HYBRIDS OF SERINE FLEXUOSA. 



489 



must very soon become popular, and known to hundreds of gardens under 

 whatever names they may bear, and however incorrect or synonymous 

 such may be. 



N. Haylocki, excellens, and embescens (the two latter under synonyms 

 now considered inadmissible) were raised by Herbert ; N. tardiflora and 

 N. flexudiea* were raised (but the latter not named) by Max. Leichtlin ; 

 and N. atrosanguinea was raised by O'Brien. 



There is one remarkable result seen in these hybrids of flexuosa, and 

 that is that only two hybrid types have been produced. The one is the 

 Manselli type (which should be called Haylocki), and which is the product 

 of crossing flexuosa with any of the following very dissimilar species, viz. 

 curvifolia, humilis, sarnicnsis, pudica, or any of the large-flowered garden 

 Nerines. The other type is that of embescens, which results from 

 crossing flexuosa with undulata. In this latter case undulata has proved 

 dominant over flexuosa in most respects, and the hybrid is little more 

 than a fine form of undulata with a compact and crowded umbel. Yet 

 even in this case the season of bloom is very late, as is the case with every 

 hybrid of flexuosa excepting only the crosses with humilis. 



In connection with these six hybrids of N. flexuosa it is necessary to 

 pay special attention to a variety of this species named pulchella. This 

 is the only form of flexuosa which blooms in England about September, 

 and there were not wanting those who held that on this account, and for 

 some other minor divergences from the type, pulchella was worthy of 

 a specific name. But the judgment of Mr. J. G. Baker in placing 

 pulchella as a variety of flexuosa has been amply vindicated by the 

 results of hybridization. For of all the hybrids and cross-bred plants 

 raised by early-flowering Nerines upon pulchella all but one have pro- 

 duced offspring which bloom in winter at the blooming period of the 

 typical flexuosa and its hybrids. The one exception to this rule is 

 N. excellens. This early-flowering hybrid was originally raised on 

 N. flexuosa var. pulchella by Herbert ; but the same early-flowering 

 hybrid has also been raised on the typical form of flexuosa according to 

 Mr. J. G. Baker.f Hence it is evident that there is in this species 

 a certain tendency to precocious flowering which is discernible at times, 

 and finds its exemplification in the variety pulchella and in the hybrid 

 excellens. 



I can hardly understand the remark of Herbert (p. 284) that hybrids 

 raised on flexuosa by " curviflora " (presumably a misprint for curvifolia) 

 " show the type of the male much more strongly in the foliage, and grow 

 more freely," for with me no Nerines grow so strongly and produce such 

 exuberant foliage as the hybrids of flexuosa. Probably the explanation is 

 that he grew all his Nerines together and dried them off severely. Under 

 this treatment the curvifolia section would flourish and the flexuosa 

 section languish. 



It is the experience of several hybridizers of this genus, confirmed by 

 my own observations, that all hybrids of flexuosa are sterile, the only 

 observation to the contrary being made by Herbert (see note on p. 488). 

 Yet this sterility is not a common attribute of all hybrid Nerines. 



* Perhaps this hybrid was first raised by Mr. H. J. Elwes. 

 f Handbook of Amaryllideae, p. 103. 



