FL ORISTS' FL O WERS.—HIPPEA STR UMS. 



289 



number than can be found in any other nation. These organisations include the 

 Auricula and Primula ; Chrysanthemum ; Carnation and Picotee ; Pink ; Dahlia ; Pansy 

 and Yiola ; Eose ; and the Tulip Society. The aggregate membership of these societies 

 amounts to many thousands. 



But there are other groups of flowers which have been raised or originated from 

 seed in the garden, and which are therefore fully entitled to be placed in the category 

 of "Florists' Flowers." As such they will be treated in the following pages, whether 

 the kinds be hardy or tender, or whether grown mainly for home decoration or purposes 

 of exhibition. Methods of raising and increasing the plants will be described, and 

 lists of varieties given, when this can be usefully done, while, in some cases at least, 

 reference will be made to species from which the A r arieties originated. 



AMARYLLIS (HIPPEASTRUM). 



So firmly has the name Amaryllis become attached to another genus of plants of 

 the same order that it seems desirable to give precedence here to the wrong name, for 

 the purpose of emphasising the right one, as applied to the gorgeous florists' flowers 

 under notice. If treated under the correct name alone (Hippeastrum), many persons 

 would not know even to what kind of flowers reference was being made, but the men- 

 tion of the more familiar name will guide them to a tolerably clear impression. 



Hippeastrums have flowers similar in character to Amaryllises, but as a rule the former 

 are much larger and more varied in colour. Bearing in mind that florists' flowers are 

 those which have been raised by the process of hybridisation and cross fertilisation, as 

 conducted by florists, in contradistinction to "collecting' 7 them either as so-called 

 " species " or chance seedling varieties, at home or abroad, we at once find that Hip- 

 peastrums are florists' flowers and Amaryllises are not. Further, it may be stated that 

 all so-called Amaryllises which produce such a striking effect under glass during the 

 spring and summer months are Hippeastrums, there is not an amaryllis amongst them. 



What is the difference ? Amaryllis Belladonna is the only species now placed in 

 the genus Amaryllis by Hooker and Bentham. It is a South African plant, and was 

 brought to this country from the Cape of Good Hope in 1712 ; and the bulbs deeply 

 planted at the foot of south walls in England, remain from year to year, flowering 

 without leaves in the autumn ; flower stems solid. 



Hippeastrums, of which familiar species are aulicum, pardinum, reticulatum, with 

 various others, are all South American plants, requiring artificial heat, and although the 



VOL. I. P P 



