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CASSELL'S POPULAR GAEDENING. 



flower year after j'ear without further trouble. 

 Even in the most favoured spots it is always best to 

 protect the roots in winter by a covering of leaves or 

 ashes. These Ahlrmnerias may be easily raised fron. 

 seeds, which should he sown in pans and placed in 

 frames. If seed is sown as soon as ripe in autumn, 

 the seedlings will flower the following season. They 

 miiy he also increased by dividing the fleshy roots. 

 If the plants are left undisturbed for several years 

 they form quite a network of roots, which keeps the 

 border well drained, and renders it warm. A. 

 psittacina, or A. braziliensis, is as hardy as A. 

 anrantiaca, but is scarcely worth growing, the flowers 

 not being nearly so show}-. 



Amorphoph-allus. — These remarkable plants 

 belong to the order Araeece, and were formerly in- 

 eluded in the genus Arum. Pot in rich loam and 

 sand. They enjoy an abundance of water when 

 growing, but none when at rest. Stove. 



rion. East Indies and 

 Pacific Islands. 



A. dubius — ^this species is 

 about one-fourth the size 

 of the preceding, of which 

 it may be called a minia- 

 ture. Ceylon. 



A. Lacourii — ^petioles stout, 

 erect, pale green, irregu- 

 larly banded with yellow 

 and grey, resembling the 

 body ot a toad ; leaves 

 deep green, spotted and 

 dotted with white. Co- 

 chin China. 



A. campanulatus — this gi- 

 gantic Arad produces but 

 a single leaf, which is 

 boroe on an erect foot- 

 stalk, upfvards of six feet 

 in height, the blade being 

 divided into numerous 

 spreading segments. The 

 flower is borne close to 

 the ground ; the spathe 

 is large and spreading, 

 the spadix thick and 

 fleshy, and clubbed at the 

 top J it emits an otEeusive 

 odour, resembling car- 



Anchomanes. — -A small genus of Arads, with 

 tuberous roots. The flowers appear before the leaves, 

 and are enveloped in a very large spathe. Pot in 

 loam and leaf-mould. Stove. 



A. Hookeri pallida. — This form differs from the 

 species in its paler flowers, and in being furnished 

 with a greater quantity of spines ; petioles three to 

 four feet high, blade thrice divided, leaflets large 

 and deep green, spathe large ; dull purple, the in- 

 terior being also tinged with green. Fernando Po. 



Anthericura [St. Srimo's Lily). — Though this 

 genus of Lilyworts numbers so many species, there 

 are only two or three valuable as garden plants, and 

 one of these, the St. Bruno's Lily {A. Liliastnim), is 

 an indispensable hardy plant. This lovely plant in- 

 habits the high alpine meadows of Central Europe. 

 When fully grown it reaches from two to three 

 feet in height. It bears a tuft of narrow foliage, and 

 amidst this the tall, erect flower-spikes rise in early 

 summer. The flowers somewhat resemble the White 

 Lily in miniature, being of snowy whiteness, and 

 clothe the spike for about half its length, opening 

 one after the other in quick succession. There are 



two forms of the plant— the original, and a much. 

 larger variety known as maj'm. The latter variety is 

 much the finer plant, and should always be preferred, 

 to the original, as it grows nearly twice the size, and 

 aU its parts are proportionately larger. The soil that 

 suits the St. Bruno's Lily best is a deep, moist, sandy 

 loam, overlying a cool subsoil, as it is apt to suffer 

 during a spell of dry, hot weather in summer, if 

 the soil is hot and dry. It likes an open, sunny 

 spot, yet sheltered from winds. Eor a shrubbery 

 border it is an excellent subject, and worth a good 

 deal of attention. Correctly, Paradisia Liliastnim. 



There are two other species of Anthericum worth 

 attention. These are St. Bernard's Lily {A. Liliago) 

 and A. baeticum, from the mountains of Granada. 

 The first is "a graceful plant, growing from one to 

 two feet high, and bearing numerous small white 

 blossoms. A similar plant is^. rainosum, also called 

 graminifolium, but neither of these plants is first-rate. 

 A. variegatum is also well worth growing, from the 

 beauty of its variegated leaves, which are often 

 almost wholly white— generally a sort of half-and- 

 half of green and white — and always full of so much 

 grace and beauty that the flowers are often cut out. 

 This is synonymous with A. Williamsii. 



Arisoema. — A genus of comparatively small- 

 growing plants, with pedate, digitate, or trifoliate 

 leaves, and in many instances curious and handsome 

 spathes. Pot in loam, leaf -mould, and sand ; when 

 growing, water freely ; when at rest, withhold the 

 supply. Stove. 



A. concinnum— leaves digi- 

 tate, dark green ; spat be 

 tubular at base, the upper 

 portion recurved and 

 lengthened into a tail- 

 like point; white in the 

 male plant, longitudinally 

 striped with broad bands 

 of deep purple ; in the 

 female white.banded with 

 green. Spring months. 

 Sikkim, 



A.curvatum— leaves pedate, 

 deep green, petioles mot- 

 tled with greenish-purple, 

 spathe green and puri)le. 

 Spring months. Sikkim. 



A. prcficox -leaves trifo- 

 liate, deep green above, 

 paler beneath ; spathe tu- 

 bular, hooded, longitudi- 

 nally streaked with white 

 and green ; mouth deep 

 purplish - black. Spring 

 mouths. Japan. 



A. speciosum— leaves large, 

 trifoliate, deep green on 

 the upper side, bordered 

 with red ; petiole stout, 

 green, mottled with 

 brown ; spathe upwards 

 of six inches high, deep 

 purple, with a few white 

 stripes inside ; spadix 

 lengthenedinto a flexuose 

 tail nearly two feet in 

 length,and reddish-brown 

 in colour. Spring months. 

 Sikkim. 



A. Wightii — ^leaves radiate, 

 leaflets five, elliptical-lan- 

 ceolate, tapering to a very 

 fine point; bright green, 

 paler beneath; spathe yel- 

 lowish - green, streaked 

 with deep green ; spadix 

 Fame colour, lengthened 

 into an erect awl-like 



Snint six inches long, 

 eylon. 



Blandfordia. — A group of jiandsome plants, less 

 frequently seen in our plant - houses than they 

 deserve. They belong to the Lily family, and are 

 plants of very easy culture. Autumn is the best 

 time for re-potting, and good light loamy peat is the 

 soil they thrive best in ; during winter they should 



