840 



PBACTICAL GUIDE TO GARDEN PLANTS 



SCILLA 



vigour to the flower stalks in spring. 

 They seed and reproduce themselves year 

 after year, deriving fresh nourishment 

 from the decaying leaves in winter. 



S. hispanica [8. ccumpanulata ; 8. 

 jaatula ; Agraphia patula ; Hyacvnthus 

 patulus). — Spanish Bluebell. ■ — ■ A fine 

 species native of the Spanish peninsula, 

 having linear strap-shaped bright green 

 leaves ^-1 in. broad, and 6-12 bell-shaped 

 blue flowers, borne on the upper portion 

 of a slender scape 6-9 in. high. There is 

 a good deal of variation in this species, 

 and this doubtless accoxmts in a measure 

 for the many names given it by botanists. 

 The flowers vary from blue to white, rose, 

 and purple, and among garden forms may 

 be mentioned alha, white ; aperta, blue 

 striped with white ; alba compacta, pure 

 white beUs in compact trusses ; carnea (or 

 rosea), pale rose ; Emperor, porcelain-blue 

 with deeper stripes ; and Empress, similar 

 but paler in colour. 



Culture d:c. as above for 8. festalis. 



S. hyacinthoides. — A pretty species 

 from S.W. Europe, with lance-shaped 

 linear leaves 12-18 in. long and ^1 in. 

 broad, tapering towards base and apex, 

 and minutely ciliate - toothed on the 

 margins. In April and May the scapes 

 1-2 ft. long appear, bearing from 50 to 100 

 bluish-hlao, rather bell-shaped flowers in 

 long cylindrical racemes. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 species is not very well known and should 

 be more extensively grown for its fine 

 trusses of flowers. It requires warm 

 light soils, and in bleak localities it would 

 be wise to give it a covering of leaves or 

 litter in hard winters. 



S. italica {Italian Bluebell). — A 

 brilliant Italian species with whitish 

 obovoid bulbs, flaccid strap-shaped leaves, 

 4-8 in. long, keeled behind, and dense 

 racemes, bearing 6-30 blue flowers in 

 AprU and May on slender scapes 6-12 in. 

 long. The variety purpurea is a strong 

 form with deeper coloured flowers. 



Culture Ac. as above. This species 

 should be grown in warm sandy well- 

 drained soils. 



S. monophylla {8. pumila).—k pretty 

 species from the Spanish peninsula, usu- 

 ally having solitary leaves, as indicated by 

 the name, 6-9 in. long. About April and 

 May the slender flexuous scapes 3-6 in. 

 high appear, bearing 6-20 blue or violet 



bell - shaped flowers in rather loose 

 racemes. 



Culture do. as above. 



S. peruviana {8. henmsphcerica ; 8. 

 Clusi). — A native of Central and S. Europe 

 and N. Africa, and not of Peru, as would 

 be imagined from the name. It has large 

 whitish, pear-shaped bulbs and rosettes 

 of leaves 6-12 in. long with white bristly 

 margins. The numerous starry flowers 

 of a beautiful blue are borne in May and 

 June in dense broadly conical or deltoid 

 clusters, which lengthen during the flower- 

 ing period. There is a form with pure 

 white flowers, called alba, and another 

 with yellow blossoms, known as lutea. 



Culture and Propagation. — This is a 

 fine species for the open border in warm 

 and sheltered situations in fairly dry and 

 weU-drained soU. It may be guarded 

 against injury from frost by planting the 

 bulbs 4-6 inches deep, and a covering of 

 leaves or htter will afford stiU farther 

 protection if need be in severe winters. 

 The plants are increased by offsets from 

 the older bulbs after the withering of the 

 foliage, but the plants should be left un- 

 disturbed for 3 or 4 years. Strong bulbs 

 will throw up 1-3 flower spikes in 

 succession, and where several such are 

 grown together the effect when in flower 

 is very fine. 



Other species of Scflla met with occa- 

 sionally are Cupani firom Sicily, with 

 dark purple-blue flowers ; ciliaris, with 

 heads of dark and light blue flowers 

 varying to pearly white ; autumnalis, a, 

 native species, with reddish - purple 

 flowers ; pratensis (or amethystina), with 

 amethyst-blue flowers ; there is also a 

 white form of this, but rather rare. 



S. puschkinioides. — A pretty bulbous 

 plant somewhat resembling 8. bifolia, 

 and native of Turkestan. Each bulb has 

 2-4 bluntly linear leaves, and produces a 

 raceme of erect starry pale blue flowers 

 in early spring. 



Culture dc. as above. 



S. stbirica {8. amoena sibirica ; 8. 

 amaenula ; 8. uniftora). — A charming 

 Siberian species with round blackish- 

 coated bulbs beariag 2-4 bright green 

 oblong lance - shaped channelled leaves 

 4-6 in. long. From 1-6 horizontal or 

 drooping starry bell-shaped flowers of a 

 bright porcelain-blue appear early in 

 Februarj' on fleshy scapes 3-6 in. high. 



