ASPIDISTEA 



THE BULB BOOK 



ASPIDISTEA 



ground. The perianth has eight spread- 

 ing lobes, and eight stamens— rather 

 unusual characters in the Liliacese. 



The best-known species is - un- 

 doubtedly A. lurida {Bot. Mag. t. 

 2499) and its variety variegata. The 

 first-named has beautiful, glossy 

 green, perfectly smooth leaves, 1 to 2 

 ft. long, broadly oblong lance-shaped, 

 with long stalks. The variety is 

 similar in every way, except that 

 broad streaks of silver run from base 

 to apex of the leaves, and render 

 them effective in appearance. 



Notwithstanding their Eastern 

 origin. Aspidistras are so easily 

 grown that a specimen or two is 

 often to be found ia the most 

 humble cottage, very often in the 

 best of health. Indeed, there is no 

 plant to equal the Aspidistra for 

 room decoration, and this has 

 probably given rise to the popular 

 name of Parlour Palm — although the 

 plants are in no way related to the 

 Palms proper. They appear to thrive 

 in darkish places, and amidst dry 

 and dusty surroundings — provided 

 they are kept judiciously moist at 

 the root, and are not placed too near 

 the fire, or gas. Indeed, during all 

 but the coldest weather, Aspidistras 

 may be grown in the open air ; and 

 so long as the temperature does not 

 sink much below 35° F. in winter, 

 the plants will live and increase in 

 bulk for many years. 



To secure handsome specimens, the 

 thickened root-stocks and fleshy roots 

 should be arranged first of all so as 

 to bring the leaves springing from 

 them into a regular position— and 

 not too widely or irregularly separated 

 from each other. They should then 

 be placed into well-drained pots. 

 These should not be too large, as the 

 plants appear to thrive best when 

 the roots are fairly well confined. 

 The most suitable compost is a 



mixture of sandy loam, to which a 

 a little leaf -mould, peat, or old 

 manure should be added. This 

 should be worked in well between 

 the rhizomes and roots with the 

 fingers, using a flat potting-stick to 

 get the compost down at the sides of 

 the pot, and to make it sufficiently 

 firm. A good soaking should then 

 be given, and the plants stood in the 

 shade for a few days until thoroughly 

 recovered from the disturbance. As 

 a rule the best time to pot Aspidistras 

 is in the spring, when the new leaves 

 are spearing up from the roots. In 

 the case of old or well-established 

 plants that have become too large, 

 and show signs of deterioration 

 owing to an impoverished soil, they 

 should be taken out of the pots, and 

 these have to be broken sometimes 

 to avoid injury to the roots. The 

 old soil should then be pricked out 

 with a pointed stick, and the root- 

 stocks should be thoroughly rinsed 

 in tepid water until every particle 

 of the old soU has been washed away. 

 This will prevent injury to the root- 

 stocks. If it is desired to increase 

 the plants, the rhizomes may then 

 be cut with a shai'p, strong-bladed 

 knife into suitable portions containing 

 a few leaves and new growths. One 

 or more portions may then be put 

 into a pot of convenient size in the 

 way described above, and in due 

 course the portions will become 

 established into fine specimens. 



Amateurs frequently fail with 

 Aspidistras. The leaves turn yellow 

 and shrivel at the tips and gradually 

 waste away, and a few weak growths 

 try to develop. This state of afiairs 

 is generally the result of keeping the 

 plants in a room too hot and too dry, 

 and very often too dusty, and also 

 through over-watering — especially in 

 winter. The natural remedy is i 

 alter these conditions, taking care to 

 97 o 



