2 4 9 



Area. 



roof of the house, and out of the way of 

 other plants. Strings or stakes are the 

 best supports, for only the strongest 

 plants take kindly to wire. When re- 

 quired for decoration the flowers of the 

 Climbing Lilies should not be cut until 

 mature, for if cut before fully formed 

 they last but a short while as compared 

 with the fortnight or so during which 

 they keep good in water if cut when 

 mature. 



Gloriosa super 'ba is widely dis- 

 tributed in India, Malacca, 

 and other tropical regions, and is also 

 recorded in herbaria from various parts 

 of Africa. But examination of these spe- 

 cimens seems to indicate that the African 

 form is distinct, and that if any of the 

 true Indian species have ever been re- 

 ceived from Africa they were introduced 

 at some period. The rest of the species 

 are all natives of Africa, and each varies 

 considerably according to the locality 

 in which it is found, some districts giving 

 much finer varieties than others. There 

 is a vague notion that the Gloriosas are 

 poisonous, but such is probably not the 

 case, for a note accompanying a speci- 

 men collected near Lagos by Sir W. 

 MacGregor in February in 1902 bears 

 the words Ewe-aje, u used to prevent 

 poisoning," which seems rather to point 

 in the other direction. 



These plants have several 

 generic names, although 

 Gloriosa has the right of 

 priority. Theplant once known as C lin- 

 os ty lis speciosa is now referred to Gloriosa 

 abyssinica, and the old name Methonica^ 

 formerly used for several kinds, has also 

 lapsed. As with other sections of the 



Names and 

 Synonyms. 



Liliacece, there is a difficulty in fixing 

 invariable features to distinguish the 

 species, and hence botanists (excusa- 

 bly enough) have classed together plants 

 that are widely different in the eyes ot 

 the gardener. If Gloriosas were more 

 grown in gardens, and such latitude al- 

 lowed in distinctive names as is given in 

 the case of garden Lilies, more species 

 would be recognised. Botanists further 

 divide the genus into climbing&vA dwarf 

 or non-climbing sections, but probably 

 no real distinction exists, for in both 

 sections the plants are furnished with 

 slender, prehensile, tendril -like con- 

 tinuations of the leaves, and it has been 

 proved in the case of Gloriosa superba 

 — the quickest climber of the group — 

 that where cultivation of the ground de- 

 prives it of the means of support, it as- 

 sumes the dwarf habit. By inference, 

 therefore, we may surmise that the dwarf 

 kinds, if placed among rank vegetation, 

 would use the means Nature has pro- 

 vided to lift their heads of flower into 

 a better position. Their manner of pro- 

 ducing flower gives further proof of this 

 adaptability, for if grown slowly they 

 produce short heads of flower, but when 

 grown quickly in a warm, moist house, 

 the growths lengthen, and the flowers 

 appear at intervals upon the upper parts 

 of the stem. 



The following species are known, 

 the first four kinds being more or less 

 climbing and the others dwarf, so far as 

 is at present known : — 



Gloriosa superba. — The kind best known in 

 gardens. Flowers with all the segments sharply 

 reflexed and with closely undulated margins. 

 Yellow in the half nearest the ovary ; bright 

 red with yellow margin above. 



