946 



PE ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS spabaxis 



having a cylindrical incurved slender 

 tube and nearly oblong lobes. 



Culture and Propagation. ■ — This 

 plant is far better knovra as Tritoma 

 aurea in gardens. It is not infrequently 

 cultivated in greenhouses, but in the more 

 favourable parts of the British Islands it 

 is amenable to outdoor treatment and 

 makes a charming border flower, useful 

 for cutting. A light rich loamy soil with 

 the addition of peat and leaf mould suits 

 it very well, and in favourable spots it 

 rapidly spreads. In such places the 

 plants may remain undisturbed for two 

 or three seasons, merely covering them 

 with a layer of leaves or litter during hard 

 frosts. In colder locaUties, however, it is 

 better to lift the corms when the leaves 

 have withered or begun to wither — say 

 about the middle of November — and store 

 them in sand, or better stiU pot them up, 

 as they do not like being ' dried off ' too 

 much. They may be replanted in the 

 spring, when the young offsets may be 

 detached and grovm by themselves untU.^ 

 large enough for making clumps in the 

 border. 



Seeds may be sown in cold frames as 

 soon as ripe, and grown for a year before 

 putting outside. Separation of the corms, 

 however, is an easier and quicker method 

 of increase. 



TRITONIA. — This genus of South 

 African plants with fibrous-coated corms 

 or bulbs now includes the plants so well 

 knovini in gardens under the name of 

 Montbretia. The leaves are narrow 

 linear sword-like and often sickle-shaped. 

 The flowers are borne in graceful nodding 

 spikes, each one sessile in a spathe. 

 Perianth tube slender, straight, sometimes 

 very short, sometimes elongated, rarely 

 loosely incurved at the apex, with a 

 more or less regular or slightly oblique, 

 concave, or broadly bell-shaped limb. 

 Filaments free. 



Culture amd Propagation. — The 

 cultural treatment of the Tritonias is 

 practically the same as that recommended 

 above for Crocosma. The following are 

 the kinds best adapted for the hardy 

 flower garden. 



T. crocata {Ixia crocata ; Gladdolus 

 crocatus). — A pretty species with broadly 

 sword - shaped curved leaves, and a 

 roundish flexuous leafy scape about 2 ft. 

 long, bearing a distichous spike of bell- 

 shaped saffron or orange-coloured flowers 



in June. There is a good deal of varia- 

 tion in the flowers, some being much 

 paler and some much brighter in colour 

 than others and spotted with yellow, red, 

 or brown. 



Culture dc. as above. 



T. crocosmiaeflora {Monibretia aureo- 

 Pottsi). — A charming hybrid between 

 T. Pottsi and Crocosma aurea, resembling 

 a Gladiolus in growth, and reaching si 

 height of 2-2^ ft. The brilliant orange- 

 scarlet funnel-shaped flowers about 1^ in. 

 long are produced in great abundance 

 from about the middle of July, until cut 

 down by hard frosts, and are borne on 

 branched leafy stems. This hybrid when 

 grown under favourable conditions is a 

 far finer plant than either of its parents. 

 The flower spikes are very ornamental for 

 vases, bouquets &c. 



Cwltu/re do. as above. 



T. Pottsi {Montbretia Pottsi). — A 

 beautiful species 3-4 ft. high, with narrow 

 tapering sword-like leaves lJ-2 ft. long 

 in a distichous rosette at the base of the 

 stem. The funnel-shaped flowers appear 

 in August in slender gracefully nodding 

 spikes, and are of a bright yellow suffused 

 with red. Excellent for cutting. The 

 variety granddflora has larger and finer 

 flowers than the type and is a great 

 improvement on it. There are a large 

 number of forms in eiiltivation of both 

 T. Pottsi and T. crocosmiceflora, chiefly 

 differing in the brilliancy of colour. 

 T. miniata is a dwarf beautiful scarlet- 

 flowered species. 



Culture do. as above. 



SPARAXIS. — A genus containing 

 about 5 species of graceful perennials 

 with fibrous-coated bulbs or corms, 

 simple or shghtly branched stems, and few 

 flat sword-shaped or broadly linear, erect 

 or sickle-like leaves. Flowers vrith a 

 somewhat beE-shaped perianth cut into 

 6 erect or spreading, more or less equal 

 segments. Stamens attached to the base 

 of the tube. Ovary 3-celled, becoming 

 an ovoid or oblong membranous capsule 

 with numerous seeds when ripe. 



Culture and Propagation. — The 

 species described below are best known, 

 but they are only worth cultivation in the 

 open air in the mildest parts of the king- 

 dom. They require practically the same 

 treatment as the Ixias (see p. 944), and 

 should be planted in well- drained sandy 

 loam in warm suimy situations, and in 



