LYCOKIS 



THE BULB BOOK 



LYSICHITUM 



The species mentioned below are Tlie v a,Tiety pumila is much dwarfer 



not quite hardy, except in the very 

 mildest parts of the Kingdom. L. 

 sqiiamigera is the hardiest, and will 

 flourish in the open air south of the 

 Thames in warm, sheltered borders in 

 well-drained gritty soU. The other 

 species may be tried in similar 

 situations, but they are on the whole 

 safer grown in pots in the greenhouse. 

 They like a sandy loam and a fair 

 supply of moisture during the growth 

 of the leaves ; these, in most cases, 

 wither before the appearance of the 

 flower-stalks. The plants may be 

 divided after flowering if necessary, 

 the offsets being useful for increasing 

 the stock. When established in the 

 open air, it is better to leave the 

 plants alone for a few years, so as 

 to allow them to grow into bold and 

 effective masses. 



L. aurea {Amaryllis and Nerine 

 aurea). — A pretty Chinese species 

 with bright yellow scentless flowers 

 about 3 ins. across, borne on scapes 

 1 to 2 ft. high in August {Bot. Mag. 

 t. 409; Bot. Reg. t. 611; Eed. Lil. 

 t. 61). 



L. incamata. — ^A native of Central 

 China, about 2 ft. high, the scape 

 bearing six to twelve large open, pale 

 flesh-coloured or rosy flowers, sweetly 

 scented. The segments are only 

 slightly wavy and not so reflexed 

 as in L. squamigera. 



L. radiata (AmarpUis radiata ; 

 Neriiie japonica). — A native of China 

 and Japan, whence it was introduced 

 to English gardens in 1750. The 

 bright red scentless flowers appear in 

 summer or autumn on stems 1 to 1^ 

 ft. high, and the leaves are developed 

 during the winter months. {And. Bot. 

 Rep. t. 26 ; Bot. Reg. t. 596.) 



There is a form called variegata or 

 Terraciani, with large crimson flowers 

 the segments of which become 

 margined with white when fading. 



349 



than the type. 



L. sangulnea. — A Japanese species 

 with bright red flowers, having seg- 

 ments that are neither crisped nor 

 reflexed. 



L. Sprengeri. — A distinct species, 

 presumably from Japan, having short 

 ovate spathe valves, and long-stalked 

 rose-pink or purple-rose flowers with- 

 out any distinct tube above the ovary 

 (Gard. Chron. 1902, xxxii. 469). 



L. squamigera.— A striking Japan- 

 ese species with large sweet-scented 

 rosy-lUac flowers on scapes 2 to 3 ft. 

 high in August, after the narrow 

 strap-shaped leaves have withered 

 and vanished. This species may be 

 grown outside in the same way as the 

 Belladonna Lily {Amaryllis Bella- 

 doTvna). 



L. straminea. — This Chinese plant 

 is closely related to L. aurea, but has 

 pale yellow or straw-coloured flowers, 

 with a pink keel and a few scattered 

 red dots. 



LYSICHITUM (?2/SM, loosing; chiton, 

 a coat). Nat. Ord. Aroidese. — This 

 genus contains only one species, 

 viz. — 



L. camtschatense. — A remarkable 

 and noble-looking Aroid, widely- 

 distributed over North-eastern Asia 

 and North-western America. It is 

 a stemless plant with a thick root- 

 stock, and tufts of large oblong lance- 

 shaped acute leaves 12 to 30 ins. long, 

 and from 5 to 10 ins. wide, the surface 

 being more or less conspicuously 

 spotted or mottled. The stout 

 cylindrical flower-stalk is from 6 to 

 12 ins. high, and bears a pointed boat- 

 shaped bright yellow spathe 4 to 6 

 ins. long and 3 to 5 ins. across, 

 sheltering a dark green spadix 3 to 6 

 ins. long, bearing numerous flowers 

 which emit a very disagreeable odour 

 when mature about April or May. 



