102 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GAEDENING. 



The three species are — G. album, -wliich. has broad 

 leaves like BurycUa Ounnin^hami, and tall flower- 

 stems can-ying an umbeUed cluster of -white flowers, 

 reminding one of the smaller-flowered Narcissi iu 

 point of form, aa they have similar cup-like centres. 

 It is a native of Northern Australia, therefore re- 

 quires warmer treatment than the other two species. 

 C. purpureum, the best-known species, is a handsome 

 plant, having bulbs two inches in diameter; long 

 linear leaves, usually developed after the flowers. 

 The flower-stems, which rise about two feet high, 

 bear umbels of flowers somewhat smaller than those 

 of C. album. They are purplish-pink and sometimes 

 white, and are sweetly-scented, the odour reminding 

 one of peppermint. C. luteum is similar to C. pur- 

 pureum, but has larger flowers, and yellow instead 

 of .purplish or white. The two latter species are 

 natives of the more temperate parts of Australia, 

 and therefore do not require the tropical treatment 

 necessary for C. album. 



Camassia {Quamas!i). — This is a genus of Lily- 

 worts, natives of North America. The oldest and 

 best-known species is one of the showiest hardy 

 bulbous plants that we have in gardens. This is 

 0. eseulenta, or what is commonly called the Quamash, 

 or Camass Boot, by the North American Indians, 

 who use the bulbs as food. "When well-grown, this 

 plant is a, yard or more in height when in bloom. 

 The spikes are quite erect, and are furnished upon 

 their upper parts with from twenty to twenty-flve 

 flowers, measuring about two inches across and vary- 

 ing in colour from a slate-purple in the ordinary 

 form, to an intensety deep violet-purple in the 

 variety called utro-cterulea, which is by far the hand- 

 somest of the varieties. The foliage is long and 

 grass-like, produced iu tufts, as the bulbs invariably 

 crowd together in old-established plants. The Qua- 

 mash is indifferent as regards soil, though it loves a 

 deep rich sandy loam, and thrives best in a sheltered 

 j'et sunny situation. Good bold clumps of it have a 

 fine effect in a border having a background of shrubs. 

 It begins to flower about the beginning of May, and 

 lasts for a few weeks, and the flowers are suitable for 

 cutting. The other species are C. Leichtlinii and 

 C. Fraserii. The first may be best described as the 

 counterpart of 0. eseulenta, except that the flowers 

 are greenish-white. It is, moreover, altogether of a 

 stronger constitution. It is not very common. 



C. Fraserii is called the Eastern Quamash, as it is 

 confined to the Eastern United States. It is a dis- 

 tinct and pretty plant, inasmuch as the flowers are of 

 a kind of purplish-mauve, very soft and pleasing, but 

 the whole plant is only about half the size of the 

 common Quamash, and the spikes are shorter and 

 smaller. Both of these species thrive well in com- 



pany with C. eseulenta. AU may be raised from seed, 

 which they produce plentifully in good seasons. It 

 should be sown as soon as ripe, otherwise it is a 

 long time in germinating. The easiest waj', how- 

 ever, of increasing it is by division of the bulbs, 

 that is, separating the small bulblets from the parent 

 bulbs in autumn and re-planting them at once in 

 prepared soil. 



Chionodoxa Xiuciliss {Snow Glory). — Since the 

 introduction of this charming spring flower a few 

 years ago from Syria, it has acquired a wide-spread 

 popularity, tUl now it is as common as the Vernal 

 Squills. It is indeed a lovely plant, and the garden 

 that does not possess it is deprived of much beauty 

 during the early days of spring. 



It is a ScUla-like plant, with flower-stems bearing 

 as many as a dozen blossoms, which are from one 

 inch to one and a half across, of a bright turquoise- 

 blue, with pure white centre. In mild seasons the 

 first flowers expand in the beginning of February, 

 and it continues in beauty for some weeks. It has 

 proved itself perfectly hardy, and an easy plant to 

 cultivate ; indeed, it is diificult to eradicate it where 

 once established, as it multiplies so freely, and dis- 

 perses its seeds widely, so that self-sown seedlings 

 spring up in all directions near the original plants. 



It is a plant that requires to be left alone undis- 

 turbed for some years, otherwise, if lifted often the 

 flower-stems are weakly and the flowers small. Any 

 ordinary garden soil suits it, but it is grateful for a 

 deep loamy soil and a warm sunny situation. 



It is largely imported from the mountains of Syria, 

 and as it grows in company with Seilla bifolia, the 

 two plants are imported together, and it is difiicult 

 to separate them until in flower, as the bulbs are so 

 much alike. This species, which is also called 

 C. Forbesi, is by far the most showy of the cultivated 

 species, though 0. sardensis is extremely pretty, 

 chiefly differing from C. Zuciliee by its smaller 

 flowers and the absence of any whiteness in the 

 blooms, being wholly of the richest blue. Another and 

 rarer species, though long cultivated under the name 

 of Fuschkinia seilloides, is one called C. nana. It is 

 only about half the size of C. Lueilim,a.-!id. the flowers 

 though small are of a pretty porcelain-blue, pro- 

 duced in short loose spikes. It is more delicate 

 than the other species, and requires a select spot out 

 of harm's way of ranker-growing plants. Also a 

 native of Asia Minor. 



Chlidanthus fragrans.— This is a handsome 

 native of Chili and Buenos Ayres, having large 

 trumpet-shaped blossoms of a bright yellow, and 

 very fragrant. It is a rather tender plant, and either 

 requires green-house or frame culture, or in southerly 



