234 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



THE VELTHEIMIAS. 



By A. WoRSLEY, F.R.H.S. 



This small genus * of bulbous Liliaceous plants has been cultivated in 

 Britain for nearly 150 years, but is now seldom seen outside botanic 

 gardens. It has been described and figured in many books, and there 

 is nothing to be gained by redescribing it now, but the following notes 

 fill up certain gaps in older descriptions. 



I have cultivated two species of this genus for twenty years, and 

 have twice imported them direct from South Africa in some quantity. 

 They flourish in any airy greenhouse from which the frost is excluded, 

 and do very well in old lofty conservatories, but their growth should on 

 no account be hurried on by heat. 



They may not improbably prove hardy in special positions, and 

 newly imported bulbs make good " dot " plants among summer 

 beds of succulents. I can find no record of any garden forms of 

 this genus. Some forms of Veltheimia glauca are very beautiful foliage 

 plants where they are well grown, but this species does not succeed in 

 most gardens, although it will linger on for many years. 



V. viridifolia is, on the other hand, easy to grow, and flourishes 

 with the Nerines in autumn and winter. As the flowers do not 

 generally develop until the spring, the after-treatment must vary, but 

 a period of at least two months' dry rest is necessary after the foliage 

 dies. Although the inflorescence is not very showy, it lasts a long 

 time, and the beauty of the shining intense-green leaves and their 

 symmetrical growth make this plant generally admired. 



I generally grow my plants in nine-inch pots, and have made the 

 following notes on a recent importation of this species from South 

 Africa. 



Bulh — conical, with no neck. Leaves — generally 8 (up to 10), 

 spreading, undulated, fleshy, deep shining green, j From less than 

 a foot to ij foot long by from 4 inches to nearly 6 inches wide. 

 Scape — from less than 2 feet up to 2 J feet high, mottled purple and 

 green. The dense terminal many-flowered spike 4 or 5 inches long. 



* Containing perhaps three species, of which two are in cultivation in Britain. 



I. V. glauca Jacquin, Hort. Schoen. i. 40, t. 77 ; Bot. Mag. t. 3456. Flowers 

 red or yellow, foliage very glaucous. South African coasts and Little 

 Namaqualand. 



II. V. viridiflora Jacquin, Hort. Schoen. i. 41, t. 78 ; Bot. Mag. t. 501. Flowers 

 red, pink, or yellow. South African coasts. 



III. V. bracieata Harvey ex Baker, in Journ. Linn. Soc. xi. (1871), 411. 

 Flowers yellow. Coastal region. British Kaffraria. Not in cultivation. 



V. intermedia Sweet is a name only. 



t In some forms this " varnished " appearance of the foliage is very 

 remarkable. 



