EICHAEDIA 



ABUM LILY OBDEB 



LYSICHITUM 955 



ponds, lakes, streams &0. in sunny sheltered 

 places. 



RICHARDIA (Ardm Lily).— A small 

 genus of perennial plants with thick fleshy 

 rootstocks, large sagittate leaves, and 

 monoecious flowers borne on an erect 

 cylindrical spadix enclosed by a large 

 and ornamental funnel-shaped spathe. 



R. africana (2J. cethiopica ; Calla 

 cethiopica). — This is the well - known 

 White Arum or Trumpet Lily, or Lily of 

 the Nile, grown so much in greenhouses 

 that most people are unaware of its hardi- 

 ness. It is a native of S. Africa, and 

 notwithstanding its popular name of Lily 

 of the Nile is not found growing on the 

 banks of that historic river. 



Culture cmd Propagation. — In the mild 

 southern parts of England and Ireland 

 it may easily be grown out of doors, 

 planted in shallow water, or near the 

 edges of pools in sheltered sunny places, 

 where it produces masses of ornamental 

 leaves on stalks 1-2 ft. high, and the 

 beautiful white spathes well above them, 

 during the simimer months. The tuberous 

 rootstocks are safest planted about a foot 

 below the surface of the water, as they 

 are thus protected from frost in severe 

 winters. The variety called ' Little Gem ' 

 is very distinct, being about half the size 

 of the type in both leaves and spathes. 



The readiest means of increasing 

 Arum Lilies is by detaching the offsets 

 from the tuberous rootstocks when the 

 leaves have begun to wither. The resting 

 period is not of long duration and the 

 offsets and old tubers are best re-planted 

 immediately after being disturbed. 



CALLA palustris (Bog Arvm). — A 

 pretty little aquatic plant about 6 in. high, 

 native of the Northern Hemisphere. It 

 has creeping rootstocks and smooth deep 

 green heart-shaped leaves. The male and 

 female flowers, which are on the same 

 spadix, appear in May and June, and are 

 protected by a pure white spathe, the outer 

 surface of which is tinged with yellow. 



Culture and Propagation. — May be 

 grown in marshy places like Orontiumi ; 

 easily increased by dividing the roots. 



ORONTIUM.— A genus with only 

 one species : — 



O. aquaticum {Golden 0Zm6).^A pretty 

 N. American water-plant 12-18 in. high, 

 with long-stalked oblong or elliptic leaves, 

 which float on the surface of the water. 

 In May and June the hermaphrodite 

 yellow flowers appear on a slender club- 

 like spadix and emit a peculiar odour. 

 The upper flowers have a 4-parted perianth, 

 the lower ones a 6-parted one. Stamens 

 4 or 6. Ovary 1-ceUed, becoming a mem- 

 branous utricle when ripe. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 pecuUar plant will flourish on the margins 

 of lakes, streams &c., or in boggy or 

 marshy soil, and may be increased by 

 dividing the rhizomes in spring. When 

 planted in water they should be 6-12 in. 

 beneath the surface. 



LYSICHITUM.— Agenus containing 

 only one species : — 



L. camtschatense. — A noble-looking 

 Aroid, native of the swamps of Northern 

 Asia and America. It is a stemless 

 plant, throwing up large oblong lance - 

 shaped acute leaves 1-2 ft. in length, and 

 3-10 in. across, from a thick horizontal 

 rootstock. The leaves are sometimes 

 spotted or mottled like those of the 

 Dieffenbachia, a tropical relative. The 

 stout flower stalk is 6-12 in. high, and 

 bears a spathe with a broad sharp-pointed 

 blade, and a spadix 3-4 in. long. The 

 flowers on the spadix are hermaphrodite 

 and all fertile. Perianth segments 4, 

 oblong. Stamens 4. 



Culture and Propagation. — A figure 

 of this plant is given in the ' Gardeners' 

 Chronicle,' April 7, 1900. It is not yet 

 in cultivation, but would doubtless prove 

 to be perfectly hardy in marshy parts of 

 the rockery, or near the banks of lakes, 

 pools, streams &c. It would probably 

 produce seeds freely m our climate, and 

 by this means could be readily increased. 



The Skunk Cabbage {Symploca/rpus 

 foetidus) is closely related and may be 

 grown in the same way. It has bronzy- 

 purple spathes marbled with green. 



CXXVI. PALMiE— Palm Order 



A natural order containing more than 1000 species of more or less arboreous 

 plants remarkable for their stately and elegant appearance, and called by 

 Linnseus 'Princes of the Vegetable Kingdom.' With the single exception 

 described below they are all too tender to be grown out of doors permanently 



