April 28 1897. 



Garden and Forest. 



167 



raised from it. It multiplies rapidly by offsets, which cannot 

 be said of many others. There is also a double form known 

 in cultivation as H. Albertii. 



Hippeastrum psittacinum, the Parrot Amaryllis of southern 

 Brazil. This was introduced to European gardens in 1814. 

 Although not a showy species, it is interesting on account of 

 its peculiar flowers. It has been frequently used in raising 

 hybrids. One of the most robust Amaryllis now in cultivation, 

 the brilliant Empress of India, was raised by Mr. de Graaf, of 

 Leiden, by crossing this species with the hybrid H. Gravianum. 

 It is a strong-growing species with stout flower-scapes two to 

 three feet high, each bearing from two to four large flowers 

 of a greenish ground color, beautifully veined, penciled and 

 margined with bright crimson. Although of a robust consti- 

 tution, it is easily lost in the greenhouse if its requirements are 

 not carefully met. If watered thoroughly only a few times in 

 winter when at rest, or if kept in a moist or damp place, it in- 

 variably rots. The variety H. psittacinum major has larger 

 flowers than the common form. It produces its flower-scapes 

 before or contemporary with the long strap-shaped leaves. 

 This species, as well as H. vittatum and H. Reginae, I have 

 obtained true to name and in best flowering condition from 

 Mr. E. H. Krelage, of Haarlem, Holland. I have found that 

 these bulbs which have been thoroughly acclimatized do 

 much belter and give more satisfaction than those imported 

 directly from their native country. 



All the species so far considered are deciduous — that is, they 

 have a season of rest when the leaves die down, and a season 

 of growth. They must be kept entirely dry during winter and 

 should only be watered when the flower-scape or the leaves 

 have grown a few inches high, and then only cautiously, once 

 in a week being enough until the leaves or the flower-scape 

 are almost fully grown. If the drainage in the pots is perfect, 

 they require much water when in full flower and foliage. As 

 soon as the leaves begin to die down water must be withheld 

 almost entirely. 



Hippeastrum aulicum is an evergreen species of very robust 

 constitution. It was introduced to cultivation from the Organ 

 Mountains of Brazil in 1819. Mr. Harrison, its discoverer, 

 found it abundantly in the rich vegetable mold on shady 

 mountain-sides. The peduncle grows from eighteen to twenty 

 inches high, bearing an umbel of two flowers of a very rich, 

 deep, velvety crimson, appearing as if covered with gold dust ; 

 the centre is green and the form of the flowers not good, com- 

 pared with our modern race of Amaryllis hybrids. The flowers 

 appear invariably late in the autumn or early in winter. From 

 this magnificent species many fine hybrids of special merit 

 have been raised, among which H. Ackermanni pulcherrimum, 

 one of the most glowing, was obtained by crossing it with H. 

 Johnsonii. H. aulicum is easily grown and flowered if care is 

 taken that the leaves are kept green. Water must, therefore, 

 never be entirely withheld, as the plant is evergreen. A more 

 satisfactory and more easily grown form of this noble species 

 is H. aulicum robustum (H. Tettani, H. Rougieri), which was 

 introduced from the German colony, Blumenau, south Brazil, 

 by Dr. Blumenau in 1848. Under the name of Amaryllis Tet- 

 tani large quantities were sent to Berlin and Erfurt. The foliage 

 is very robust, being densely speckled with minute purplish 

 spots on the underside. The two flowers are of a deep crim- 

 son with a green star. The bulbs multiply rapidly by offsets, 

 unlike those of the type, which are slow in this respect. The 

 variety H. aulicum platypetalum has broader segments and a 

 larger green star, and another variety, H. aulicum steno- 

 petalum, has narrower segments than the type. 



Milwaukee, Wis. H. Nehrlillg. 



side segments of intense, slightly glaucous scarlet encircled by 

 a broad orange-yellow rim ; inside they are of a very deep 

 brilliant yellow, with a few scarlet streaks and blotches. T. 

 suaveolens is another striking species; the large flowers are 

 all over a deep crimson-scarlet. This species seems 10 be very 

 rare, and the true plant is scarcely met with in the trade. 



Baden-Baden. Max Lcichtlill. 



Notes from Baden-Baden. 



A MONG Muscari I beg to mention the variety Freynianum 

 ■**- of M. azureum, which is the best of the three varieties; 

 its spikes are the largest and the flowers are the best in color, 

 a bright turquoise blue. It flowers early enough, being in 

 bloom herefrom the middleof February to the middle of March. 

 A little later comes another handsome variety, M. Szovitsi- 

 anum subcceruleum, with robust and showy spikes of pale sky- 

 blue. Soon after M. polyanthum shows its large deep blue 

 spikes in great abundance, as it flowers more freely than any 

 kind under cultivation, and is also very showy. M. elegans 

 is another gem among these spring flowers; its rolled 

 leaves and the uncommonly long narrow spikes beset with 

 comparatively large individual flowers of deep ultramarine 

 distinguish it as a very showy plant. 



Tulipa Kaufmanniana is among the earliest of its tribe, and 

 its varieties Aurea and Pulcherrima are, perhaps, the most 

 gaudily colored and largest-flowered Tulips. Both have out- 



April Irises. 



BETWEEN the flowering of the early-blooming Irises and 

 the first of the rhizomatous section, say, usually from late 

 March to late April, there are a few interesting species which 

 are as distinct as they are attractive. These Irises all belong 

 to the Juno group of the botanists. In a general way they are 

 distinguished by having bulbs with a few thick scales, very 

 thick fleshy roots, which are formed before they go to rest 

 and by the exceedingly small standards of their flowers. They 

 have leaves somewhat Leek-like, stem-clasping and distichous. 

 Some of the Juno group flower in the early winter, and are 

 grown under protection in winter, but the main body is in evi- 

 dence at this season. Owing to their hardiness and distinct 

 habit, so different from other sections of the family, they may 

 be considered very desirable plants for the hardy border in 

 certain positions. They are bulbous plants, natives of Asia 

 and localities where the seasons are somewhat sharply 

 defined into wet and dry periods. Different plants from the 

 same locality will grow under differing conditions, as some of 

 them have a certain adaptability to unaccustomed environ- 

 ments, but in a general way the proper treatment of deciduous 

 bulbous plants, natives of countries having very dry seasons, 

 is to supply them freely with moisture as soon as they start 

 into growth and as long as they continue to make progress, 

 and to withhold water as soon as indications show that growth 

 has stopped, keeping them as warm and as dry as possible 

 during the resting season. It is difficult to imitate the condi- 

 tions of a dry steppe in an ordinary garden, and it is sometimes 

 perplexing to choose a position in the open where such plants 

 will thrive. Raised borders, with sashes in summer, or even 

 cold frames, are sometimes used, but these are unsightly, and 

 usually the most available place for such plants is at the foot 

 of a wall with a southern exposure. In such a position, how- 

 ever, there is usually a lack of moisture, even early in the 

 spring, while the plants are growing vigorously, and the culti- 

 vator must be prepared to supply water when, as is oiten the 

 case, the March winds dry the soil. In the garden one should 

 use the hose when water is needed, even if the calendar indicates 

 a wet season. Growing bulbs can scarcely be overwatered. 



Of this small group of plants, Iris orchioides is the most 

 attractive in the borders, both in flower and in the habit of the 

 plant. It produces stems a foot and a half to two feet tall, and 

 as the internodes and flower-stems are longer than those of 

 other species it is more graceful in habit, while the abundant 

 golden-yellow flowers, though individually small, are very 

 effective. In somewhat heavy soil, and a southern exposure, 

 near a wall, I. orchioides flowers regularly here, increases by 

 offsets and bears seed. It would probably be well to lift, 

 remove the offsets and replant it at least every second year as 

 there is a tendency of the plants to become too crowded for 

 the best results. The yellow ot the flowers of I. orchioides is 

 accented by a black blotch on each fall. 



Flowering at the same time is a blue-flowered Iris from 

 Bokhara and Turkestan, I. orchioides. var. ccerulea. Though 

 this has the long internodes and stems of the type it is scarcely 

 as graceful. The flowers are larger than those of the yellow 

 form and are a light slaty-blue shading to white, with a bright 

 orange ridge, on each side of which appear deep blue linings. 

 My experience with this form is slight, and I do not know how 

 reliable it is as a border plant. Two years ago I had from Rev. 

 Mr. Gates, of Mardin, a few bulbs of what seems to have been 

 known as I. Mesopotamia, but which is more correctly I. 

 Assyriaca, Haussk., under which name it has lately been intro- 

 duced by Herr Leichtlin. This is now flowering at a height 

 of fifteen inches. The flowers are some three inches across. 

 The flowers were described as a milky white, but the writer 

 must have had in mind the whiteness of city milk, for even at 

 first the flowers have a blue tint which deepens as they age. 

 It may be said that the flowers of these Irises open in succes- 

 sion from the tip downward, and usually one from each node. 

 The nodes and flower-stems of I. Assyriaca arc shorter than 

 those of I. orchioides, and the leaves are wider and less shiny. 



The prettiest blue-flowered Juno Iris, however, is I. Sinda- 

 rensis, which is now in bloom. Tin' leaves i>t this plant arenol 

 as smooth as those of the others, and arc slightly glaucous, 

 The flower-stems are short and the flowers rather larger and 



