POLYGONATUM 



THE BULB BOOK 



POLYGONATUM 



such bulbs may be taken up and 

 stored in sand in a frost-proof place, 

 until tte following year, when they 

 may be replanted if sufficiently 

 sound. Although Tuberoses may be 

 increased by the offsets from the base 

 of the old bulbs, it is on the whole 

 better to purchase newly imported 

 bulbs each year, as they are riper, 

 and more likely to give good results 

 than the bulbs harvested in our fickle 

 climate. 



POLYGONATUM {poly, many; 

 (jonu, a knee, a .ioint; in reference 

 to the numerous joints in the stems), 

 Solomon's Seal. Nat. Ord. Lili- 

 acese. — This genus contains more 

 than twenty species of pretty herba- 

 ceous plants, with creeping fleshy 

 root-stocks ending in a stalk which 

 bears the strongly - veined leaves. 

 The tubular or bell-shaped fiowers 

 droop from the axUs of the leaves as 

 a rule. The popular name of " Solo- 

 mon's Seal" is derived from the 

 circular sunken scar left on the root- 

 stock after the annual leaf -stalks 

 have died away. 



The species mentioned below are 

 all easily grown in the open air. 

 They like rich, very moist, and yet 

 well-drained soil, and somewhat dark 

 and sombre situations, to make them 

 luxuriant in foliage and blossom. 

 When grown in hot, dry, sunny places, 

 the Polygonatums do not grow so tall, 

 or flower so profusely, and their 

 beauty is over much sooner than if 

 thej' were grown in cool, moist, shady 

 spots. Apart from open-air culture, 

 the plants, especially the common 

 Solomon's Seal {P. multiflorum), may 

 be forced into early blossom in the 

 greenhouse or conservatory during 

 the first months of the year. The 

 root -stocks are potted up in the 

 autumn, and kept covered up with 

 soil, ashes, sand, or coco-nut fibre 



until about Christmas - time. Koot 

 action will then be well established, 

 and the plants may be brought into 

 heat as required. In a cut state the 

 sprays last a long time in water. 



Propagation is easily effected in 

 early autumn, simply by dividing the 

 root-stocks, taking care to retain a 

 good terminal bud to each severed 

 portion. Seeds may also be sown 

 when ripe, but it is a tedious process 

 raising plants in this way. 



P. biflorum. — A pretty Canadian 

 species 1 to 3 ft. high, having ovate 

 or lance-shaped leaves, and greenish- 

 white flowers drooping in pairs from 

 the leaf axils. 



P. japonicum. — A Japanese species, 

 1 to 2 ft. high, with oblong leaves 2 

 to 3 ins. long, and drooping white 

 flowers tinged with purple in April. 



P. latifollum. — ^A native of Central 

 Europe, 2 to 4 ft. high, having broad 

 bright green leaves and greenish- white 

 flowers drooping in clusters of from 

 two to five in July. The variety 

 commutat-um from N. America is said 

 to reach a height of 6 to 7 ft., and 

 produces from six to ten white flowers 

 in a cluster. 



P. multiflorum (Convallaria midti- 

 Jk>ra).--Th.is is the Common "Solo- 

 mon's Seal," also known as " David's 

 Harp" and the "Lady's Seal." It is 

 a native of temperate Europe, and 

 is also found wild occasionally in 

 British and Irish woods. The arch- 

 ing stems grow 2 to 3 ft. high, and 

 are furnished with oblong stem-clasp- 

 ing leaves 3 to 5 ins. long. The white 

 flowers appear in May and June, and 

 are more or less deeply edged with 

 green, and later on give place to 

 bluish-black berries. 



There are several varieties, such as 

 Jiore plena, a rare double-flowered 

 one ; striatum, leaves striped with 

 white ; and rosewni, flowers rosy 

 tinted. 



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