838 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS 



SCILLA. 



ing and vigorous variety and may be used 

 for naturalisiag in grass, edges of borders, 

 rockeries &c. The variety sardensis is 

 often regarded as a species. It derives 

 its name from the ancient town of Sardis, 

 near which it grows at an elevation of 

 4000-5000 ft. It differs from C. LucilicB 

 chiefly in its Gentian-blue flowers, borne 

 on nodding scapes, without a distinct 

 white zone at the base of the segments. 

 The variety called Tmolusi has flowers 

 of a deeper blue, and with a larger white 

 zone than in Luoilice, and is valuable on 

 account of its later flowering. The variety 

 alba has flowers wholly white ; and 

 Alleni is a large - flowered form with 

 blue, white, and phUt flowers. A hybrid 

 between this species (C. Lucilice) and 

 Scilla bifoUa (p; 839) appeared some 

 years ago in the garden of Mr. Allen of 

 Shepton Mallet, and it received the 

 niftne of Chiono- Scilla. 

 Culture dc. as above. 



C. nana. — A pretty little Cretan 

 species with linear leaves 2-4 in. long, 

 and umbels of white or lilac-tinted 

 blossoms about ^ in. across, produced in 

 March and April on scapes not more than 

 3 or 4 in. high. 



Culture dc. as above. 



EUCOMIS. — A small genus of 

 distinct S. African perennials having 

 often large tunicated bulbs, oUong or 

 elongated radical leaves, and stoutish 

 erect scapes with dense racemes of flowers 

 on the upper portion, surmounted by a 

 tuft or rosette of empty leaf-like bracts. 

 The perianth consists of 6 nearly equal 

 spreading segments, very slightly united 

 at the base. Stamens 6, attached near 

 the base of the segments, and shorter 

 than them. Ovary sessile, broad at the 

 base, tapering into a columnar or conical 

 style. 



Culture and Propagation. — These 

 plants, although not particularly showy, 

 are, on account of their strong graceful 

 foliage, and erect spikes of distinct 

 greenish-yellow flowers, worth a place in 

 warm sunny borders. They like a rich 

 well-drained sandy loam, and should be 

 planted in masses for effect. The bulbs 

 need not be lifted for 3 or 4 years, but in 

 cold wet or frosty winters should be pro- 

 tected with leaves, litter &o. 



New plants are usually obtained by 

 detaching the offsets from the older bulbs 

 in autumn. Seeds may also be sown as 



soon as fully ripe in light rich soil under 

 glass, and the young plants may be grown 

 on in pots for the first year or two before 

 trusting them to the open border. As 

 they take four or five years to produce 

 flowers, raising Eucomis from seeds is a 

 slow process, and scarcely worth while. 



E. bicolor. — A handsome vigorous 

 species from Natal with round fleshy- 

 rooted bulbs and oblong, unspotted deep 

 green leaves somewhat wavy on the 

 margins. The pale greenish - yellow 

 flowers appear in August in dense oblong 

 racemes, and are rendered conspicuous 

 and even handsome by means of the dis- 

 tinct purple edge to the oblong segments. 



Culture dc. as above. 



E. nana. — This grows about 9 in. high, 

 having broadly lance-shaped acute leaver 

 and rather club-shaped scapes of brownish- 

 green flowers. The variety purpurea- 

 cauUs, as the name indicates, has purple 

 flower-stems. 



Cultv/re dc. as above. 



E. punctata. — A fine species with large 

 oblong lance-shaped channelled leaves, 

 gracefully spreading and recurved, of a 

 bright shining green, densely spotted with 

 purple beneath. The creamy-white or 

 yellowish, star - shaped, sweet - scented 

 flowers appear from July to September 

 in dense cylindrical trusses, on stout 

 scapes 1^2 ft. high, heavily spotted with 

 purple, and having a tuffc of red-edged 

 bracts on top. The yellow - anthered 

 stamens are opposite the segments, and 

 the deep violet ovary in the centre of the 

 flowers is very conspicuous and dis- 

 tinctly attractive. In the variety striata, 

 the purple blotches on the leaves and 

 flower stems partake more of the character 

 of stripes. 



Culture dc. as above. 



E. undulata, with ovate oblong wavy 

 green leaves, and greenish-yellow flowers ; 

 E. regia, with white very fragrant flowers,, 

 and E. pallidiflora, with leaves over 2 ft. 

 long and 4r-5 in. broad, and greenish- 

 white flowers 1 in. across, are other 

 species not so well known. 



Culture dc. as above. 



SCILLA (Squill; Bluebell). — A 

 large genus of beautiful spring-flowering 

 plants with tunicated bulbs, linear strap- 

 shaped oblong or nearly ovate radical 

 leaves, and flowers in simple leafless 

 racemes. Perianth blue, rosy, or purplish, 



