CLITIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



CLIVIA 



0. mlnlata.— A fine species from 

 Natal with bright green leaves, and 

 stout two-edged stalks 1 to 1| ft. high, 

 bearing an umbel of twelve to twenty 

 bright scarlet funnel-shaped flowers 

 with a yellow throat, in spring and 

 early summer. There are many 

 lovely forms of this species in cultiva- 

 tion, among them being atrosanguinea, 

 aurantiaca, cruenta, Cooperi, grandi- 

 Jlora, Lindeni, splendens, sulphurea, 

 etc. (see Gartenji. 1864, t. 434; Bot. 

 Mag. t. 4V83; Bev. Hart. 1859, tt. 

 29, 30; Fl. d. Serr. tt. 949-950, 

 2373-2374 ; 111. Hort. n.s. t. 343). The 



Fio. 96. — Clivia miniata. 



variety striata has the. leaves freely 

 striped ; and citrina has pale creamy 

 flowers tinged with orange at the 

 base {Gard. 1899, t. 1246). 



C. nobills {Imantophyllum Aitoni). 

 — The genus Clivia and the genus 

 Imantophyllum were both founded at 

 the same time and on the same plant, 

 but by two different authorities. 



Lindley called the plant Clivia noMlis 

 —in the Bot. Beg. 1. 1182 ; and Hooker 

 called it Imantophyllum Aitoni, in 

 the Bot. Mag. t. 2856. Curiously, 

 the longer name Imantophyllum— 

 which is derived from imas, a leather 

 thong, and phyllon, a leaf, in allusion 

 to the shape and texture of the 

 leaves— is even now more popular 

 amongst gardeners than the shorter 

 name of Clivia; and some use both 

 names indiscriminately. The species 

 under notice, C. nobilis, is a native 

 of Cape Colony whence it was intro- 

 duced by Bowie in 1828. It has 

 tufts of bright green strap-shaped 

 leaves 1 to 1^ ft. long, with roughish 

 margins. The bright red and yellow 

 funnel-shaped flowers, tipped with 

 green, are borne in umbels of forty 

 to sixty on top of a stalk about a foot 

 long, between May and July. 



Amongst greenhouse plants the 

 Clivias have always held a high rank 

 as decorative objects, not only on 

 account of their beautiful foliage, 

 but also for their trusses of brilliant 

 blossoms. They are easily grown in 

 a winter temperature of 50° to 60° F., 

 and during the summer months might 

 almost be grown in the open air, if 

 well supplied with water and syringed 

 regularly every day. The plants 

 may be grown much in the same 

 way as the Agapanthuses, in ordinary 

 pots or ornamental tubs, and are 

 effective in the greenhouse, conserva- 

 tory, or dwelling-house when in 

 blossom. They flourish in a compost 

 of rich sandy loam and leaf-soil, and 

 although the roots are thick and 

 fleshy, and absorb food freely, the 

 plants should not be over-potted, 

 that is, put into receptacles much too 

 large for the accommodation of the 

 roots. There is no necessity to repot 

 the plants every year. Indeed, when 

 left undisturbed for a few years, 

 after properly potting in the first 



142 



