18 



ACHIMENES 



a week after flowering begins, i.e., toward the end of 

 May. The plants are generally tied up to slender s\ip- 

 ports as growth advances, and, so treated, make surpri-- 

 ingly efifeetive specimens. They may also be allow, li 

 to grow naturally, when they will droop over the si.li , 

 of the pots and flower profusely. Still another way i-; 

 to pinch off the tops of the growing plants when they 

 are i or 5 inches high. As this produces a branching 

 growth, a smaller number of rhizomes should be allowed 

 to each pot. The flowers of Achimenes are produced for 

 several months without cessation, i.e., until Oct., and 

 sometimes still later if the small-flowered kinds are 

 used. As soon as blossoming comes to an end, the plants 

 should be cut off level with the tops of the pots, which 

 should then be stor.-.l awiiy, pnftinir a rpverscd pot on 

 the top of eai-li ..n.' ihid ^t:iiHl- ni, it, i.n^,.. f"r .iili.-rwise 

 mice may destnr;, :i;i !'.,.■ i-..i.i-, ArliniMiii- -.iv jiropa- 

 gated usually !■> im .m- ■■( tUr ii;iiin:il in.'n!i-.r (if the 

 rhizomes, but ;i!l kimU tn:i\- hi- Lri-nwn fi-mii i-uttings. 

 Another way, wliidi ]iroduces many though weak plants, 

 is to rub off the scales and sow them as if they were 

 seeds. The roots should be separated from the soil dur- 

 ing the winter, and care should be taken that they do 

 not decay from getting too wet in the moist air of green- 

 house or cellar. Some of the best species are A. longi- 

 flora, purplish blue; A. longi flora var. alba maxima, 

 the best white kind ; A . priten.^ var. major, a large flower 

 of purplish rose; A. ju,h,,i,-'fi,,t„ , ..rnnse ; A. hefero- 

 p*3/i;a, tubular, a fiery ..I. M,;, :,i ,11, ( ml niul blazing yel- 

 low at the other. S'lim . : 1- 1 ..ri.ties are Am- 

 broiseVerscheffelt.wliii- • !k ..f violet lines; 

 Chirita, deep, intense \ ; ■]. 1 iIm. \. iili white throat; 

 Dazzle, small, vivid searlit, and lati-blooming ; Lady 

 Littleton, rich crimson; Masterpiece, rosy violet with 

 white throat; Mauve Queen, a very large and substantial 

 variety of A. lonr/i flora, pale purple; Rose Queen, rich, 

 rosy lake; Nisida, lavender, shading to white; Trevi- 

 rana rosea, like Dazzle, ex- 

 cept in color.For other points 

 in the culture of Achimenes, 

 see G.F. 7: 456, 477, 506, 

 518; 8: 16. In the grandiflora 

 group the tubers or bulbs 

 are clustered ; in the longi- 



, growing 

 on the ends of root-like rhi- 

 zomes. The coccinea and 

 hirsuta groups (Pig. 23) are 

 late bloomers. 



Cult, by W. E. Endicott. 

 The garden Achimenes are 

 much confused by hybridi- 

 zation, and it is doubtful if 

 any of the pure species are 

 in general cultivation in this 

 country. Years ago,the small 

 red-flowered types (of the 

 coccinea section) were fre- 

 quent, but modem evolution 

 has proceeded from the 

 broad-flowered purple spe- 

 cies. The following first 

 six species seem to have 

 contributed most largely to 

 the present garden forms. 

 isually not more than twice 

 the length of the limb. 

 B. Blossoms small, red or scarlet. 

 ooellita, Hook. Roots small and tuberous : St. 1-2 

 ft.: Ivs. rich green above and purple beneath, ovate, 

 strongly serrate, with conspicuous purplish petioles : 

 fls. small, 1 in. long, broad-tubed, spotted with black and 

 yellow, the lobes short and obtuse and well separated, 

 drooping on reddish peduncles. Panama. B.M. 4359.— 

 Fine for foliage. 



ooccinea, Pers. Height, 1-2 ft. : st. reddish : Its. 3- 

 whorled or opposite, green, ovate-acuminate, serrate: 

 Hs. small, scarlet the corolla twice longer than the erect 

 lanceolate parted.calyx on short peduncles. Minute Ivs. 



Fls. colored, the tube 



ACHIMENES 



heteroph:^Ila, DC. (A. i/jnf'scens, Lem. A. Ghiis- 

 hrrrhlii, Hort.). Root fibrous: st. 1 ft. or less, dark pur- 

 j'lf. --"iHewhat hairy: Ivs. ovate-acuminate, stalked, ser- 

 rair, the two of each pair usually unequal in size: fls. 

 s..|iiaiy. on peduncles somewhat longer than the leaf- 

 M.ilk-, InTii; tubular and slightly curved, with a narrow, 

 rn ' ' ' . Ill I'.iiri- liiiili. rich scarlet, yellow within. 

 ^\■ !'■ 1 - riii- ~pi--cies has tubers like those of 



pfMluiirul.ita, I'., nth. St. 1 5-^-2 ft., hairy, reddish: Ivs. 

 oppiisiti', Miiall, ovate, sharply serrate, green, hairy, on 

 short reddish stalks: fls. medium size, drooping and di- 

 lated upwards, yellow-red with dark markings and a 

 yellow throat, the limb comparatively short ; on long 

 (4-5 in.) bracted stems. Guatemala. B.M. 4077. — Stem 

 produces tubers. 



BB. Blossom large, with wide limb, blue, violet 

 or purple. 



longifldra, DC. Fig. 24. The root-like rhizomes pro- 

 ducing pear-shaped tubers at their ends : st. 1-2 ft.. 



24. Achimenes lonsiflora (X /--j). 



hairy: Ivs. opposite or 3-4-whorled, ovate-oblong, ser- 

 rate, hairy, sometimes colored beneath: fls. solitary, the 

 corolla salver-shaped, with a long and graceful tube; the 

 linili M r\ lai-f,'!- and widely spreading, violet-blue and 

 wliitisli 1m ni'.ith. the lowest segment sometimes divided. 

 (^ti.iti mala H.M. 3980. P.M. 9: 151.— A popular type. 



grandifldra, DC. Lvs. mostly larger than in last, 

 rusty below, often oblique at base: fls. very large, dis- 

 tmctly red-tmged. Mex. B.M. 4012.— Popular type. 



pitens, Benth. Height. 1-1>^ ft.: Ivs. unequal, ovate- 

 acuminate, hispid and serrate : fls. violet-blue, with 

 downy calyx, tube shorter than spreading crenate limb. 

 Mex. 



AA. Fls. pure white, the tube S-4 times the length 

 of the limb. 



tubilldra, XMi..i-"ii, Snj.pl. p. i83 {Gloxinia tubifldra, 

 Hook. /'" ' ' '7.o-(T, Hanst.). St. short, with 



oppositi 



P»\t. 1 

 flora?— 



often borne in the axils. Blooms late. Jama 

 of the older types. See Fig. 23, 



•One 



Guatemal.H. — .1 . .nAv/j 

 and hybrids are I^scli 

 fdrdii. ncegelioides, ni 



e, short-petioled lvs. : 

 at the base, the tube 

 2 in. long. Argentina. 

 liki' a potato. 

 iilnra. — A. atrosangttinea, 

 Dicyrta c.indida. — A. 



i, flvribunda, inter inidla. Jayli, Mount- 

 , veniiata (P.M. 15:121), Yerschaffiltii. 

 L. H. B. 



