106 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



C. angustifolium — an Australian species — is a 

 medium-size plant, having a globose bulb and nar- 

 row leaves, from one and a half to two feet long. 

 The flower-stem is about a foot high, bearing an 

 umbel of about five or six white flowers, with red 

 stamens. Requires stove treatment. 



G. asiaticum is one of the commonest and best- 

 known species in gardens. It is one of the largest- 

 growing species, having bulbs about six inches high, 

 with a long thin neck. The leaves, some three or 

 four feet long, are broad, and deeply channelled. The 

 flower-stem carries as many as two dozen blossoms, 

 some three or four inches long, and white tinged 

 with red. Though a plant of noble growth, it is not 

 so desirable as C. augustum, and like that species is 

 only suited for very large stoves. It is a native of 

 tropical Asia, where it has a wide distribution, and 

 this gives rise to several varieties more or less distinct. 



C. augustum is a large-growing plant of noble 

 appearance, having a bulb quite a foot in height, 

 and half as much in diameter at the largest part. 

 The leaves are about a yard long, and from twenty 

 to thirty to each bulb. The flower-stems are from 

 two to three feet high, stout and erect, bearing in a 

 dense umbel from one dozen to two dozen flowers, 

 from three to four inches long ; bright red on the 

 outside, palish within. This noble species, one of the 

 finest of the genus, is a native of the Mauritius, where 

 it grows in marshy places. It requires a stove 

 temperature and abundance of moisture. It is only 

 suitable for growing in the largest hot-houses, and it 

 is frequently met growing in huge tubs and pots. 



C. brachynema. — A pretty and distinct species, 

 small enough to be grown in any hot-house. It has 

 ovoid bulbs about three inches in diameter, and 

 with a distinct neck. The leaves are about two feet 

 long, and the flower- stem,, about a foot high, bears 

 a cluster of pure white flowers, about two inches 

 across. It is a native of the Bombay Presidency, 

 therefore requires a warm and moist treatment. 



0. bracteatum is a tropical African species of 

 medium growth, bearing clusters of from ten to 

 twenty white flowers, that are somewhat fragrant. 

 Not so desirable as some other species. 



C. campanulatum. — A beautiful Cape Colony 

 species, rare in gardens, but extremely desirable on 

 account of its being a cool-house plant. Its ovoid 

 bulb produces several long narrow leaves and slender 

 stems, terminated by about half a dozen bright red- 

 purple flowers, some three inches across. It grows 

 naturally in wet places, and on that account received 

 the name C. aquaticum. It may be grown success- 

 fully in a green-house, or even in a frame, and must 

 be treated as a sub-aquatic, abundance of moisture 

 being requisite for it, particularly during its growing 

 season. 



G. capense is another South African species, and 

 is one of the commonest in gardens, where it may be 

 found under the various names of Amaryllis capensis, 

 A. longifolia, and G. riparitm. It is quite hardy in 

 this country, even so far north as Edinburgh, and 

 not only thrives but produces seeds abundantly, from 

 which seedlings may be easily raised. It has a 

 bulb three or four inches long, and as much in 

 diameter, producing about a dozen pale green leaves, 

 some two or three feet long. The flowers, produced 

 in clusters of from six to twelve, on stems about one 

 and a half feet high, are large, and showy, varying 

 from white in the variety album, to deep purplish- 

 red in the variety riparitm. Being such a free seeder, 

 hybridists long ago succeeded in raising numerous 

 distinct and beautiful hybrids. In Dean Herbert's 

 time several were raised between this species and 

 such as G. scabrum, lineare, Careyanum, latifolium, 

 and others. The names of these hybrids were G. 

 Grovenii, Herbertii, Wallichii, Seymourii, S/iepI/erdii, 

 and Mitchamice. It is doubtful if any of these 

 older hybrids exist in gardens at the present day, 

 but there are some newer crosses which are probably 

 quite as handsome, and one called Powcllii, presum- 

 ably a cross between G. capense and the beautiful 

 G. Moorei, a nearly hardy species, is a very fine 

 variety, and one that must eventually prove of great 

 value as a garden plant. It has umbels of large 

 open flowers, of a beautiful deep rose-pink colour. 

 It is quite as hardy as C. capense, and thrives in the 

 neighbourhood of London in an open moist border. 

 G. capense, like campanulatum, is a semi -aquatic plant, 

 and if not grown actually in water or mad, must be 

 supplied with abundance of water during summer. 



C. Careyanum. — One of the handsomest of all the 

 Crinums, and an excellent garden plant, being easily 

 managed. It has a globose bulb, some three or four 

 inches in diameter, and a short neck. The leaves, 

 half a dozen to a dozen on each bulb, are long, of a 

 deep green, and wavy. The flower-stem rises about 

 one and a half feet high, carrying a cluster of lovely 

 ivory-white flowers, tinged with pink, and some four 

 or five inches across. It is an old and well-known 

 plant, but none the less beautiful for that. The 

 name Careyanum is often found in gardens and 

 nurseries attached to other species, particularly 

 those which, like it, have a curved flower-tube and 

 spreading sepals. Being a native of Mauritius it re- 

 quires stove treatment. 



C. Commelynii—SL native of tropical America— is 

 a very old species, figured so long ago as the be- 

 ginning of the last century. It has a medium-sized 

 short-necked bulb, long and narrow leaves, and 

 largish flowers, with the sepals marked with red- 

 purple on their exteriors. It is an interesting plant, 

 but not one of the most desirable. Stove. 



