SINNINGIA 



THE BULB BOOK 



SISYRINCHIUJVC 



on the edges, and sparsely hairy on 

 the under-surface. The blue starry 

 flowers appear in corymb like 

 clusters in spring {Bot. Mag. t. 3211). 



SINNINGIA (after Wm. Siyming, 

 gardener at the University of Bonn). 

 Nat, Ord. Gesneraceffi.— This genus 

 has already been referred to as hav- 

 ing been confused with the genus 

 Gloxinia. Although closely related, 

 the two genera are kept distinct 

 botanically. The Sirmingias proper 

 are all natives of Brazil, and are 

 herbaceous plants with tuberous root- 

 stocks, large opposite long-stalked, 

 softly hairy leaves, and llowers borne 

 singly or in clusters from the leaf- 

 axils. The corolla is tubular, bell- 

 shaped, inflated at the base, and 

 obliquely five-lobed. 



There are about sixteen species 

 altogether, requiring precisely the 

 same cultural treatment as described 

 for the Gloxinias at p. 257. Among 

 the best-known kinds are : — 



S. CarolinsB (Tapeinotes CaroKnce). 

 — With oblong lance - shaped leaves 

 and white flowers marked inside with 

 red {Bot. Mag. t. 5623). 



S. oonclnna (Stenogastra concirma). 

 — A charming little species, having 

 small tubers and roundish ovaJ deeply 

 crenulate leaves, and drooping tubular 

 inflated flowers purplish above, yellow 

 beneath, and spotted with purple 

 within (Bot. Mag. t. 5253). 



S. Helleri (S. velutinn). — A species 

 with oval oblong velvety leaves 4 to 6 

 ins. long, and white flowers having 

 red spots on a greenish throat (Bot. 

 Mag. 4212 ; Bot. Beg. t. 997). 



S. hirsuta (Gloxinia hirsuta). — 

 This species has broadly oval heart- 

 shaped leaves, deeply crenated on 

 the margins and purplish beneath. 

 Corolla bluish - lilac, spotted with 

 purple within. (Bot. Mag. t. 2690; 

 Bot. Reg. 1. 1004.) 



418 



S. speciosa. — The typical species 

 has already been described and com- 

 mented upon under Gloxinia at 

 p. 257. It has been figured in the 

 Bot. Mag. t. 1937; Bot. Reg. iii. t. 

 213; XXX. t. 48; and its variety 

 albiflora, with white flowers, in Bot. 

 Mag. t. 3206 ; the variety caidescens, 

 with large leaves, in Bot. Reg. 1. 1127 ; 

 and the large-leaved variety macro- 

 phylla, with white veins, in the Bot. 

 Mag. t. 3934 ; in both publications 

 as Gloxinia. Under this name the 

 innumerable garden forms are still 

 known, and probably, wiU continue to 

 be so for several generations. 



The variety Menziesiana has a 

 large calyx with long hairy segments, 

 and a large violet corolla heavily 

 spotted with red (Bot. Mag. t. 

 3943). 



S. velutina has oval roundish 

 crenulate leaves with purplish veins ; 

 funnel- or bell-shaped corolla, and 

 pale greenish flowers (Lodd. Bot. 

 Cab. t. 1398). 



S. vlllosa has oblong oval, pointed, 

 crenulate leaves, and greenish-yellow 

 flowers (Bot. Beg. t. 1134). 



S. Youngeana, said to be a hybrid 

 between S. speciosa and S. velutina, 

 has violet or purple flowers, yellowish- 

 white at the base, spotted in the 

 throat (Bot. Mag. t. 3954). 



SISYBINCHIUM (si/s, a pig; 

 rynchos, a snout ; in reference to pigs 

 grubbing out the root-stocks). Nat. 

 Ord. Iridese. — There are about sixty 

 species known, but comparatively few 

 are of a garden value. Many of them 

 are quite hardy, but a few are tender. 

 They all flourish in a light rich soil of 

 peat, loam, and sand in about equal 

 proportions, and may be increased by 

 division of the root-stocks in autumn. 

 Although usually classed with bulbous 

 plants, there are practically neither 

 rhizomes, tubers, or bulbs in the genus, 



