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 

 a,re 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 trmwn from nmings. 

 Another way, which produces ni;iit\ iImmil'Ii \\ i :iI< [il;nits. 

 is to rub off the scales and suw ih. m ,i~ ii ih. y wen- 

 seeds. The roots should beseparai. .1 tiMm ih, M.il dur- 

 ing the winter, and care should Ijl- takuu that tlu-y d" 

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

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

 floia, purplish blue, A. longiflora var. alba maxima, 

 the best \\hite kind, A ^jafens var. major, a large flower 

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

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

 " e other Some of the best varieties are Am- 

 1 SI htffc It white, with a network of violet lines ; 



pliyUa 



Chin 

 Daz7 

 LiittI 



i Achimenes, tubers of 

 the coccinea section 



violet-blue with white throat ; 

 s arlet, and late-blooming ; Lady 

 11 Masterpiece, rosy violet with 

 (^iieen, a very large and substantial 

 /((, pale purple ; Rose Queen, rich, 

 i\ender, shading to white; Trevi- 

 rana rosea, like Dazzle, ex- 

 cept in color.Por 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- 

 ^ /omis. The coccinea and 

 t/ hirsuta groups (Fig. 23) are 

 < '' late bloomers. 

 ' Cult. byW.E.ENDicoTT. 



The garden Achimenes are 

 ^ much confused by hybridi- 

 sation, and it is doubtful if 

 an\ 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. 



.. PI.1. coloreil. the tlih, „.• 



the hn,,,th , 



B. Blossoms s,ii<i 



ocelUta, Hook. Roots sr 



Ivs. rich green above 



than tici 



'. ,-,./ ..,■ sen-let. 

 ill and tuberous : St. 1-2 

 ad 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. 



heteroph:yIla, D( 

 breehtii, Bort.). K 

 pie, somewhat hair 

 rate, the two of ca. 

 solitary, on pedum 

 stalks, long-tubular and 



the leaf- 



ghtly 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. 



peduncuiata, Benth. St. lV;-2 ft., liairx . reddish: Ivs. 

 opposite, small, ovate, sharjilv -.riatc , -n en, hairv, on 

 short reddish stalks: fls. iin-.liiMiL ^iz. . .Ircuping and di- 

 lated upwards, j-ellow-red with .lark inarking.s and a 

 yellow throat, the limb comparatively short. ; on long 

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

 produces tubers 



BB Blossom latge, itithu tde limb, blue r lolet 

 or purple 



longiflora, DC Pig 24 The root like rhizomes pro- 

 diK-iii„' pear shiped tubers at their ends st 1-2 ft.. 



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 irracefiil tube; the 

 limb very large and widely spreadiiiu. \iM|,-t-lp|iie and 

 whitish beneath, the lowest segment s..iii. iiin.^ .lix i.led. 

 Guatemala. B.M. 3980. P.M. 9: 151.- A i-j-ular tyj.e. 



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

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

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



p&tens, Benth. Height, 1-lK ft. : lvs. 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 3-4 times the length 

 of the limb. 



tubifldra, Nicholson, Suppl. p.483(<?;oa:!«ta tubifldra, 

 Hook. BolichodHra tubifldra, Sanst.). St. short, with 

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

 Hs. 4 in. Iciitr. curved, gibbous at the base, tlie tube 



Guatemala. — A. ^SkiiLiicri, GurUuii,=A. hii-suta. — Garuen forms 

 and hybrids are Escherii, florihunda, intennMia. Jdyii, Mount- 

 firdii. ncegelioides. nana, venusta (P.M. 15:121), rerschatfeltii. 

 L. H. B. 



