BOMAEEA 



THE BULB BOOK 



BOMAEEA 



and tubular or funnel-shaped flowers 

 in drooping umbels. 



Notwithstanding their habit, the 

 Bomareas are closely related to the 

 Alstrcemerias, and may be grown 

 quite as easily, but not in the open 

 air. They require the protection of 

 a coo! or slightly warm greenhouse, 

 and flourish in a well-drained com- 

 post of sandy loam, to which a little 

 peat or leaf-mould may be added, 

 and also a few nodules of charcoal. 

 Young plants are best grown in pots 

 until they are well established. They 

 may then be planted out in the green- 

 house in a nice border, whence the 

 stems can be trained up the rafters 

 near the glass or at the ends of the 

 house, where they wUl have still more 

 light, and at the same time the 

 requisite warmth. During growth, 

 from spring till autumn a certain 

 amount of moisture is needed at 

 the roots, and on warm genial days, 

 especially during vigorous growth, 

 the plants will benefit by occasional 

 syringings in the morning and after- 

 noon ; but these should cease when 

 the plants are bearing their large 

 clusters of beautiful flowers. The 

 winter temperature for Bomareas 

 should not be lower than 50° F. at 

 night, with a rise of 5° during the 

 daytime. 



To increase the stock, the roots 

 may be separated in spring as growth 

 is commencing, each portion being 

 placed in a small pot, according to 

 size, and grown on in genial warmth 

 and moisture. Seeds may also be 

 sown when thoroughly ripe, in a 

 mixture of fine sandy loam and peat 

 or leaf -soil in equal proportions, and 

 kept in a temperature of 60° to 65° F. 

 When large enough to handle easily, 

 the seedlings should be transferred 

 singly to small pots in a similar com- 

 post, and kept in a warm, fairly close 

 and moist atmosphere until they 



become established. Then a place 

 slightly cooler and more airy will 

 suit them very well. Syringing and 

 watering must be attended to with 

 regularity ; and as the plants increase 

 in size, they will require moving into 

 larger pots, when the same treatment 

 will be required. When the new 

 growths appear, a little soot or slaked 

 lime should be sprinkled round 

 them to protect them from slugs, if 

 any. 



The following are some of the best- 

 known Bomareas in cultivation : — 



B. acutlfolia Ehrenberglana. — A 

 Mexican species with deep orange- 

 yellow flowers, the inner segments 

 being paler and spotted {Bot. Mag. 

 t. 6444). 



B. OaiAa,siB,-aa,{Alstroemeria Caldasi). 

 — This species grows at an elevation 

 of 8000 to 11,000 ft., on the Andes of 

 Ecuador and New Granada. The 

 leaves are distinctly stalked, 3 to 6 

 ins. long, and from six to thirty 

 reddish-brown and bright yellow 

 flowers are borne in an umbel. (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 5442.) 



B. Carderi. — A fine species from the 

 Andes of Colombia, vnth leaves 4 to 

 6 ins. long, and compound umbels of 

 large pale pink flowers, spotted with 

 claret-brown towards the tip, the 

 inner segments being greenish-white 

 and much spotted (Fl. Mag. n.s. t. 

 239; Ga/rd. Chron. 1876, i. 795, f.). 

 Fig. 72. 



B. edulis (A. Salsilla). — This is a 

 very variable species, and is found 

 wUd throughout Tropical America 

 from Cuba and Mexico to Peru and 

 S. Brazil." It has edible, tuberous 

 roots. The leaves are 3 to 4 ins. 

 long, and the flowers are pink, tipped 

 with green, the inner segments being 

 greenish and heavily spotted with 

 claret-brown. {Bot. Mag. t. 1613.) 

 The variety Elwesi has pink outer 

 segments, the inner ones being 



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