CEINUM 



NARCISSUS OBDEB 



CEINUM 911 



nearly equal segments, or the lowest of 

 the inner row narrower. Stamens and 

 style more or less bent down. 



H. pratense {Habranthus pratensis ; 

 H. speciosus). — A beautiful plant native 

 of the hiUs and plains of ChUi, having 

 short-necked ovoid bulbs about 1^ in. in 

 diameter and linear leaves 12-18 in. long, 

 produced at the same time as the flowers 

 about May and June. The flower-stem 

 is 1-2 ft. high, carrying 2-4 showy bright 

 orange-red or scarlet blossoms, sometimes 

 streaked with yellow at the base, the 

 segments being about 2^ in. long. The 

 variety called fulgena has more brilliant 

 flowers than the type. 



Cultv/re and Propagation. — This 

 plant flourishes in a rich sandy loam and 

 leaf soU but requires warmth and shelter 

 out of doors, as it is not quite hardy 

 enough to stand the winter without pro- 

 tection especially in ill-favoured parts of 

 the kingdom. In winter it is safer to 

 cover the bulbs with a layer of leaves, 

 straw, or litter. It is readily increased 

 by offsets, but where the plants grow well 

 they need not be disturbed for 3 or 4 

 jrears. 



CRINUM. — A genus with large long- 

 necked bulbs, broad persistent leaves and 

 clusters or umbels of white or reddish 

 flowers borne on a soUd stalk. Perianth 

 more or less funnel-shaped, with a long 

 straight or curved cylindrical tube, and 

 nearly equal, linear, lance-shaped or ob- 

 long segments. Stamens inserted at the 

 throat of the perianth-tube, having long 

 slender filaments, and linear versatile 

 -anthers. 



C. longifolium (C. capense ; C. ripa- 

 riuTTi; Amaryllis longifoUa; A. capensis). 

 A noble S. African plant, with a bulb 3-4 

 in. through, gradually narrowed into a long 

 cylindrical neck, and bearing about a 

 dozen strap-shaped glaucous leaves 2-3 ft. 

 long and 2-3 in. broad. About 6-12 large 

 white flowers flushed with red down the 

 back are borne during the summer 

 months on a stout scape about 1 ft. or 

 more long, and are liighly attractive. 

 There are several forms, including a pure 

 white one album, striatum white striped 

 with pink, and farinianwm which has 

 smaller fiinnel-shaped flowers of a soft 

 pink colour, and bulbs with a very long 

 neck. 



Culture and Propagation. — This fine 

 plant is perfectly hardy in most parts of 



England and Ireland, and even in Scotland 

 it flowers well out of doors. In cold bleak 

 localities, however, it is safer in severe 

 winters to protect the plants with a cover 

 of straw or litter and not to risk losing 

 them. Grovni in beds or borders or near 

 the margins of pieces of water, the plants 

 make a handsome display and give a sub- 

 tropical effect to the surrounding plants. 

 A warm deep rich loamy soil with abund- 

 ance of water during the summer months 

 suit this Crinum thoroughly. New plants 

 may be obtained by separating the offsets 

 from the base about April or May. To 

 get them established more quickly, they 

 may be potted and taken into a warm 

 greenhouse for a couple of weeks before 

 actually planting in the open flower gar- 

 den. Large fleshy bulb-like seeds are 

 fireely produced in an irregular roundish 

 capsule which ultimately bursts. The 

 seed may be just placed on the surface of 

 the soU, and in a short time will shoot 

 forth roots and develop into a bulb with 

 leaves. 



Numerous seedlings and hybrids have 

 been raised from this species in conjunc- 

 tion vidth others of a less hardy nature. 

 The finest of them all is C. Powelli which 

 has a round short-necked bulb, and about 

 20 spreading bright green leaves 3-4 ft. 

 long and 3-4 in. broad. About 8 very 

 large flowers are borne on a flattened glau- 

 cous scape about 2 ft. long, and have a 

 deep reddish tint down the centre of the 

 lance-shaped acute segments. There is a 

 charming white form called Powelli 

 album,. 



C. Moorei (C m,akoyanum; C. Co- 

 lensoi; C. Macheni ; O.natalense). — This 

 is a fine species from Natal and Kaffraria, 

 and is almost perfectly hardy in the milder 

 parts of the United Kingdom. It has 

 large ovoid long-necked bulbs bearing 

 12-15 bright green strap-shaped leaves 

 2-3 ft. long and 3-4 in. broad. The open 

 bell-shaped flowers are 6 in. or more 

 across, and of a pleasing soft pink colour. 

 As many as 6-10 are borne in a cluster or 

 umbel on the top of a stout scape 2-3 ft. 

 long. There is a good deal of variation in 

 the species, and this accounts for the 

 several names which have been quoted as 

 synonyms. 



Cidture and Propagation. — The best 

 place to grow C. Moorei is in a warm 

 south border in rich well-drained loamy 

 soil. During the summer months it 



