44 Notes and Gleanings. 



Early Spring -ulooming Scillas. — Scillas are such sparkling gems 

 amongst early-flowering spring-plants, that now, as planting-time approaches, 

 we gladly transcribe, from an article recently published in "The Gardener's 

 Chronicle," the following particulars respecting them. Some time since, a ques- 

 tion arose as to the correct names of these beautiful little vernal jewels ; and, 

 with a view to clear up the matter, living specimens from various gardens, as 

 well as the dried specimens in the Kew herbarium and the published figures 

 and descriptions of various authors, were examined by our friend and colleague 

 Dr. Masters, with the following result: — 



I. SciLLA BiFOLiA, Linn. (Bot. Mag., t. 746.) — Bulb ovoid; leaves 2-3, 

 spreading, recurved, linear lance-shaped, channelled, terminating in a short 

 blunt cylindrical point ; scape as long or longer than the leaves ; bracts mi- 

 nute ; pedicels spreading, the lower longer than the upper ; flowers 5-6, blue ; 

 segments oblong, obtuse, spreading. This we take to be the type, the nearest 

 to the wild form, intended by Liimzeus. There are in gardens several varieties 

 of it, differing in the size and color of their flowers, in the period of their bloom- 

 ing, (Sec. ; and it is a matter of opinion whether or no these are varieties or spe- 

 cies. We consider them as varieties of one species, for three reasons : first, 

 that they all have certain characters in common, available for specific distinc- 

 tion ; and among them we may mention, as easily appreciable by the gardener, 

 the blunt cylindrical point to the leaf We take first that variety which expands 

 the earliest, and to which, therefore, the xvMwt prcecox is well applied. 



Scilla bifolia^ vzx. precox {S. prcecox, Willd. ; Sweet, Brit. Fl. Gard., 2 ser., 

 tab. 141). — This differs from the type in its earlier expansion, and in its larger 

 flowers, of a deeper blue color ; the lower flower-stalks becoming after a time so 

 much lengthened as to form a flat-topped inflorescence. The plant is not very 

 common in gardens, but is sometimes grown under the name of S. bifolia major. 

 There' is a white form of it. 



Scilla bifolia^ var. canwa, Kunth (Bot. Mag., t. 746). — This resembles the 

 type in all respects, save that its flowers are of a pale flesh-colored tint. It 

 seems to be the HyacintJius stellatus /lore rubente of Parkinson, who thus 

 speaks of it: "The difference in this from the ioxTd^x {bifolia) \?, onely in the 

 flowers, which are of a faire blush colour, much more eminent then in the 

 others ; in all things else alike." 



Scilla bifolia, var. rosea {S. rosea, Lehmann ; IS. bifolia tanrica, Ragel, Gar- 

 tenfl. i860, tab. 307). — This differs from the preceding in the larger size of the 

 flowers, and in the more globose form of the bulb ; and may be the plant spoken 

 of by Parkinson as '■'■Hyacinthus stellatus pra:cox flore suave rubente, the early 

 blush-colored starry jacinth," which, he continued, "is very rare, but very 

 pleasant, his flowers being as large as the first {prcecox), and somewhat larger 

 than the blush of the other kind {bifolia caruea)?'' We believe taurica is the 

 same plant with blue flowers. 



Scilla bifolia, var. alba, Kunth. — Diff"ers from the type only in its white 

 flowers. Parkinson says of this, "The buddes for flowers at the first appeare 

 a little blush, which when they are blowne are white, but yet retaine in them a 

 small shew of that blush colour." He goes on to say, " We have another whose 



