CAMASSIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



CAMASSIA 



Leaves linear, produced after the 

 flowers. These are dark purple, about 

 J in. long, as many as ten to twenty 

 in an umbel on top of a slender com- 

 pressed stalk 1 to 2 ft. long. The 

 variety cameuni {Bot. Reg. 1840, 

 t. 26) has rather larger flowers, pale 

 purple or white in colour. {Bot. 

 Mag. t. 2100; Bot. Reg. t. 422; 

 Fl.d.Serr. t. 1135.) 



Fig. 90. — Cdlost&m/ma alium. 



CAjyCASSiA (from Qimmash, the 

 name given by the N. American 

 Indians, who eat the bulbs). Nat. 

 Ord. Liliacese. — ^A small genus of 

 N. American plants closely related 

 botanicaUy to the Scillas and Ornitho- 

 galums, having tunicated bulbs, linear 

 or strap-shaped leaves, and blue, 

 purplish, or whitish flowers in loose 

 racemes. The perianth consists of 

 six nearly equal, distinct, spreading 

 segments, finely veined. 



Camassias. are excellent plants for 

 massing in the ordinary flower-border, 



131 



which they embellish from May to 

 July with their slender erect spikes 

 of graceful blossoms. They flourish 

 in any well-drained garden soU, but 

 prefer a good sandy loam and leaf- 

 soil in warm and sheltered spots. 

 Heavy soil saturated with water is 

 fatal to the bulbs during the winter. 

 Increase in the stock is effected by 

 detaching the offsets from the older 

 bulbs late in the summer or early 

 autumn, when the plants have finished 

 their growth. The offsets and old 

 bulbs should be replanted immedi- 

 ately, or stored in sand or dry soil 

 till September. In any case they 

 should be replanted not later than 

 October, to secure a good display the 

 following season. It is generally un- 

 necessary to put stakes to the flower 

 stems, although this may be necessary 

 in very windy localities. 



C. Cusicki. — A native of the Blue 

 Mountains of Oregon and California, 

 having large rosettes of broad grey- 

 green leaves and stems 3 to 4 ft. high, 

 with racemes of large delicate blue 

 flowers. 



C. Snselmanni, froni the Eocky 

 Mountains, has very much larger 

 bulbs. The leaves are 9 to 12 ins. 

 long, and about 1| ins. broad, and 

 grey-green above, while the bright 

 blue flowers are borne ia loose 

 racemes. This fine plant is not yet 

 well known. 



C. escuienta {Qvamash). — A native 

 of British Columbia, with white ovoid 

 or roundish brown-coated bulbs. 

 The linear, channelled leaves are 

 about 1 ft. long. The scapes, \\ to 

 3 ft. high, appear from May to July, 

 bearing ten to twenty blue flowers 

 about 2 ins. across in loose racemes. 

 The sixth segment is separated 

 distinctly from the other five, and 

 each one has about five distinct 

 deeper blue nerves. There is a white- 

 flowered variety, flore-alho (formerly 



