CALOCHOETUS 



THE BULB BOOK 



CALOCHORTDS 



obtained from them in spring; or 

 the roots may be divided. In bleak 

 spots it would be advisable to pro- 

 tect the root-stocks in winter. 



CALOCHORTUS (kallos, beautiful ; 

 chortus, grass ; in reference to the 

 slender leaves). Nat. Ord. Liliacese 

 (Mariposa Lily; Star Tulip). — A 

 genus containing twenty to thirty 

 species of beautiful plants, with tuni- 

 cated bulbs, narrow leaves^ and 

 somewhat branched, few-flowered 

 stems, bearing long-stalked, showy, 

 erect or drooping flowers, yellow, 

 bluish-purple, or white in colour. 

 The perianth consists of six distinct 

 segments, the three outer ones of 

 which are sepal-like, and much 

 narrower than the three larger and 

 broader inner ones, which are bearded 

 on the inside. In the Cyclobothras, 

 or "Star Tulips," which are now 

 included with this genus, all the 

 perianth segments are bearded within 

 and furnished with a honey-pit in 

 the centre. Stamens six, hypogynous, 

 or slightly adhering to the base of 

 the segments. 



Quoting mainly from the Practical 

 Guide to Garden Plants, the Mariposa 

 Lilies and Star Tulips should be 

 planted not later than from September 

 to the end of November, 3 ins. deep 

 and about 3 ins. apart, in a raised 

 sunny border with a slight slope to 

 the south, in a soil composed of sharp 

 sand, leaf-soil, and road grit. Great 

 importance is attached to having the 

 bed in which they are planted raised 

 above the surrounding soil, as 

 thorough drainage is thus secured, 

 and it is essential to keep the bulbs 

 as dry as possible in winter. It is 

 safer, especially in unfavourable parts 

 of the Kingdom, to cover the beds 

 with reeds, bracken, straw, etc., so as 

 to keep off heavy rains, and at the 

 same time afford protection from 



126 



frost. This covering, whatever it is, 

 should be removed in February and 

 March, according to the season and 

 the growth of the plants. After 

 flowering, and when the stems have 

 withered, the bulbs may either be 

 lifted and carefully stored until 

 planting time, or a light may be 

 placed over them to keep them dry, 

 and allow them to thoroughly ripen. 

 The latter is the better plan if it can 

 be adopted, and there is no necessity 

 to lift the bulbs for about three years, 

 unless for the purposes of increasing 

 the plants by means of the offsets 

 from them. 



The main points to remember in 

 growing Mariposa Lilies are — early 

 planting, a light porous soil, sunny 

 position, thorough drainage, protec- 

 tion from winter rains, plenty of 

 water during active growth, and 

 thorough ripening of the bulbs by 

 lifting, or placing lights over them. 



Mariposa Lilies may also be 

 increased by seeds, or the small 

 bulbils often produced on the upper 

 portion of the stems, as in the case 

 of some Liliums. The seeds may be 

 sown as soon as ripe, or early in 

 spring in cold frames, or under glass, 

 but so thinly as to allow the seedlings 

 plenty of space to develop without 

 disturbing for one or two years. 

 They may then be planted in light 

 soil either in frames or singly in pots, 

 and grown on until they reach the 

 flowering stage, which is in three to 

 six years after the seed is sown. 



The following are some of the best 

 species in cultivation. They are 

 mostly natives of California, but one 

 or two, as noted, come from Oregon, 

 Arizona, and other parts of the 

 States. A reference to the general 

 hairiness of all the species is omitted 

 from the following short descriptions. 



C. albus (Cyclobothra alba). — A 

 vigorous species 12 to 18 ins. high, 



