shining," "white," 

 which is much more applicable to the Tuberose than 

 are the other derivations. Consult Polyanthus for other 

 meanings of the word Polyanthus, 



The name "Tuberose" is derived from tiiberosa, this 



tnberdsa, Linn. Tdberose. Figs. 1868, 18C9. Root- 

 stock tuberous: basal Ivs. 0-9 to a stem, linear, 1-lK ft. 

 long, spotted red-brown on back : stem 2-3 ft. high, with 

 8-12 reduced Ivs.: fls. 1V^-2X in. long, borne in pairs in 

 alaxspike; segments M-?4in.Iong. Mexico. B.M. 1817. 

 B.R. 1:6:!. K.H. 1882. p. 429. F. 18S1, p. 27. Gn. 47, 



p. 330. 



^^ Polyanthus maculate 

 judging from the pictur. 

 Manfreda, and not Potm 



Martins' n;iiii.. 1^ n..t „. , 



s catalogue is, 

 of the section 

 Martins. Von 



, but according 



, in : 



Mobablo that P. 



• are only two objections to the Tuberose: its 

 too powerful for many people, ami. like the 



leserted it, at least in America. Nevertheless 6,000,000 

 )ulbs a year are now grown in America, and a fifth of 

 hem (1,200,000) are used in this country. The Tuber- 

 ise is mui-e popular than ever in Europe. It will always 

 le a standard florists' flower, for the people love it, 

 vhatever fashion may decree. 



, it ha 



al associations. He 



I fashi( 



1867. Polemon 



Tuberoses in the Home Garden. — Although every 

 florist has Tuberoses and they are cheaper now than 

 ever, thousands of people like to have a Tuberose grow- 

 ing in their own garden. Tlie bulbs are best procured 

 in spring and planted outdoors after all danger of frost 

 is over. The common tall-growing double sort is pre- 

 ferred for this purpose, largely because the fls. open 

 better during the unfavorable dry weather which we 

 often have in October. Cover the bulb about an inch 

 with fine, light soil. A bulb planted out June 1 will 

 bloom in late summer or fall. Before frost comes take 

 up the bulbs and store them over winter in a rather 

 warm (50° F.) , dry place where no frost will touch them. 

 If kept moist and cool during winter the bulbs are likely 

 to rot at the center. Sound tubers will always be green 

 at top or show some sign of life at the growing point. 

 The others are not worth planting. In the far North 

 where the season is short. Tuberose bulbs may be 

 started indoors about the middle of May, the tubers 

 being placed on a layer of damp moss. 



Historical Sketch. — The first date of interest in the 

 history of a garden favorite is usually the time when 

 live plants first reached European gardens and showed 

 signs of popularity. The Tuberose reached Europe some 

 time before 1530. Though a native of Mexico, it came 

 to Europe from India and, like many other tropical 

 American plants of high importance, it was long sup- 

 posed to be native to the Orient. Thus as late as 1C29 

 I'arkinson calls it Byncinthiis Indicus. The plant was 

 brought to Europe by a Catholic priest, and the priests 

 refused all applications for bulbs until 1594. The first 



