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PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS 



ALLIUM 



2-6 in. long. Fertile stamens 3. Stami- 

 nodia white, longer than the stamens. 



Culture dc. as above. 



B. uniflora {Milla and Ti-iiehia uni- 

 Hora). — Spring StarFloiver. — A beautiful 

 bulbous plant from Buenos Ayres with 

 linear leaves 6-12 in. long and less than 

 4 in. broad, glaucous-green, with a strong 

 central keel behind. Its beautiful flowers 

 about 2 in. across appear in April and 

 May, and are borne singly on slender erect 

 purple-brown scapes 4-6 in. high, instead 

 of in umbels or heads as in other species. 

 The perianth tube is brownish-purple, 

 while the spreading starry segments are 

 of a beautiful soft lUac-blue, each one 

 being }-l in. or more long. There is a 

 charming white - flowered variety alba, 

 and the two plants mixed together in 

 large masses look exceedingly handsome. 

 Grows freely, and shoidd not be disturbed 

 for 3 or 4 years. Increased by the offsets 

 from the corms or 'bulbs.' 



Culture dc. as above. 



B. volubilis (also known as Stropho- 

 lirion calif ornicum) is remarkable for its 

 twining scapes often 12 ft. long, bearing 

 15-30 rose-coloured flowers in an umbel, 

 but is not quite so hardy as the other 

 species, and is not very often seen. 



Other species of Brodisea not yet in 

 cultivation, or very rare, are terrestris, 

 leptandra, filifolia, pulchella (which is 

 almost exactly like congesta, but has 6 

 fertile stamens instead of 3), insularis, 

 Palmeri, Candida, crocea, Lemmonce, 

 sessiliflora, patagonica, nivalis, poep- 

 pigiana, setacea, Jiirtella, subbiflora, 

 vittata, brevipes, bivalvis, violacea, 

 philippiana, lugens, and scabra. 



Culture tic. as above. 



BLOOMERIA. — A small genus 

 closely related to Brodisea, having fibrous 

 coated corms, long linear few or solitary 

 radical leaves, and simple scapes ending 

 in an umbel of many flowers. Perianth 

 nearly rotate with 6 distinct spreading 

 segments. Stamens 6, hypogynous, or 

 very slightly adhering to the base of the 

 segments. 



B. aurea {Allium croceum ; Noilios- 

 cordum aureum), a handsome Cali- 

 fornian species with dense umbels of 

 bright yellow flowers, and B. Clevelandi, 

 also with yellow, but smaller flowers, and 

 some on long pedicels, and some on short, 

 are the only species in this genus and are 

 not often seen. 



Culture and Propagation. — These 

 species may be grown in the same way as 

 the Brodiceas. They flourish in rich sandy 

 loam and like warm sunny positions in 

 the flower border or rockery. They are 

 increased by separation of the offsets from 

 the corms in early autumn and also by 

 seeds if obtainable in the same way as 

 Brevoortia and Brodima above. 



NOTHOSCORDUM. — A genus of 

 plants with tunicated bulbs, flat, linear, 

 radical leaves, and flowers in umbels on 

 simple scapes. The perianth consists of 

 6 segments united at the base or as far 

 as the middle, and is then spreading or 

 bell-shaped. Stamens 6, shorter than the 

 segments to which they are attached at 

 the base. 



N. fragrans {Allium fra grans). — A 

 strong-growing hardy N. American plant 

 with linear lance-shaped leaves, and white 

 fragrant flowers, borne in summer, 6-20 

 in an umbel, on scapes 1-2 ft. high, each 

 segment being keeled outside with pale 

 lilac. 



Culture and Propagation. — There are 

 a few other species of Nothoscordum, but 

 they are scarcely worth growing. The 

 above is the best, and may be associated 

 with its relation Bloomeria aurea, and 

 receive similar treatment with that and 

 the Brodiseas. 



ALLIUM.— To this genus belong the 

 well-known Onion, Garlic, Chive, Shallot, 

 and Leek, and the ornamental species 

 described below partake more or less of 

 their nature. They have tunicated bulbs, 

 flat or round narrow radical leaves, and 

 numerous flowers in heads or umbels on 

 the top of a simple leafless scape, with 2 

 more or less spathelike bracts. The peri- 

 anth consists of 6 segments, free or slightly 

 united at the base, more or less equal, 

 spreading or somewhat bell-shaped. Sta- 

 mens 6, attached to the base of the seg- 

 ments. Although there are about 250 

 species distributed throughout various 

 parts of the world, chiefly Europe, N. 

 Africa, and Abyssinia, sub-tropical Asia, 

 and N. America and Mexico, only the 

 few described below are considered of any 

 importance or value for the flower garden. 



Culture and Propagation. — They are 

 all easily grown in ordinary well-drained 

 garden soil, and may be increased by 

 offsets from the bulbs in autumn or early 

 in spring, and planted 3-4 in. deep. Seeds 

 may also be sown in light rich soil in cold 



