L iliacece Hyac^nth^ls. 



523 



fragrant flowers at first purplish, but changing to a pale yellow. 

 They are all South European species. 



18. HYAClNTHUS (including Bellevalia, etc.). 

 This genus contains about 30 species, chiefly from 

 Mediterranean region and 

 Sout*h Africa. Few authors 

 agree as to its limits, but fcr 

 our purpose it may be charac- 

 terised as follows : Flowers 

 drooping, variable in number, 

 disposed in loose leafless 

 spikes ; perianth- segments flat, 

 united to about the middle 

 and erect or recurved ; stamens 

 6 ; filaments straight ; anthers 

 versatile. Capsule 3-celled, 

 many-seeded. It differs from 

 Scilla in the perianth -seg- 

 ments being united to the 

 middle, whereas in the latter 

 and its allies they are free or 

 nearly so. The name is of 

 mythological origin. 



1. H. orientalis (fig. 255). 

 The species of paramount 

 interest and the progenitor of 

 all the beautiful varieties of 

 our gardens and greenhouses. 

 It is, as its name implies, a 

 native of the East, and was in- 

 troduced into Europe three or 

 four centuries ago ; but no- 

 where has it been cultivated 

 with the same success as in 

 Holland. Indeed, every gar- 

 dener is familiar with the 

 term ' Dutch bulbs,' of which 

 the numerous varieties of the 



TT . . , f Fig. 255. Hyacinthus orientalis. (J nat. size.) 



Hyacinth form a very im- 

 portant part. Hyacinths are chiefly exported from Haarlem. 

 Upwards of 100 acres of land in the neighbourhood of this 



