CYPHIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



CYETANTHUS 



with a yellow base ; paludosa, yellow 

 spotted with purple-black; linearis, 

 blue with a yellow spot ; and puslUa, 

 pale yellow, 



OYPHIA (kyphos, arched ; referring 

 to the style and stigma). Nat. Ord. 

 Campanulacese. — A little - known 

 genus, containing about twenty 

 species of annual or perennial her- 

 baceous plants with tuberous roots, 

 and alternate, entire, toothed or 

 pinnatifid leaves. 



C. volubilis (Lobelia volubilis). — A 

 native of S. Africa, with large 

 tuberous roots, slender climbing 

 stems, turning to the left, like the 

 Hop, and bearing entire leaves. The 

 pale blue, irregular, two-lipped 

 flowers, like those of the Lobelia, 

 appear in July and August. 



This species may be grown in a 

 cool greenhouse, in a mixture of loam, 

 leaf-soil, and sand in equal propor- 

 tions. Wlien at rest in winter, 

 watering is suspended ; and propaga- 

 tion is effected by making cuttings 

 of the young shoots in the same way 

 as from Dahlias in spring (see p. 193). 



OYBTANTHtrs Qcyrtos, curved ; 

 anthos, a flower). Nat. Ord. 

 Amaryllidese. — This genus is closely 

 related to Vallota, and contains 

 about twenty species of herbaceous 

 plants, natives chiefly of S. Africa, 

 having tunicated bulbs, narrow 

 strap-shaped leaves, and funnel- 

 shaped flowers borne on hollow 

 scapes or peduncles. 



These pretty bulbous plants are 

 best grown in the cool or slightly 

 heated greenhouse. They flourish 

 in a compost of fibrous loam and 

 leaf-soil in about equal proportions, 

 with a good sprinkling of coarse 

 silver sand. If grown several in a 

 pot, they make a better display than 

 if grown separately. During growth, 



185 



water must be given freely as 

 required ; but when the leaves are 

 dying down in the deciduous kinds, 

 less moisture is required. The ever- 

 green species, like C. ohliquus and 

 C. carneus, require water all the 

 year round, in accordance with the 

 state of the soil. During the summer 

 months the plants may be grown 

 without the aid of artificial heat, but 

 in winter a little genial warmth will 

 be beneficial to the growing kinds. 

 Propagation is effected by detaching 

 the offsets from the old bulbs at 

 the time of repotting. 



C. angustifolius (Crinwn cmgusti- 

 foliwn ; Amaryllis cylindracea ; Mon- 

 ella angustifolia ; Ev^ipho amgusti- 

 folius). — This species was introduced 

 from S. Africa in 1774. It has 

 ovoid bulbs, 1 to 2 ins. in diameter, 

 bearing two to three linear leaves, 

 1 to H ft- long- The bright red 

 unscented flowers appear in late 

 summer or autumn, from four to ten 

 being borne in an umbel on top of a 

 peduncle about 1 ft. high. {Bot. Mag. 

 t. 271 ; Lodd. Bot. Cab. t. 368 ; Bed. 

 Lil. t. 388.) 



There are several varieties, the 

 best known being grandiflorus, with 

 larger flowers (2j to 3 ins. long) 

 than the type ; ventricosus, the 

 flowers of which are dilated at the 

 middle and contracted at the base ; 

 and striatus, with bright red flowers 

 having yellow ribs (Bot. Mag. t. 

 2534). 



C. carneus. — ^An evergreen species 

 with ovoid bulbs, 2 to 3 ins. in 

 diameter, and strap-shaped, blue-grey, 

 twisted leaves, about 1^ ft. long. 

 The bright red drooping flowers 

 appear in autumn, being borne in 

 umbels of eight to ten on a roundish 

 scape a foot or more high (Bot. Beg. 

 t. 1462). 



C. coUinus (Mondla glaiuca; M. 

 collina). — Bulbs ovoid, \^ ins. in 



