LACHENALIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



LACHENALIA 



K. Roscoeana. — A Burmese stem- 

 less species about 6 ins. high, with 

 roundish pointed leaves variegated on 

 the upper surface. The white flowers 

 appear about October. {Bot. Mag. 

 t. 5600.) 



K. rosea.— A native of British 

 Central Africa, having a short fleshy 

 root-stock and thickish string-like 

 roots. The leaves, including the 

 stalk, are about 18 ins. long and 4 

 ins. broad, with a bright green plaited 

 blade. The bright rose-red flowers, 

 with a blotch of orange in the throat, 

 are over 2 ins. acro.ss, and are borne 

 on scapes 18 ins. high. {Gard. Chron. 

 1904, XXXV. 20.) 



K. rotunda {K. longa).—A very old 

 East Indian species about a foot high, 

 having numerous irregularly shaped 

 aromatic root-stocks; long - stalked, 

 oblong, lance-shaped leaves, smooth 

 and green above, downy and purple 

 beneath. The sweet-scented white 

 flowers, striped with red on the 

 margins, appear in summer. (Bot. 

 Mag. tt. 920, 6054; Garden, 1888, 

 t. 662.) 



K. secunda. — A native of the 

 Khasia Hills, Assam, etc., with leaves 

 3 to 4 ins. long, membranous, obliquely 

 lance-shaped, pointed. Flowers in 

 August and September, reddish with 

 a white centre. (Bot. Mag. t. 6999.) 



LACHENALIA (after Mons. de la 

 Chenal (b. 1736, d. 1800), a Swiss 

 botanical author). Nat. Ord. Liliaceae. 

 — ^A genus containing about forty 

 species of South African bulbous 

 plants closely related to the Hyacinths 

 and Scillas, having tunicated egg- 

 shaped bulbs, fleshy strap -shaped 

 leaves sometimes mottled or spotted, 

 and erect scapes bearing numerous 

 drooping tubular flowers, in which 

 the three inner segments are often 

 longer than the three outer ones. 



Comparatively few species are 



cultivated, and these chiefly in 

 botanical collections. A few hybrids 

 have been raised, and are an improve- 

 ment on the natural species from a 

 garden point of view. Grown in pots 

 or pans and massed close together, 

 Lachenalias are elegant plants when 

 in blossom during the winter and 

 early spring months (from January to 



323 



Fio. 222 Laohenalia. (J.) 



April and May). The best time to 

 pot the bulbs is about the end of July 

 or early in August, using a compost 

 of two parts fibrous loam, one part 

 leaf -mould, and one part well-rotted 

 cow-manure ; to this may be added a 

 good sprinkling of coarse silver sand, 

 the whole being thoroughly mixed. 

 From six to ten bulbs, according to 

 size, may be placed in a 5-in. pot, 

 covering them with about | in. of 

 soil. The bulbs may also be planted 

 in flattish pans or in wire hanging- 

 baskets. In the latter case the baskets 

 must be lined with moss to prevent 



