ASAEUM 



THE BULB BOOK 



ASPABAGUI 



lobes of which are produced into tails 

 {Bot. Mag. t. 7126). 



A. europsemn (Asarabacca). — This 

 is a British and European plant 

 with a stoutish root-stock, evergreen 

 kidney -shaped leaves 2 to 3 ins. long, 

 and greenish-purple flowers in May. 



A. geophUum. — A native of S. 

 China, having red-brown creeping and 

 branching rhizomes about as thick as 

 a lead pencil ; softly hairy, roundish, 

 heart-shaped leaves 3 to 4 ins. long, and 

 purple three-lobed flowers margined 

 with yellow and dotted with white, 

 which appear in November (Bot. Mag. 

 t. 7168). This species should be 

 grown in a cool greenhouse. 



A. japonloum (Heterotropa asa- 

 roides). — A smooth Japanese species 

 with knotty rhizomes, oval, heart- 

 shaped spotted leaves, and dark 

 greenish-purple flowers (Bot. Mag. t. 

 4933). 



A. macranthum. — A remarkable 

 species from the Island of Formosa, 

 having long-stalked deltoid ovate, 

 acute leaves, 4 to 5 ins. long and 

 broad, and numerous short-stemmed 

 flowers having three wavy, triangular, 

 purple and speckled lobes spreading 

 from a deep purple cup-like centre 

 rimmed with white (Bot. Mag. t. 

 7022). Kequires a warm greenhouse. 



A. maximvun. — A Chinese plant 

 with creeping rhizomes, heart-shaped 

 leaves about 18 ins. high, 8 ins. broad, 

 dark green, mottled with grey as 

 in Cyclamen. The fleshy thrce-lobed 

 flowers are borne on short stalks, and 

 are of a maroon-purple colour with 

 a conspicuous white eye-like blotch. 

 (Bpt. Mag. t. 7456.) 



A. parvlflorum. — This Japanese 

 species grows 3 to 4 ins. high, and 

 has heart-shaped white spotted leaves, 

 with deep basal lobes, and green and 

 purple flowers about April (Bot. Mag. 

 t. 5380). 



A. virglnicum. — A native of 



94 



Virginia, about 9 ins. high, havin: 

 bluntly, heart-shaped, leathery leave 

 mottled with white above. The dar] 

 purple-brown flowers appear in Apri 

 and May. (Bot. Mag. t. SUe.) 



These curious plants being native 

 of moist and somewhat shady place 

 will flourish in such spots in th 

 garden or rockery if hardy, or ma; 

 be grown in pots in a cold frame o 

 greenhouse when tender. They ar 

 interesting perhaps more from i 

 botanical than a garden standpoint 

 They flourish in a moist, sandy, ant 

 peaty soil, and may be increased bj 

 dividing the roots early in autumi 

 or in spring. 



ASCLBPIAS (Greek name o: 

 JSscvlapius, the god of medicine) 

 Nat. Ord. Asclepiadese. — ^A genui 

 containing about sixty species o: 

 perennial herbs few of which are o; 

 garden value. The only one wortl 

 noting with tuberous roots is A 

 tuberosa, known as the "Butterflj 

 Weed," or "Pleurisy Root:" It is i 

 handsome N. American plant, 1 t( 

 2 ft. high, having purplish hairj 

 stems, and oval or oblong lance 

 shaped leaves 2 to 3 ins. long 

 narrowed at each end, and arrangec 

 oppositely, alternately, or in whorli 

 of three. The bright orange showj 

 flowers appear from July to Sep 

 tember, and are borne in dense umbeli 

 at the tips of the shoots and in th( 

 axils of the leaves. 



It flourishes in rich sandy soil, t( 

 which peat or leaf-mould should bi 

 added, and may be grown in border 

 or shrubberies, where they may b 

 left for a few years without disturb 

 ance. Increased by division of th 

 tuberous roots, or may be raised froii 

 seeds when they ripen. 



ASPARAGUS (a, intensive; sparassi 

 to tear; in reference to the stron, 



