TAMUS 



THE BULB BOOK 



TECOPHIL^A 



freely, and thus kept clean until the 

 flowers begin to appear. They are 

 increased by offsets which are 

 produced sparingly from the sides 

 of the thickish root - stock. The 

 offsets should be placed singly in 4- 

 or 5-in. pots. These should be well 

 drained with plenty of crocks at the 

 bottom, and a compost of fibrous 

 loam, peat, and coarse sand in about 

 equal proportions should be used. 

 The offsets should be placed in a 

 propagating frame, and a bottom heat 

 of 70° F. should be maintained. The 

 atmosphere should be kept fairly 

 moist, but not too much so, as the 

 offsets are liable to rot away. In a 

 few weeks they will be well rooted, 

 and may then be exposed to more 

 light and air. During the summer 

 months, the plants, young or old, 

 should be shaded from very strong 

 sunshine. As the plants increase in 

 size, they may be potted on each year 

 into slightly larger pots than before. 



TAMUS (name obscure, used by 

 Pliny). Nat. Ord. Dioscoreaceje. — The 

 only species worthy of note is — 



T. communis, popularly known as 

 "Black Bryony," "Lady Seal," and 

 " Murrain Berry." It grows wild in 

 the copses and hedges in parts of 

 England, and has black pear-shaped 

 fleshy root-stocks, from which arise 

 slender, climbing, angular stems 

 several feet in length. The beautiful 

 ovate, heart-shaped, tapering leaves 

 are 3 to 6 ins. long, and are remark- 

 able for having netted veins — an 

 unusual feature amongst Monocotyle- 

 donous plants. The small greenish- 

 white flowers appear in May and 

 June, and are succeeded by oblong 

 red berries, j in. long in autumn. 



This is really an excellent plant for 

 trailing over arches, trellises, old 

 hedges, etc., and will flourish in any 

 garden soil in partially shaded spots. 



It may be increased by careful 

 division of the root-stocks, or from 

 seeds. 



This plant, although kno^vn as the 

 " Black Bryony," must not be confused 

 with the Common Bryony {Bryonia 

 dioica), described at p. 118. 



TBCOPHlL.a!A (after Tecophilo, a 

 daughter of Bertero). Nat. Ord. 

 HaemodoraceEE. — The best - known 

 member of this genus is — 



T. cyanocrocus. — A charming 

 Chilian perennial 6 to 9 ins. high, 

 having fibrous - coated corms, and 

 linear, channelled, wavy leaves. The 

 sweet - scented, six - parted flowers 



426 



Fig. 319. — Tecophiliea cyanocrocus. 



appear in March and April in loose 

 trusses, and are of a bright gentian- 

 blue colour with a white centre. The 

 variety Leichtlini has deeper blue 

 flowers without a white centre; and 

 the variety Regeli has narrower leaves 

 and petals than the type. {Gartenfl. 

 t. 718.) 



This pretty plant, unfortunately, is 

 only fairly hardy in the milder parts 

 of the Kingdom. At the base of a 

 south wall, the corms may be planted 



