CALOCHOETUS 



LILY OBDEB 



COLCHICUM 875 



purple, the three outer segments bemg 

 relatively very narrow and tapering. 



Culture dc. as above. 



C. pulchellus {Cyclohothra pulchella). 

 A charming species 9-12 in. high, with 

 glaucous stems and leaves, producing in 

 June and July much-branched stems, 

 each one ending in a cluster of 3-4 sweet- 

 scented bright orange-yellow drooping 

 flowers. 



Culture dc. as above. This is one of 

 the hardiest species, and flourishes in the 

 ordinary flower border or rockery in light 

 well-drained soil, and blooms regularly 

 every year without protection in winter. 

 "Warm sunny spots are best for ripening 

 the bulbs. 



C. Purdyi. — A graceful species which 

 starts rather late into growth, and throws 

 up a stem 9-18 inches high, bearing in June 

 4-9 white flowers 1^-2 in. across. The 

 narrow pointed outer segments are spotted 

 with purple, the much larger and roundish 

 inner segments being densely covered with 

 long white hairs, and blotched and spotted 

 with purple near the base. 



Culture de. as above. It grows 

 naturally in a cold damp climate, and will 

 probably prove one of the best species in 

 British gardens. 



C. splendens. — This is a very old 

 garden plant, and is still one of the best. 

 It freely produces its large pale lilac 

 flowers in August, the inner segments 

 being covered with long silky white hairs, 

 and blotched with deep purple at the 

 base. The variety atroviolacea has smaller 

 purple flowers with a dark red blotch at 

 the base of each inner segment. 



Culture dc. as above. 



C. Tolmiet. — A strong-growing Star 

 Tulip, but unfortunately rather rare. It 

 has rather tubular flowers covered with 

 bluish hairs. 



Culture dc. as above. 



C. venustus. — A beautiful Mariposa 

 Lily growing about 18 in. high, and pro- 

 ducing large white cup-shaped flowers 

 neaily 3 in. across. The three outer seg- 

 ments are small, narrow and tapering, 

 and become reflexed, the three large inner 

 ones being yellow at the base, deeply 

 stained with crimson, and having a blotch 

 of the same colour near the centre, below 

 which the surface is covered with hairs. 



This is a very variable species, and 

 numerous varieties exist. The principal 



are albus, pure white ; hrachysepalus, 

 having shorter outer segments or sepals 

 than the type ; Ulacimus, deep lilac ; pur- 

 purascens, deep lilac-purple; roseus, rosy- 

 purple with deep purple spots ; Emperor, 

 flowers suffused with rose, white, maroon, 

 and purple on a yellow ground ; oitrinus, 

 lemon-yellow ; oculatus, with brilliant 

 purple-rose buds expanding into white, 

 having a deep blackish - purple centre 

 surrounded with yellow ; sanguineus, 

 flowers varying from light to deep red ; 

 Vesta, with flowers 4 in. across, white 

 flushed with rose, marked with brown 

 and yellow at the base. This variety will 

 grow in any soil, from heavy wet clay to 

 light loam, and increases rapidly. 

 Culture d-c. as above. 



C. Weedi. — A beautiful and remark- 

 able species closely related to C. luteus. 

 It produces its large flattish rich yellow 

 flowers 3 in. across in July. The three 

 outer segments of the perianth are narrow, 

 lance-shaped, and tapering, while the three 

 broad inner wedge-shaped segments are 

 spotted with purple in the central portion 

 and covered with long hairs. The short 

 filaments, with long anthers, are a. strik- 

 ing feature of the centre of the flowers. 



Culture dc. as above. 



COLCHICUM (Meadow Saffron). 

 A genus of beautiful plants having tuni- 

 oated eorms, oblong strap-shaped or linear 

 radical leaves, and short scapes bearing 

 1-3 or more showy lilac or rarely yellow 

 flowers. The perianth is funnel-shaped 

 with a long slender tube, and 6 oblong 

 erect or somewhat spreading segments. 

 Stamens 6, attached to the base of the 

 segments and shorter than them. Ovary 

 sessile 3-oelled, at first undergroimd but 

 ultimately produced above ground by the 

 growing leaves. Styles 3, thread-like. 

 Capsule ovoid, 3-ribbed, many- seeded. 



Culture cund, Propagation. — Colchi- 

 cums flourish in a, hght rich sandy soil 

 with a certain amount of moisture in it. 

 The best time for planting is about August, 

 certainly not later, as the eorms are apt 

 to lose a good deal of their vitality. About 

 3-4 in. deep is sufficient, and 6-9 in. 

 apart. 



Colchicums are lovely autumn-flower- 

 ing plants, and as the popular name indi- 

 cates are excellent when planted in grass 

 land. They are also suitable for the 

 flower border, margins of shrubberies or 

 rockeries, which they render bright when 



