BEUNSTIGIA. — CEIXUM. 



19 



B. Josephineae (Sya. B. gigantea). — This is the 

 largest and handsomest of the species, and the one most 

 generally grown : flowers scarlet, produced in a many- 

 flowered nmbel. 



B. toxicaria (Poison Bulb). — Flowers pink, pro- 

 duced in a many-flowered umbel : leaves erect and shin- 

 ing. The genus is of so little consequence, to other 

 than the botanist, that a further enumeration of the 

 species here would be of little interest to the florist. 



CEIXTJM. 



This is a large genus of Amaryllis-like plants, re- 

 markable both for the size, number and beauty of their 

 flowers, and for the enormous size of the plants. The 

 bulbs of the Crinums are of great size and height, the 

 flowers springing from the sides of their long necks. 

 The leaves of some of the species are of gigantic dimen- 

 sions, extending from three to six feet in length, and 

 averaging rroni three to six inches in width. The flower 

 stalks of some of the species are proportionately large, 

 nearly two inches in diameter, rising to the height of 

 from three to four feet, and terminating with a large 

 umbel of from fifteen to thirty flowers. The flowers are 

 mostly pure white, or a delicate mixture of rose or pale 

 red and white, some of them nearly a foot in length and 

 from six to nine inches across. Some of the species are 

 nearly hardy, and all are remarkably tenacious of life ; 

 the bulbs of C. capense will remain out of the earth, 

 dry, for two years, without apparent injury. Most of 

 the species are of tropical origin : they are, however, 

 easy of culture, and free flowering, the only objection to 

 them being their size, which is not proportionate to 

 their beauty. They are. however, in many respects 

 especially interesting, and when the time comes that 

 plants are grown for what there is in them, rather than 

 for what can be made from them, in the way of profit, 



