SOILLA 



THE BULB BOOK 



SCILLA 



of drooping bell-shaped blossoms from 

 April to June, and varying in colour 

 from bluish-purple to white or pink. 



There are several varieties of the 

 Common Bluebell, such as alba, 

 white; rosea, rose-red; rubra, deep 

 red ; braeteata, with long bracts 

 at base of pedicels ; and cernua, with 

 broader leaves and larger bright blue 

 flowers. 



The Bluebell is an excellent plant 

 for naturalising purposes, and the 

 bulbs should be planted from 4 to 6 

 ins. deep early in autumn, and in 

 thousands for this purpose. 



S. hlspanica (S. campanvlata). — 

 This is the beautifuFSpanish Bluebell 



Fig. 312. — Scllla hispaniea. (^.) 



from the Iberian Peninsula, having 

 narrow strap - shaped leaves, and 

 blue bell - shaped flowers, borne in 

 May on slender scapes 12 to 18 ins. 

 high (Bot. Mag. t. 127). 



There are several varieties, such as 

 alba, with beautiful white flowers, 

 and one of the best; aperta, blue 



416 



striped with white ; and others such as 

 Blue Qu^en, porcelain blue ; Exceldor, 

 azure blue ; ccervlea major, pale 

 blue, late flowering ; Rosalind, pink ; 

 rosea major, rose pink, large; 

 Riverslea, pale blue, early ; Shy Blue, 

 tall, self -blue, late ; etc. 



S. hyaclntholdes. — A pretty Squill 

 from S.W. Europe, with leaves 12 to 

 18 ins. long, minutely ciliated on the 

 margins. The scapes are 1 to 2 ft. 

 high, and in April and May bear 

 from fifty to one hundred bluish-lilac 

 or gentian-blue, bell-shaped flowers. 

 {Bot. Mag. t. 1140.) 



S. itallca. — A charming Italian 

 bluebell with flaccid, strap - shaped 

 leaves 4 to 8 ins. long, and dense 

 racemes of blue flowers in April and 

 May {Bot. Mag. t. 663). 



The variety purpurea has deeper 

 coloured flowers. 



S. lancesefolia {Lachervalia lancece- 

 folia). — A S. African species, with 

 leaves 4 to 6 ins. long, spotted on 

 the upper surface. The roundish 

 bell-shaped flowers, purple inside and 

 greenish outside, are borne in dense 

 clusters about April and May {Bot. 

 Mag. t. 643). Greenhouse. 



S. laxtflora. — ^A S. African species 

 with lance-shaped leaves, and green 

 flowers with purple filaments {Gard. 

 Chron. 1891, ix. 668). 



S. leueophylla. — ^A very distinct 

 species from Persia, having bright 

 purple flowers tipped with green 

 {Gard. Chron. 1893, xiii. 506). 



S. lllio-hyacinthus. — This fine 

 Pyrenean Squill has been known for 

 generations, but it is still rare in 

 gardens. It is easily recognised by 

 its rather large scaly bulbs, broad 

 bright green leaves, and its blue 

 starry flowers appearing in April 

 and May on stems about a foot high. 

 There is a still scarcer white-flowered 

 variety, albus. 



S. messeniaca, from Greece, has 



