272 LUTHER BURBANK 



Meantime another class of plants that is almost 

 equally attractive from the standpoint of florist 

 and market gardener is an anomaly that must 

 make wide appeal to the horticulturist. 



There are twenty or more species of plants be- 

 longing to the lily family wild along the Pacific 

 Coast that make up a group which the botanist 

 classifies under the generic name Brodicea. 



There are allied plants in South America, re- 

 garding the precise classification of which there is 

 some difference of opinion. But for the purpose 

 of the horticulturist the entire group may be 

 ranked under the name of Brodiwa. The plants 

 have not been extensively cultivated until re- 

 cently, and they have received no popular name. 



The different species vary greatly in form, size, 

 and arrangement of the flower. The color of the 

 flower is usually either blue or rose or purple, 

 though sometimes white. There is also a crim- 

 son-flowered climbing species, known as Brodicea 

 volubilis, which also rarely becomes white. 



Crossing the Brodi^eas 



This climbing species has been crossed with the 

 species known as Brodicea capitata, and various 

 others. Some of these crosses produce most beau- 

 tiful flowers intermediate between the parents. 

 Unfortunately the best hybrids were destroyed 



