SCILLA 



THE BULB BOOK 



SCILLA 



— A large genus of herbaceous plants, 

 with tunicated bulbs, more or less 

 strap-shaped leaves, and six-petalled 

 flowers borne on simple leafless 

 scapes. 



Pig. 810. — ScMzostylis coccinea. 



Most of the Scillas are perfectly- 

 hardy, but there are several which 

 require the protection of a cold frame 

 or greenhouse. All kinds are easily 

 grown in rich sandy soil, or in any 

 good garden mould, the hardy ones 

 being particularly valuable for plant- 

 ing in thousands in the grass, or 

 beneath deciduous and early -flowering 

 trees and shrubs, or on the margins 

 of borders, or nooks in the rock- 

 garden ; and in all these places may 



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be associated with their close 

 relatives the Chionodoxas. The best 

 time for planting is usually at the 

 end of September and during October, 

 and as most of the .species flower 

 from February and March till May 

 and June, they may be looked upon 

 as excellent spring-flowering plants. 

 When grown in pots or pans, the 

 Scillas are useful for the decoration 

 of the cool greenhouse early in the 

 year, the blossoms being much 

 cleaner and brighter looking than 

 those that are tarnished by exposure • 

 to the weather. All SciUas are 

 readily increased by ofisets from 

 the older bulbs. 



The following are some of the 

 best species, the tender ones being 

 indicated, all others being hardy : — 



S. Adlaml. — A native of Natal, with 

 small mauve -purple flowers (Gard. 

 Chron. 1891; ix. 521). 



S. amoena {Hyacinthus stellaris). — 

 This pretty species, known as the 

 "Star Hyacinth," is a native of 

 Central Europe, and has roundish 

 violet - coated bulbs, lance - shaped 

 channelled leaves 6 to 9 ins. long, 

 and racemes of bright indigo starry 

 flowers, borne from March to May 

 on stems 4 to 6 ins. high {Bot. Mag. 

 t. 341). 



S. autumnalls, a British and 

 European species, with rosy - lilac 

 starry flowers produced in August. 

 The white-flowered variety alhus is 

 a somewhat choicer garden plant. 



S. axillaris. — A strong - growing 

 species with leaves a foot long and 2j 

 ins. broad, spotted with brownish- 

 purple near the base beneath. Flowers 

 whitish outside, with a green keel and 

 bright violet edges with white inside. 

 {Gard. Chron. 1903, xxxiii. 386.) 



S. Bertholeti. — A rare species from 

 Tropical Africa, with strap - shaped 

 leaves 6 to 12 ins. long, and bell- 

 shaped pale lilac flowers, from ten 



