COSTUS 



THE BULB BOOK 



CEINUM 



The calyx is tubular and three-lobed, 

 the coroUa having a funnel-shaped 

 tube, the spreading limb being com- 

 posed of three equal divisions. 



These plants flourish in a rich sandy 

 loam and leaf -soil or a little peat, and 

 like plenty of heat and moisture 

 during the period of active growth. 

 They may be grown in pots or pans, 

 or planted out in rockeries in the 

 stovehouse. Propagation is efiected 

 easily by dividing the root-stocks or 

 tufts. 



C. Afer. — A native of Sierra Leone, 

 about 2 ft. high, with oval-elliptic 

 pointed leaves, abd white flowers 

 tinted with yeUow. 



C. cylindrlcus. — This species from 

 the Trinity Islands grows about 6 ft. 

 high, and has oboval pointed leaves 

 and yellow flowers with red bracts. 



C. discolor. — A Brazilian species 

 about 3 ft. high, with broadly lance- 

 shaped pointed leaves, green above, 

 purple beneath. The large white 

 flowers appear in spring and summer 

 in pairs, and have red bracts at the 

 base. 



0. Englerlanus (C unifolius). — A 

 dwarf plant from Tropical Africa, 

 having bluntly elliptic, fleshy, deep 

 green leaves, and small white and 

 yellow flowers. 



C. Priedriclisenl. — This species, long 

 cultivated as C. comosus, is 6 ft. or 

 more high, and has stalkless lance- 

 shaped pointed leaves 9 to 18 ins. 

 long, and 2 to 5 ins. broad, and large 

 bright yellow flowers in thick ellipsoid 

 or ovoid spikes {GarUnfl. 1903, t. 

 1521). 



O. igneus. — A fine Costa Kican 

 plant 1 to 3 ft. high, having smooth 

 elliptic, pointed leaves, and bright 

 orange-scarlet flowers {Bot. Mag. t. 

 6821). 



O. Lucanusianus.— A fine species 

 from the Cameroons,with lance-shaped 

 pointed leaves, white on the under- 



surf ace. Flowers purple with a yellow 

 lip. 



0. Malortieanus. — A native of Costa 

 Eica, 1 to 3 ft. high, having large 

 oboval pointed leaves with short 

 stalks. Flowers golden - yellow, ir- 

 regularly streaked with orange-red. 



0. micranthus. — This species, sup- 

 posed to be a native of Martinique, 

 grows 5 to 6 ft. high, the lance-shaped 

 leaves being spirally arranged on the 

 stems, and the orange-red and yellow 

 flowers being in cone-like spikes. The 

 narrow tubular lip is purple. 



C. musaicus. — A distinct and pretty 

 species from the Congo. The leaves 

 are obliquely lance-shaped, 3 to 5 ins. 

 long, deep green in the centre, the 

 remaining portion of the surface being 

 beautifully chequered or barred with 

 silvery grey lines. 



C. pictus. — A Mexican species about 

 \\ ft. high, having lance - shaped, 

 pointed, shortly stalked leaves, downy 

 above, smooth beneath. Flowers in 

 summer and autumn, yellow, with a 

 golden - yellow and purple, oblong, 

 wedge-shaped lip. {Bot. Beg. t. 1594.) 



C. speclosus. — A fine East Indian 

 species, 1| to 3 f t. high, with cylindri- 

 cal stems, lance-shaped pointed leaves, 

 velvety on the under-surf ace. Flowers 

 large white, pink on the outer seg- 

 ments, and having red bracts. {Bot. 

 Reg. t. 665 B.) 



C. spiralis. — ^A Brazilian plant 2 to 

 "3 ft. high, with fleshy, oblong elliptic, 

 lance-shaped leaves, smooth and glossy 

 green on both surfaces, but with a 

 downy midrib. Flowers in summer 

 and autumn, pink, with deep scarlet 

 bracts. 



CBINUM {hrinon, the Greek name 

 for Lily). Nat.' Ord. Amaryllideae.— 

 A genus containing about eighty 

 species of evergreen herbaceous plants, 

 having large short or long - necked 

 bulbs, broad or narrow strap-shaped 



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