•CHIONODOXA 



LILY OBDEB 



CHIONODOXA 837 



shaped, with 6 nearly equal somewhat 

 rotate spreading segments longer than the 

 tube. Stamens 6, attached to the throat, 

 the dilated filaments being united into a 

 cup and produced beyond the anthers. 



P. scilloides (P. libanotica ; P. sicula; 

 Adamsia soilloides). — Striped Squill. — 

 A charming Httle bulbous plant, native of 

 the Caucasus, Asia Minor &c., with dark 

 green channelled lance - shaped leaves 

 4-6 in. long. The white or very pale blue 

 flowers are borne on slender scapes 4-8 in. 

 high about AprU ; each flower is about 

 1 in. across, having the segments con- 

 . ^picuously and prettUy striped with deep 

 blue dovsfn the centre. The variety com- 

 pacta is similar to the type, but its white 

 flowers tinged and striped with blue are 

 borne in denser and more compact trusses, 

 and have a better effect. 



Culture and Propagation. — The 

 Striped Squill requires a warm sunny situ- 

 ation and a deep rich sandy loam and 

 leafsoil, thoroughly well-drained, as cold- 

 ness at the root caused by too much 

 moisture is injurious to it. It is a charm- 

 ing plant for the rockery in places where 

 it is not likely to be smothered by other 

 plants. The bulbs should be planted 

 -about 4 in. deep in September or not 

 later than October, and during hard 

 winters are better protected with a layer 

 ■of leaves, manure &c. which will also be 

 useful to drain off heavy rains. The bulbs 

 ^re best undisturbed for about 3 years, 

 ■during which time they will have made 

 good clumps, and may be divided and re- 

 planted after the foliage has completely 

 ^ed down. 



CHIONODOXA (Gloey of the 

 Snow). — A genus of charming bulbous 

 plants closely related to PuschMnia, 

 which it resembles in having tunicated 

 bulbs, few Hnear radical ' but sheathing 

 leaves, and loose racemes of blue flowers, 

 or sohtary ones on a simple leafless scape. 

 The deciduous perianth has a short bell- 

 shaped tube and 6 longer, nearly equal, 

 recurved spreading segments. The 6 

 staraens are attached to the throat, every 

 other one or all the filaments being 

 dilated into oblong petal-like bodies. 



Chionodoxas are natives of the moun- 

 tains of Crete and Asia, where they push 

 their beautiful flowers in early spring 

 "through the melting snows, and have 

 -ihus earned the appropriate popular name 

 ■of ' Glory of the Snow,' wMch is practi- 



cally a literal translation of the botanical 

 name Chionodoxa, given by the French 

 botanist Boissier, who discovered C. 

 LuciUcB in 1842 at an elevation of about 

 7000 ft. flowering amidst the snow in 

 Asia Minor. 



Culture cmd Propagation. — Chiono- 

 doxas are perfectly hardy, and for 

 naturalising in grass land with some of 

 the smaller Narcissi, such as minimus, 

 they are most valuable. For this purpose, 

 however, they should be used by the 

 hundred and thousand, and there are few 

 finer sights than to see their beautiful blue 

 flowers with a distinct white central zone 

 peeping through the grass in March and 

 April. Once planted, they need never be 

 touched, or at least for several years, and 

 win appear year after year with renewed 

 vigour, while the foliage wiU have practi- 

 cally finished its work of storing up 

 nourishment in the bulbs before mowing 

 operations begin in earnest. 



Chionodoxas' may also be used to 

 ornament the flower border and rookery, 

 and will flourish in a compost of well- 

 drained sandy loam, peat and leaf-soil. 

 They may be increased by separating and 

 replanting the offsets any time from July 

 to October ; and also by seeds, which are 

 freely produced, and should be sown 

 soon after they are gathered. It takes 

 a few years, however, to obtain flowering 

 bulbs from seeds. 



C. cretica. — ^A pretty species from the 

 mountains of Crete, having slender scapes 

 6-10 in. high, which unfortunately bear 

 as a rule only one or two white or pale 

 blue blossoms over ^ in. across. This 

 species must be planted thickly to obtaia 

 a good effect. The variety albifiora has 

 white flowers. 



Culture So. as above. 



C. Luciliae (C Forhesi). — A beautiful 

 and now well-known species, native of 

 Asia Minor. It has small white pear- 

 shaped bulbs with 2 or 3 erect or arching 

 leaves to each flower-stalk, which is 6-10 

 in. high, and carries from 6 to 20 beautiful 

 flowers about | in. across, of a brilliant 

 blue, shadmg to a zone of pure white in 

 the centre. 



There are several iine forms of C. 

 LucilicB now in cultivation, and they are 

 all beautiful. That known as gigamtea 

 or grandiflora is particularly fine, having 

 flowers similar to those of the type, but 

 about twice as large. It is a free-flower- 



