THE LILY FAMILY. 363 



roots are readily propagated either by offsets, division, or by 

 seeds, sowing the tender species in a gentle bottom-heat of 60 

 to 70; while the hardy kinds may either be sown as soon as 

 ripe in pans of light rich earth, and placed in a frame, or sown 

 in nursery beds in the spring. To this group belongs Erythro- 

 nium (Dog's-tooth Violet), Tulip, Calochortus, Cyclobothra, 

 Fritillaria, Lilium, Gloriosa, Hemerocallis, Funkia, Agapan- 

 Ihus, Polianthes (Tuberose], Blandfordia, Velthemia, Tritoma 

 (Red-hot Poker), Phormium, Sansevieria, Aloe, Lomatophyllum, 

 Yucca, Allium, Srilla, Ornithogalum, Albuca, Muscari, Hyacin- 

 thus, Puschkinia, Leucocoryne, Brodiaa, Triteleia, Lachenalia, 

 Eucomis, Cyanella, Anthericum, Arthr'opodiwn, Chlorophyton, 

 Dianella, Asparagus, Cordyline, Dracczna, Polygonatum, Con- 

 vallaria, Rusous, Aspidestra, and Ophiopogon. 



Asparagus. Apart from the Alliaceous or Onion tribe ot 

 LiliacecE, Asparagus is one of the most valuable of all the escu- 

 lent Lilies of our gardens, and is readily propagated by seed. 

 The cultivated forms of Asparagus have nearly all originated 

 by culture from A. officinalis, a weed on the Cornish, Devon- 

 shire, and Hampshire coasts, and all round the Mediterranean. 

 We have several very distinct seminal and selected cultural 

 forms of Asparagus, all exceeding the common kind in size but 

 not in flavour. Among these the Argenteuil, or Early Purple 

 Giant, as it is sometimes called, and Lenormand's " French Col- 

 ossal," are much grown in French gardens. Conover's Colossal 

 is an American variety, also of large size ; while one called 

 Grayson's " Co vent Garden Giant " is most prized by the Lon- 

 don market-gardeners. Several species of Asparagus from 

 South Africa are elegant foliage-plants. 



Agapanthus (Love-flower]. Half-hardy Liliaceous plants, 

 found in moist situations in Southern Africa, and represented 

 in our gardens by two or three varieties of A. umbellatus. The 

 roots are thick and fleshy, and produce tufted clusters of strap- 

 shaped leaves, and tall scapes, terminated by an umbel of blue 

 or white campanulate flowers. Seeds are rarely produced in 

 cultivation, unless the plant is grown in the greenhouse, and 

 the flowers are artificially fertilised. Seeds so obtained, sown 

 as soon as ripe in shallow pans or boxes of moist sandy com- 

 post, and placed in a genial temperature of 50 to 60, germi- 

 nate readily, and soon form strong plants if potted off into a 

 rich compost. The usual plan of propagation, however, is to 

 divide strong clumps or masses just before the plants commence 

 to grow in spring. There are already several cultural or seminal 

 forms of Agapanthus ^ one of which, A. Mooreii, is much dwarfer, 

 with narrower and more rigid leaves than the type, and similar 



