BULBOUS PLANTS. 



105 



stately in growth, hearing handsome evergreen 

 foiiage, and generally large, beautifully coloured, 

 and often very fragrant flowers. But notwithstand- 

 ing these good qualities they are not a popular class 

 of plant, and until lately have suffered from undue 

 neglect in gardens. Since, however, some hand- 

 some new species have been introduced a fresh 

 impetus has been given to their culture, and they 

 will in all pro- 

 bability become 

 popular. 



The genus is 

 a large one, and 

 is widely distri- 

 buted throughout 

 the world, but 

 chiefly in the tro- 

 pics. The species 

 require, therefore, 

 diverse cultural 

 treatment, some 

 succeeding in the 

 stove, others in 

 the green-house, 

 while a few may 

 be grown in the 

 open air in this 

 country. 



The character- 

 istic features of 

 Crinums are tuni- 

 cated bulbs, some- 

 times globose, but 

 often elongated 

 into a sort of 

 thickened stem, 

 or neck; the 

 leaves are usually 

 long, broad, 

 fleshy, chan- 

 nelled, and ever- 

 green. The flower 



stems are generally stout and erect, longer than the 

 leaves, and terminated by umbelled clusters of 

 flowers; these are usually large and shallow-cup- 

 shaped. 



The genus, which numbers over sixty species, is 

 divided into three sections or sub-genera, the 

 distinguishing characters of which are based 

 upon the form of the flower, and each of these 

 groups includes about an equal number of species. 

 First, there is the Asiaticum group, in which the 

 flowers are usually quite erect, and with narrow 

 petals. Included in this group, with C. asiaticum as 

 the type, are C. dejixum, pedunculatam, bracteatum, 

 cruentum, and earlbbeeum. The second, or Ameri- 



Ckinttm brachyke 



canum group, is characterised by the tube of the 

 flower being straight or curved, and the petals 

 spreading out flat when fully expanded. In this 

 group are C. americanum, amcenum, augustum, 

 angustifolium, purpurasccns, enibescens, and pratense. 

 The third group, of which C. latifolium is the type, 

 includes all those species which have flowers with 

 curved tubes and broad horizontally poised petals. 



This section in- 

 cludes the hand- 

 somest species, 

 such as C. latifo- 

 lium, Careyanum y 

 Broussonelii, gi- 

 ganteum, lineare y 

 campanulatu m y 

 capeme,jlaccidum, 

 and zcylanicum. 



C. amabile. — 

 This is one of the 

 largest - growing 

 species, having 

 smallish bulbs, 

 and producing 

 from twenty to 

 thirty evergreen 

 leaves, about a 

 yard in length. 

 It flowers in win- 

 ter, producing on 

 a stout stem, two 

 or three feet high, 

 some twenty or 

 thirty flowers in 

 a dense umbelled 

 cluster. They are 

 white, tinged on 

 the outside with 

 red. They are 

 deliciously fra- 

 grant, which ren- 

 ders it a desirable 

 plant for the stove. It is a native of Sumatra, 

 therefore requires the warmest treatment. 



C. americanum. — Being a native of the Southern 

 United States, this species is almost hardy in this 

 country. It has a large ovoid bulb, with a short 

 neck, and narrow leaves from two to three feet long. 

 The flower-stem, produced in summer and about two 

 feet high, bears an umbel of about half a dozen very 

 fragrant pure white flowers. This beautiful plant is 

 worth special attention, more particularly as it may 

 be grown out of doors. It likes a deep light soil in 

 a warm sunny spot, with plenty of moisture during 

 summer. It is advisable to plant the bulbs deep and 

 protect them during winter with ashes or litter. 



