256 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



to us to know who cultivated and improved our garden favourites, 

 or began the work that we are now able to continue. Our present 

 subject has not a very early history, for, with the exception of the 

 well-known Sprekelia formosissima, a close ally, which was 

 introduced to Europe in 1593, no sort of Hippeastrum was 

 introduced until more than a century later. 



The Sprekelia is not admitted into the genus Hippeastrum, 

 and cannot be crossed with it, and seldom produces seeds in 

 England ; but it may be interesting to remark here that Colonel 

 Trevor Clarke gave me a few seeds of the variety glauca, which 

 he had saved in his garden, and they germinated freely. Parkinson 

 figured this Sprekelia in the " Paradissus," 1629, and described it 

 as the " Indian Daffodil with a red flower." The Vallota purpurea 

 is a greenhouse plant that is by some supposed to be a Hippe- 

 astrum, but it is also outside this genus. Some persons do not 

 cultivate it successfully. I find it does well in peaty soil, and 

 likes a sunny corner of the greenhouse with plenty of water. 

 Dean Herbert states in his " Amaryllidaceae," page 134, on the 

 authority of Dr. Burchell, " that it was the only bulb of the 

 order that he found growing in boggy peat in Africa. It delights 

 so much in wet that it will thrive even in water." 



One of the earliest species introduced to our gardens is 

 H. Begins, figured in the Botanical Magazine, tab. 453. It has 

 very handsome flowers, which, as far as we know, opened for the 

 first time in Mr. Fairchild's garden at Hoxton in 1728, "when 

 the late Dr. James Douglas caused a figure of it to be drawn, and 

 wrote a folio pamphlet on it. He gave it the name of Lilium 

 Begins, because it was in full beauty on the 1st of March, which 

 was the late Queen's birthday." The roots came from Mexico. 



H. vittatum was introduced about the year 1769, and 

 Mr. Baker states in his handbook that there is a dried specimen 

 in the British Museum from the garden of a Mr. Malcolm, dated 

 1777. It is a distinct and good species, well figured in the Botanical 

 Magazine, tab. 129, where it is stated it was introduced from the 

 Cape by Mr. Malcolm. H. equestre is another of the very early 

 introductions. Mr. Baker says it was noticed by Hermann in 

 1698. But, according to the " Hortus Kewensis," it was not intro- 

 duced until 1778. Soon after that date it is recorded as flowering 

 in several collections about London, and it is well figured in the 

 Botanical Magazine, tab. 305. H. psittacinum is an early 



