FKITILLAEIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



FRITILLAEIA 



shaped fleshy leaves and several 

 bright yellow flowers tinted with 

 green on top of the stems. It is a 

 native of Turkestan, and is figured in 

 ilcnu and Sylva, Nov. 1905. 



P. Eawesi. — A distinct-looking 

 species having drooping bell-shaped 

 flowers in April and May, green 

 washed with purple at the base and 

 margins of the inner segments. The 

 interior is green striped with purple. 



Fig. liS.—l'ritiUaHa Elwesl. (i.) 



P. grseca. — A species closely related 

 to F. tiilipifolia, native of Greece, 

 about 6 ins. high, having lance-shaped 

 or elliptic leaves, and drooping bell- 

 i shaped flowers of a pale brown or 

 ! fawn colour slightly chequered, and 

 with a green stripe down the keel of 

 the segments (Bot. Mag. t. 5052). 



p. hericauUs.— This species from 

 Asia Minor is closely related toF. 

 armena, and grows from 4 to 6 ins 

 high. The more or less lance-shaped 

 leaves are sessUe, and the solitary 

 flowers are deep purple. 



P. imperialis (Crown Imperial).— 

 A vigorous and well-known plant 

 2 to 4 ft. high, native of Persia, with 

 broad, bright, shining green wavy 

 leaves, and a dense cluster of large 

 drooping bell-shaped flowers at the 



top of the stem which is surmounted 

 by a tuft of leaves. The flowers 

 appear in April, and are about the 

 size of ordinary Tulips, and vary in 

 colour from bright yellow to crimson. 

 This variation has given rise to many 

 names of forms ; hence we find 

 Aurora, bronzy orangey lutea, yellow ; 

 rubra and rubra maxima, red ; 

 aureo-marginata, having the leaves 

 edged with yellow ; Orange Crown, 

 orange - red ; sulphurine, orange ; 

 Slagzwaard, large deep red flowers 

 on flattened or fasciated stems ; 



Fig. Ii9.—Fritillaria iTnperialis. (\.) 



svlphv/rina, large sulphur yellow. 

 There is also a form with double red 

 flowers. {Bot. Mag. tt. 194, 1215; 

 Bed. Lil. t. 131.) 



The Crown Imperials like a deep 

 rich loamy soil, and are suitable for 

 the margins of shrubberies, flower- 

 borders, etc. They look very hand- 

 some in bloom, but emit such a 

 strong odour when cut that they are 

 known in some parts by the appro- 

 priate but uncomplimentary name 



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