( 467 ) 



Lachenalia 



Principal Species and 



Adami, My., dull pur. 

 (XI/H. Cytisus Adami). 



pendulum, pretty 



drooping brunches. 



a'pinum, 1;V to 20', Jc., 

 yel. (SI/H. Cytisus ul- 

 pinus) ; fragrans, hir- 

 sutum, Parksii pendu- 

 lum, and Watereri are 

 vars. Scotch Lubur- 

 nuin. 



vulgare, '20', Ap., Jc.,yel. 

 (VI/H. Cytisus Labur- 



Other Species: 



Alseliingeri (correctly Cy- 

 tisus Alschingeli). 



Varieties : 



imm). According to 

 Jttdtx Keicenxi* the cor- 

 rect name of this species 

 is anagyroides. There 

 are many vars., of which 

 those subjoined are the 

 best. Common Labur- 

 num. 



iiureum, Ivs. yel. 



involutum, Ivs. curled 

 ringwise. 



- quercifolium, Ivs. like 

 Oak. 



earumaincum, 3' to 4', 

 Je.,yel. 



LACvENA (/. NAWKN-IA). 



Stove epiphytic; Orchids (urd. Orchidacea;'), allied 

 to Acincta. They may he increased by division of 

 the pseudo-bulbs, and by imported pieces. Soil, 

 fibrous peat and chopped sphagnum, in equal parts, 

 with sand. Teak baskets are better than pots, 

 and they should be hung close to thereof in the 

 warm Orchid house. Give plenty of water while 

 the plants are growing, with little or none, and 

 a cooler atmosphere, during the winter. 



. Only Species : 



bicolor, 1'^", sum., at.. sp^etabilis, 10'', early sum., 

 cream, wh., blotched St. , wh. , ro. spotted. 



pur., twenty to thirty 

 on a spike. 



LACEWING FLIES. 



Flies belonging to the order Neuroptera, with 

 slender bodies and relatively large, gauzy wings. 

 Green and yellow are the prominent colours. The 

 eggs are attached to the branches of trees by means 

 of hair-like threads, many often being together. 

 The larva; are about J" long, have strong jaws, and 

 are mo.-t voracious feeders. As they feed exclu- 

 sively upon aphides, they must be numbered 

 amongst the gardener's insect friends. It is in- 

 tere-iing lo watch the larva of a Lacewing Fly at 

 work. It holds its victim lirmly with its jaws, and 

 keeps it there until it has sucked all the juices 

 from its body. Some may be recognised by the 

 unpleasant odour which they exhale when handled, 

 whence the common name of Stink Flies. 



Two genera are included ChrysopaandHemero- 

 bins. ' The members of the latter genus are rather 

 smaller than the Chrysopa,s, but in one respect at 

 least they differ in habit. The Chrysopa larva 

 throws the skin of its victim away: the larva of 

 the Hemevobins clothes itself with it, so that 

 the hapless green fly is both food and raiment. 

 Parasitism could scarcely go farther than this. 



LACHENALIA. 



A large genus (nrrl. l.iliacerc) of bulbous green- 

 house plants. 



Propagation. Offsets are formed in considerable 

 nnmliers. When the bulbs are being potted in the 

 autumn, the offsets should be carefully collected, 

 "sown" thinly in well-drained pans filled with 

 light, sandy soil, and grown on steadily in a cold 

 frame, no attempt being made to force them. If 



Lace Hark (see 

 Lacepe.dia (nee Turjiinia). 

 Lace Plant (see Apomujftim \jjn. Oimraiidra"] 

 fcnestruie). 



properly looked after, many of them will flower the 

 following season. 



Soil. Lachenalias like a rich, light soil. Two 

 parts of loam, one part of leaf mould, and one of 

 dried cow manure, with sand, make an excellent 

 compost. 



Other Cultural Points. Frequently Lachenalias 

 are seen which have been grown in the same 

 basket, without a change of soil, for three or four 

 years, and the fact that they still flower after such 

 ill-usage proves what good-tempered subjects they 

 are. The best time for potting is at the beginning 

 of August, for soon after that time new rools begin 

 to form. Carefully shake the dry, old soil away, 

 and sort the bulbs into two sizes, as previously 

 advised. Five-inch pots are a good size, .-ix bulbs 

 being placed in each. Drain well, but pot only 

 with moderate firmness, and let the tops of the 

 bulbs be about y below the surface of the soil. 

 After potting, the plants may be consigned to a 

 cold frame from which the frost is just kept out. 

 When they have commenced to make growth, they 

 may be removed to a shelf in the greenhouse. 

 They must in no case be coddled, but plenty of air 

 given on all possible occasions. Drought, fire heafc, 

 and draughts are the three special dislikes which 

 the plants have ; if kept free from these they will 

 do well. Liquid cow manure may be given twice a 

 week as soon as the flower spikes begin to show. 

 Lachenalias make capital basket plants for the 

 cool conservatory, the pendent habit of their leaves 

 then showing to advantage. Wire baskets are the 

 best ; these may be lined with moss, and the sides 

 as well as the top planted. After flowering is over 

 and if kept in a cool house the bloom will last 

 in condition for nearly a couple of months water 

 should still be given until the foliage shows signs" 

 of ripening. From that time onward, until the 

 bulbs are quite ripe, the water supply should be 

 gradually reduced, and a thorough roasting given 

 in a sunny frame. No water is needed until potting 

 time, but the pots should be laid on their sides in a 

 dry place, out of harm's way. For general purposes 

 tricolor is the one most generally grown, but the 

 form Nelsoni is an even handsomer flower, and. 

 fully as easy to grow. 



Principal Species, Crocs-trcds, ard Varieties : 



Cammii, cross-bred (tri- 

 color aurea X pendula). 



Nelsoni, golden yel., large 

 Ivs. spotted pur., cross- 

 bred (tricolor X tricolor 

 aurea) (nee p. 4(>C). 



pendula, 4" to 9", Ap., 

 pur., red, yel. 



Ap., red (nyii. gigantea 



of gardens), 

 tricolor, 1', spr., grn., 



red, yel., Ivs. spotted 



pur. Numerous vars. ; 



the undermentioned are 



the best. 

 aurea, yel. (*;/. aurea). 



- - aureliaua, 4" to 9", quadricolor, red, grn., 

 yel. (*yi>. superba of 

 gardens). 

 Other Species and Varieties : 



fistulosa, 2" to 3", wh., pusilla, 3", lil. (*.'/. 



fragrant. Brachyscypha undu- 



lilacina, 4" to ."/', lil. lata). 



orchioides, 3" to !'", , putulata, 1', Feb.,wh. 



Ap., My., wh. or yel. rosea, 6" to K", My., red 



(.V//HS. mutabilis and ('.'/" bifolia <>f lltitimicc.l 



pulchella). Magazine Kill), 



pallida, 4" to 6", Ap., mbida, 9", Sep., red. 



wh., yel., red ('<.'/". Warei, 6", red, yel., grn. 



lin-ida of IMiiiiii-ii/ (*!/ tigrina \Vurei). 



Minftiznir 137'-!). unifolia, 4" to I'/', Mch., 

 purpurco-coerulca, G" to wh., Ivs. spotted red. 



9", Ap., pur., bl. violacea, 1' to 1J', Mch., 

 wh., vio., grn. 



