HESPERANTHA 



HESPEROCHIRON 



739 



HESPEKANTHA (Greek, evening flower). Iriddcece. 

 Twenty-six species of Cape bulbs, 3 of which are pro- 

 curable from Dutch growers. They belong to the Ixia 

 tribe and are much inferior to Ixias for general cultiva- 

 tion, but have fragrant flowers, opening at evening. 

 The genus is still more closely allied to Geissorhiza, and 

 differs only in having longer style-branches and spathe- 

 valves always green instead of sometimes brownish 

 above. The corms are % in. thick or less : Ivs. 2-5 : fls. 

 2-10 in a lax, distichous spike; inner segments white; 

 outer ones red outside. For culture, see Ixia and Bulbs. 

 Mon. by Baker in Iridese, 1892, and in Flora Capensis, 

 vol. 6, 1896-7. 



A. Foliage hairy. 



pildsa, Ker. Corm globose : Ivs. 2, linear, erect, 

 strongly ribbed, 3-6 in. long: outer segments claret-red. 

 B.M. 1475 (outer segments speckled with color). 



AA. Foliage not hairy .' 

 B. Lvs. spreading, 2-3 in. long. 



falcata, Ker. Corm conic: Ivs. 2-4, lanceolate: outer 

 segments claret-red. B.M. 566, as Ixia falcata. 



BB. Lvs. erect, 4-6 in. long. 



graminifolia, D. Don. Corm globose: Ivs. 3-5, linear: 

 cuter segments reddish brown. B. M. 1255, as Geisso- 

 rhiza setacea. 



HESPERIS (Greek, evening, same root as vesper ; 

 flowers more fragrant at evening). Cruciferce. This in- 

 cludes the Dame's Rocket, a vigorous, hardy her- 

 baceous perennial plant, forming clumps 2-3 ft. high, 

 branched from the base, and covered with showy termi- 

 nal pyramidal spikes of 4-petaled flowers, resembling 

 stocks. The colors range from white through lilac and 

 pink to purple. The double forms are most popular. 

 Rockets bloom from June to Aug., and have long been 

 cult, in cottage gardens. J. B. Keller writes: "The ordi- 

 nary single forms are not worth growing in the border, 

 but may be used in wild gardens. The double Rockets 

 are considered amongst the best hardy plants, being 

 very productive of bloom and extremely useful for 

 cutting." 



The genus has about 20 species in Europe, Asia Minor 

 and Siberia. Herbs, biennial or with a stem that is per- 

 ennial at the base, pilose, the hairs simple, forked or 

 glandular : stem-lvs. usually sparse, ovate or oblong*, 

 entire, dentate or lyrate : fls. in loose racemes, often 

 fragrant; petals 4, long-clawed: pods long, linear, cylin- 

 drical : seeds numerous, winged or not. The genus is 

 allied to the stocks, but has a somewhat different habit 

 and the hypocotyl incumbent not accumbent. 



matronalis, Linn. ROCKET. SWEET ROCKET. DAME'S 

 VIOLET. DAMASK VIOLET. Fig. 1053. Lvs. ovate-lanceo- 

 late, 2-3 in. long, toothed: pods 2-4 in. long, straight, 

 much contracted between the seeds. Eu., N. Asia. 

 Escaped from gardens in Eng. Gn. 53, p. 293 and 49, p. 

 339 (a lovely garden view). W. M. 



HESPEROCALLIS (Greek, evening beauty). Lili- 

 acece. This genus of only one species belongs to the 

 group of desert plants of the Lily family, of which the 

 common Yucca filamentosa is the best hardy type. It is 

 a native of Colorado, and is also said to grow in Calif, 

 and Mex. Franceschi writes that the large, waxy white 

 or greenish fls. are very fragrant, and that the bulb 

 should be deeply planted in perfectly drained soil. 

 This genus, like Yucca and Cordyline, has an indefinite 

 number of ovules in each cell, while in Dracaena the 

 ovules are solitary and in Dasylirion 3 in each cell. 

 Hesperocallis bears its fls. in an unbranched raceme, 

 while the other genera named here bear their fls. in 

 panicles. All have woody stems. Other important 

 generic characters of Hesperocallis are the funnel- 

 shaped perianth and the loculicidal dehiscence of the 

 capsule. 



undulata, Gray. Bulb large, corm-like : stem stout, 

 1-2 ft. high, 5-8-fld. : Ivs. linear, fleshy, keeled, 3-6 lines 

 wide, wavy margined: fls. 1^-2 in. long; segments 5-7- 

 nerved. 



HESPEROCHlBON (Greek, hesperos, originally even- 

 ing, but here western, i. e., in the direction of the setting 

 sun, and Chiron, a centaur distinguished for his knowl- 

 edge of plants; hence "Western Centaury," these plants 

 being at first placed in the Gentian family). Hydro- 

 phylldcece. A genus of 3 species of northwest American 

 tufted perennial herbs with scapes bearing solitary, 

 rather large whitish fls. The nearest allied genera of 

 garden value are Phacelia and Emmenanthe, which are 



1053. Dame's Rocket or Sweet Rocket 

 Hesperis matronalis (X %). 



very distinct in color of fls., general appearance and 

 cymose inflorescence. It is still doubtful whether Hes- 

 perochiron is in the right order. Dwarf, stemless per- 

 ennials or possibly biennials : Ivs. entire, spatulate or 

 oblong : fls. purplish or nearly white, with parts nor- 

 mally in 5's, rarely in 6's to 7's; style 2-cut; capsule 1- 

 celled, loculicidal, 15-20-seeded : seeds minutely netted 

 or wrinkled. Procurable through Californian specialists 

 and collectors. 



A. Corolla lobes shorter than the tube. 

 Calif 6rnicus, Wats. Lvs. numerous : corolla somewhat 

 oblong, bell-shaped. Hills and meadows. B.R. 10:833 

 (as Nicotiana nana). 



AA. Corolla lobes longer than the tube. 



pumilus, T. C. Porter. Lvs. fewer : corolla nearly 

 wheel-shaped; tube densely bearded within. Springy 

 and marshy grounds in mountains. \y. j. 



