18 



ACHIMENES 



ACHIMENES 



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

 May. The plants are generally tied up to slender sup- 

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

 ingly effective specimens. They may also be allowed 

 to grow naturally, when they will droop over the sides 

 of the pots and flower profusely. Still another way is 

 to pinch off the tops of the growing plants when they 

 are 4 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 stored away, putting a reversed pot on 

 the top of each one that stands on its base, for otherwise 

 mice may destroy all the roots. Achimenes are propa- 

 gated usually by means of the natural increase of the 

 rhizomes, but all kinds may be grown from cuttings. 

 Another way, which produces 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. longiflora var. alba maxima, 

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

 of purplish rose ; A. pedtinculata, orange ; A. hetero- 

 phylla, tubular, a fiery orange at one end and blazing yel- 

 low at the other. Some of the best varieties are Am- 

 broise Verscheffelt, white, with a network of violet lines ; 

 Chirita, deep, intense violet-blue with white throat ; 

 Dazzle, small, vivid scarlet, and late-blooming ; Lady 

 Littleton, rich crimson; Masterpiece, rosy violet with 

 white throat; Mauve Queen, a very large and substantial 

 variety of A. longiflora, 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- 

 flora group the tubers are 

 pear-shaped bodies, growing 

 on the ends of root-like rhi- 

 zomes. The coccinea and 

 hirsuta groups (Fig. 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 modern 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. 

 A. I*ls. colored, the tube usually not more than twice 



the length of the limb. 

 B. Blossoms small, red or scarlet. 

 ocellata, 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. 



coccinea, Pers. Height, 1-2 ft. : st. reddish : Ivs. 3- 

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

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

 lanceolate parted, calyx on short peduncles. Minute Ivs. 

 Often borne in the axils. Blooms late. Jamaica. One 

 of the older types. See Fig. 23. 



23. Achimenes; tubers of 

 the coccinea section. 



heterophylla, DC. (A. ignescens, Lem. A. Ghies- 

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

 ple, somewhat hairy: Ivs. ovate-acuminate, stalked, ser- 

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

 solitary, on peduncles somewhat longer than the leaf- 

 stalks, long-tubular and slightly curved, with a narrow, 

 nearly equal flaring limb, rich scarlet, yellow within. 

 Mex. B.M. 4871. This species has tubers like those of 

 the grandiflora section. 



pedunculata, Benth. St. l%-2 ft., hairy, reddish: Ivs. 

 opposite, small, 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. r 



24. Achimenes longiflora (X %). 



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 

 limb very large and widely spreading, violet-blue and 

 whitish beneath, the lowest segment sometimes divided. 

 Guatemala. B.M. 3980. P.M. 9: 151.- A popular type. 



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

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

 tinctly red -tinged. Mex. B.M. 4012. Popular type. 



patens, 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 8-4 times the length 

 of the limb. 



tubifldra, Nicholson, Suppl. p. 483 ( Gloxinia tubifldra, 

 Hook. Dolichodeira tubifldra, Hanst.). St. short, with 

 opposite oblong-acuminate, crenate, short-petioled Ivs.: 

 fls. 4 in. long, curved, gibbous at the base, the tube 

 downy, the pedicels opposite and 2 in. long. Argentina. 

 B.M. 3971. Tubers solid, much like a potato. 



A. amdbilis, Decne.=Nsegelia multiflora. A. atrosanguinea, 

 Lindl.=A. foliosa. A. Candida, Lindl.=Dicyrta Candida. A. 

 cupredta, Hook.=Episceacupreata. A. foliosa. Morr. Lvs. cor- 

 date, unequal : fls. crimson, with saccate tube 1% in. long, with 

 narrow limb. Guatemala. A. gloxiniceflbra, Forkel.=Gloxinia 

 glabrata. A. hirsuta, DC. Loose grower : st. bulbiferous : fls. 

 rather large, with swollen tube and oblique limb, rose, with yel- 

 low and spotted throat. Guatemala. B.M. 4144. P.M. 12: 7. 

 Once popular. A. Jauregula,Warscz.=A. longiflora. A.Kleei, 

 Paxt. Dwarf: fls. pink-purple. P.M. 16: 289. Form of A . longi- 

 flora? A. multiflora, Gardn. Hairy: Ivs. broad-ovate: fls. blue, 

 fringed. Brazil. B.M. 3993. A.picta, Benth.=Tydsea picta. 

 A. rbsea, Lindl. Fls. pink or rose, the peduncles many-flowered. 

 Guatemala. A. Skinneri, Gordon,=A. hirsuta. Garden forms 

 and hybrids are Escherii, floribunda, intermedia, Jayii, Mount- 

 fordii, ncugelioldes, ntna, venusta (P.M. 15:121), Verschaffeltii. 



L. H. B. 



