THE AMAZON LILY. 53 



given light and water. Three or four bulbs may be put 

 into a five-inch pot with good effect. They increase 

 rapidly by offsets. 



BABIANA, (Babiana.) 



A GENUS of Cape plants, with solid bulbs or corms, 

 which are eaten by the Hottentots, and which, when 

 roasted, are said to resemble chestnuts. All the species 

 have showy flowers of various colors, blue predominat- 

 ing. Some of the varieties are finely variegated. They 

 succeed in very sandy loam, and may be grown either in 

 pots for ornamenting the green-house, or planted in a 

 cold frame, where, if protected from frost in winter, they 

 may be allowed to remain altogether. They increase 

 rapidly by offsets. 



THE AMAZON LILY, (Eucharis.) 



THIS is a free-growing bulbous plant of rare beauty 

 and delicious fragrance. It should be grown in the hot- 

 house or a warm green-house. The flowers are produced 

 in a truss of from four to eight, according to the strength 

 of the bulb and the manner of treatment, and are borne 

 on a stem that lifts them just above the leaves. They 

 are pure waxy white, and of great substance. The species 

 are of comparatively recent introduction, and owing to a 

 general impression that they are difficult to manage, are 

 but little grown. The plant is found growing by the 

 side of a river ; consequently, moisture and heat are es- 

 sential to the development of its flowers. The ease with 

 which it is no\v cultivated, and the fact that a dozen or 

 more large pots of it will furnish flowers nearly the whole 

 year, make it invaluable in all collections of choice plants. 



