134 



FLORA AND SYLVA, 



interesting forms most likely natural hybrids 

 between the everywhere common F. latifolia 

 and other kinds. The greatest number of 

 Fritillarias are, however, from the Orient. M. 

 Boissier, in his admirable " Flora Orientalis," 

 describes alone thirty-four to thirty-six species, 

 and since then others have been added, such 

 as the charming F. askhabadensis, a plant re- 

 calling at the same time the stately F.imperialis 

 — to many people obnoxious, owing to its 

 strong smell, and the tender F. persica and F. 

 libanotica. From Persia we shall probably get 

 many good novelties, while the comparatively 

 recent discoveries of the indefatigable travel- 

 ler, Mr. A. Regel, in the Russian territories 

 in the hinterland lead us to expect other in- 

 troductions. 



Culture. — A few rules are applicable to 

 almost the whole of the different kinds ; they 

 like re-planting when dormant, and the ear- 

 lier in the autumn the better, in a sandy soil, 

 although a few do well enough in loam, marl, 

 or chalk, and being, as in Lilies, meadow or 

 hillside plants when in the wild state, they 

 naturally are surer of success when grown in 

 similar positions or where they have the 

 necessary shelter in the early spring against 

 cutting winds, sharp frosts, and, not the least, 

 against the sun. The shade of a few blades of 

 grassordwarf shrubs and the consequent equa- 

 ble moisture is most essential to their well- 

 being and reproduction by seedlings, which 

 take the place of the parent plants as these 

 weaken and disappear. Then it must not be 

 assumed that bulbs are everlasting; with few 

 exceptions, it is more than doubtful whether 

 they flower more than three or four times, and 

 then yield place to those fitter for the struggle 

 of existence. In starting plants from countries 

 with a later spring, they often suffer unless ac- 

 climatized for a year or two by treatment as 

 half-hardy plants. Bulbs raised in this country 

 from seeds are preferable to those imported. 



F. armena. — In this, the flowers vary in 

 colour, and are disappointing until the bulbs 

 get well established. Imported bulbs, from 

 being so long out of the ground, and from 

 other causes, take a year or two to get estab- 

 lished, after which they flower freely. The 

 flowers are drooping, tulip-shaped, and dark 

 purple without tessellation. The leaves are 



somewhat long, bright green, lanceolate. The 

 variety fusco-lutea has bright yellow flowers in 

 April and May. Armenia. 



F. askhabadensis is, like the Crown Impe- 

 rial, quite as tall in growth but slightly smaller 

 flowers, which are white or sulphur, and in 

 a warm room exhale a distinct and delicious 

 scent. A strong plant will produce as many 

 as eighteen flowers. Some imported bulbs I 

 potted up last November and treated quite 

 like other forcing bulbs (plunged in the open 

 until well rooted, and then put in the shelter 

 of a deep cold frame) soon flowered, and were 

 quite a distinct feature of more than one 

 show of the Royal Horticultural Society, prov- 

 ing far better than those in the open ground, 

 which had their flowers destroyed by the late 

 frosts. 



F. aurea is one of the prettiest of the ge- 

 nus. The flowers are bright yellow both inside 

 and out, with numerous dark brown tessel- 

 lations, especially near the base. It was first 

 discovered by Dr. Kotschy on the mountains 

 in Cilicia, and seems to be a very easy one to 

 manage. It is now well established in many 

 gardens, and is a very pretty early spring 

 flower, but in some situations suffers from our 

 late frosts. 



F. delphinensis is a charming Fritillary, 

 of dwarf habit, and with handsome flowers. 

 There are four to six leaves to a stem ; the 

 flowers, generally of a purplish brown or with 

 yellow markings, are large and well formed, 

 appearing in July. The var. Burnatih a pretty 

 variety growing from 6 to 9 inches in height, 

 with a solitary flower about 2 inches long of a 

 bright plum colour chequered with greenish 

 yellow. It flowers earlier than the next, and 

 is a native of the Maritime Alps, the Tyrol, 

 and Corsica. 



The var. Moggridgei is a dwarf form of F. 

 delphinensis, with much lighter flowers, pro- 

 duced a month or so earlier. It was found by 

 Mr. Moggridge near Giandola in the Sospello 

 Valley, at about 4,000 feet elevation, and 

 flowers about the middle of April. It blooms 

 a little later here in the south of England. 

 The flowers are large and well formed, of a 

 good yellow, faintly chequered with reddish- 

 brown leaves, which are much broader than 

 in the type. 



