HOMERIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



HYACIKTHIIS 



Flowers 7 to 10 ins. long, with a 

 greenish cylindrical tube 4 to 5 ins. 

 long, and greenish - white or pale 

 sulphur - coloured segments. {Bot. 

 Mag. tt. 2573, 3771 ; Lodd. Bot. Gab. 

 t. 1200.) 



H. stylostun {Amaryllis mara- 

 ««wis).— Introduced from Guiana and 

 N. Brazil in 1821 . Flowers 4 ins. long, 

 bright flesh-red. {Bot. Mag. t. 2278 ; 

 Bot. Beg. t. 719.) In the variety 

 nudum the filaments are remarkably 

 exserted and the stamens spread out 

 as in H. calyptratum. 



H. teretlfoUum {Hahranthus). — 

 This species from Monte Video is re- 

 markable for having roundish leaves. 

 The rosy-pink flowers about 2 ins. 

 long are bell-shaped rather than 

 tubular. {Gard. Chrrni. 1900, xxviii. 

 142.) 



H. vlttatum. — Introduced from the 

 Andes of Peru in 1769. A variable 

 species with flower-stems 2 to 3 ft. 

 high, bearing from two to six flowers 

 4 to 6 ins. long, white towards the 

 margin and distinctly keeled with 

 white, striped with bright mauve- 

 red between the keel and margin. 

 {Bot. Mag. t. 129 ; Red. Lit. t. 10.) 

 There is a white-flowered variety 

 called album. 



As most of the species mentioned 

 above were at one time called 

 Amaryllis, that name wUl be fre- 

 quently found in the works cited 

 instead of Hippeastrum. 



HOMSBIA {homereo, to meet; in 

 reference to the filaments meeting in 

 a tube round the style). Nat. Ord. 

 Irideae. — A small genus of South 

 African bulbous plants closely related 

 to Ferraria and Tigridia ; recognised 

 by their few long narrow leaves and 

 numerous long-stalked, bell-shaped 

 flowers having six subequal erect 

 or spreading entire segments and 

 filaments uniting in a tube. 



These little plants require the 

 protection of a greenhouse, but may 

 be tried in the open air in the mildest 



279 



Fig. 182.— Homena, corm and section. 



parts in warm sheltered spots in rich 

 and very gritty soil. The best-known 

 kinds are : — 



H. coUina, with bright red un- 

 spotted flowers {Bot. Mug. t. 1033). 

 The variety aurantiaca has orange- 

 red flowers with a yellow centre 

 {Bot. Mag. t. 1612), and ochroleuca 

 has pale yellow flowers {Bot. Mag. t. 

 113). 



H. elesans. — Flowers bright yellow, 

 the outer segments having an orange- 

 brown or purplish spot in the centre 

 {Bot. Mag. 1. 1983). 



H. iineata. — Flowers coppery-red 

 with a small yellow blotch on. the 

 claw {Sw. Br. Fl. Gard. t. 178). 



H. maculata, yellow with a greenish 

 blotch at base. 



H. miniata. — Flowers brownish-red 

 with a yellow centre {Sw. Br. Fl. 

 Gard. t. 152 j And. Bot. Rep. t. 

 404). 



H. pallida, pale yellow, unspotted. 



HYACINTHUS (ancient Greek 

 name applied by Homer to the Iris, 

 in honour of the youth Hyacinth, the 

 favourite of Apollo), The Hyacinth. 

 Nat. Ord. Liliacese. — ^A genus of well- 

 known plants with roundish tunicated 

 bulbs, linear or strap-shaped leaves, 

 and erect spreading or drooping 

 flowers in loose or dense racemes on 

 a leafless scape. Perianth bell-shaped 

 or funnel - shaped, with six erect, 

 spreading, or recurved lobes. 



