APHYLLANTHES 



THE BULB BOOK 



APIOS 



leaves, and about August and 

 September produces its bright rose- 

 purple blossoms in great abundance. 

 {Bot. Mag. t. 5816.) There is a 

 white-flowered variety called albi- 

 flora. 



Fig. 54. — Antigonon leptopus. (^.) 



APHYLLANTHES (aphyllos, leaf- 

 less ; anthos, a flower). Nat. Ord. 

 LUiaceffi. — This genus contains only 

 the following species : — 



A. monspellensis. — A beautiful 

 hardy herbaceous perennial with 

 short rush-like branches springing 

 up from a short thickish root-stock. 

 It is remarkable for having no leaves, 

 as indicated by the generic name. 

 The small heads of deep blue funnel- 

 shaped flowers appear in June and 

 July, and are borne on slender leaf- 

 like scapes having membranous 

 sheaths at the base. (Bot. Mag. t. 

 1132.) 



This plant comes from the south of 

 France. It flourishes in rich sandy 



peat in warm, sunny parts of the 

 rock - garden, and is hardy in the 

 mildest parts of the Kingdom. It 

 requires protection of a hand-light or 

 a heap of litter in cold localities, and 

 may be increased by division of the 

 root-stocks in spring. Seeds may also 

 be sown when fully ripe, the young 

 plants being grown in pots in cold 

 frames for the first year to establish 

 them. 



APIOS (apion, a pea ; in reference to 

 the shape of the roots), Gkound Nut. 

 Nat. Ord. Legaminosse. — A small 

 genus of climbing perennials, having 

 pinnate three- to seven-f oliolate leaves, 

 and pea-shaped flowers in panicles or 

 clusters at the ends of the shoots. 

 Standard petal reflexed, ovate, or 

 roundish, longer than the obliquely 

 ovate vnngs ; keel elongated, much in- 

 curved, involute, or spirally twisted. 

 Stamens ten, upper one free. Pod 

 linear, more or less sickle-shaped, 

 flattish. 



A. tuberosa (Glycine Apios). — An 

 elegant light and graceful twining 

 perennial, native of Pennsylvania, 

 with eatable floury tubers, and pin- 

 nate leaves composed of five oblong 

 lance-shaped leaflets. Flowers from 

 July to September, deep orange, dull 

 brownish - purple or pink, sweet- 

 scented, in dense axillary racemes 

 (Bot. Mag. t. 1198). 



An efiBctive twiner for warm, 

 sheltered spots. It likes rich sandy 

 soil, and may be increased by dividing 

 the tuberous roots in spring ; but this 

 must be done with great care, other- 

 wise the roots may die after separa- 

 tion. To avoid this, seeds may be 

 sown when fully ripe in rich sandy 

 soil in cold frames, the seedlings after- 

 wards being planted out the following 

 spring if large enough. The tuberous 

 roots are eaten by the N. American 

 Indians. It was once thought they 



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