HERREKIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



HESSEA 



H. cristata. — ^A native of the Trans- 

 vaal, having a short woody root- 

 stock with thin wiry stems, lance- 

 shaped toothed leaves, and orange- 

 red flowers, drooping from the axils 

 of the leaves {Bot. Mag. t. 7173). 



This plant flourishes in a green- 

 house in a compost of sandy loam, 

 peat, or leaf - soil, and may be 

 propagated from cuttings in spring. 



HEKRERIA (after Gabnel A. de 

 Herrera, a Spanish agriculturist, 

 ] 470-1539). Nat. Ord. Liliaceie.— A 

 genus with two or three tuberous- 

 rooted plants, having climbing stems, 

 narrow lance-shaped leaves or clad- 

 odes, in whorls, and small scented 

 flowers in axillary racemes. 



H. Sarsaparilla {H. parviflora). — A 

 little-known Brazilian plant, with 

 stems about 8 ft. long, bearing lance- 

 shaped leaves and green and yellow 

 flowers {Bot. Reg. t. 1042). 



This plant should be grown in peat, 

 loam, and sand in equal proportions 

 in a warm greenhouse. Increased 

 by seeds or cuttings. 



HBSPBRANTHA (Aesperos, evening ; 

 anthos, a flower). Evening Flowee. 

 Nat. Ord. Irideae. — A genus con- 

 taining about thirty species of dwarf- 

 growing plants with tunicated corms, 

 narrow linear leaves, and loose spikes 

 of sweetly scented flowers which open 

 in the evening — hence the name. 

 Perianth with six equal narrow 

 spreading segments. 



These plants being natives of 

 Southern or Tropical Africa are not 

 hardy, and require the protection of 

 a frame or greenhouse, or may be 

 grown in warm well - drained and 

 sheltered borders in the mildest 

 parts of the country. They like a 

 mixture of loam and peat, and may 

 be increased by oSsets. The best- 

 known species are H. augusta, white ; 



H. cinnamomea, whitish {Bot. Mag. 

 t. 1054); H. falcata, outer segments 

 brown, inner pure white {Bot. Mag. 

 t. 566, as Lvia) ; H. gramlnlfolia, 

 greenish- white {Bot. Mag. t. 1254, as 

 H. pilosa nuda) ; H. pilosa, inner 

 segments white, outer speckled with 

 red {Bot. Mag. t. 1475) ; H. radiata, 

 white striped with brown outside, 

 leaves fistular {Bot. Mag. t. 573, as 

 Ixia). 



HBSPEROCALLIS {hesperos, even- 

 ing ; hallos, beauty). Nat. Ord. Lili- 

 acese. — The only species of this genus 

 is — 



H. undulata. — A Californian plant 

 with large, roundish, edible bulbs, 

 which bury themselves in the sand in 

 their native place at a depth of 6 to 

 18 ins. The narrow wavy leaves are 

 bordered with white, and the sweet- 

 scented, whitish, tubular flowers 

 appear in April and May. 



This plant seems to be unknown 

 in cultivation, but might be tried 

 in warm sheltered borders in well- 

 drained sandy loam. 



HESSEA (after Pavl Hesse, a 

 botanical traveller). Nat. Ord. 

 Amaryllidese. — A genus containing 

 about eight species of South African 

 plants, with roundish tunicated bulbs 

 5 to 1 in. thick, thread-like, linear, or 

 strap-shaped leaves, and small flowers 

 borne in umbels. Perianth segments 

 almost equal, more or less oblong, 

 spreading, three - nerved down the 

 keel. 



The Hesseas are only, from 3 to 6 or 

 12 ins. high, and require to be grown 

 in a mixture of sandy loam and leaf- 

 soil or peat, and are perhaps most 

 satisfactory in a greenhouse or cold 

 frame. In warm parts of the King- 

 dom the little bulbs might be planted 

 in open, sunny, and sheltered borders. 

 The flowers are usually produced 

 273 s 



