BOTANICAL- INDEX. 
57 
Linn. 
() collection of plants can be said to be complete 
I unless it contains among its number at least one 
| Lichardia, ( Calla ,) for although they are rather 
shy bloomers as compared with some of our culti- 
kt'-’ vated plants, still the few flowers they do produce 
are of such a clear, pure white, that they are really one 
Fig. 35 . of the most desirable in all the list, either as a single 
specimen plant for the drawing-room, or to add to a collection of choice plants for 
the conservatory. They are probably justly considered the most popular house plant 
cultivated, and as they are such a common plant it will not require any description 
to introduce them to our readers. However, it is often beneficial to learn from the 
experience and observation of others w T hat we may never have learned for ourselves, 
in regard to their treatment. 
In order to obtain a clear and definite understanding of any subject, it must first 
be divested of all errors and misapplied names connected with it, and a talk about 
plants is often very unsatisfactory without making this point clear; consequently, it 
is sometimes necessary to give a seemingly uncalled for description of a very common 
plant, to designate the exact one we wish to refer to. And again, the continual sub- 
division of the old established genera of plants, tends to mystify the subject and render 
the confusion still more complete. This is particularly the case with the plants we 
now have under consideration, which Kunth has named Lichardia, in honor of L. C. 
Richards, an eminent French botanist and traveler. The true Calla of Linnaeus, of 
which there are four species, are not 
considered wmrth cultivating. One spe- 
cies, Calla Palustris, is a rather com- 
mon plant in the swamps and bogs of 
Europe and America, and hardy as far 
north as 65° north latitude. 
In the natural order of the vegetable 
kingdom, botanists have grouped to- 
gether a very curious and distinct race 1 
of plants under the family Aracece, of 
which Arum Italicum, Fig. 36, may be 
considered as a type. These Arums are 
really among our choicest, hardy, bor- 
der bulbs, and should be more gener- 
ally planted, as they require no atten- 
tion after planting, except to keep the 
weeds down. Fig. 37 is a good repre- 
sentation of Arum Dracunculus, a per- 
fectly hardy and very curious variety 
but rarely mefwiHi in cultivation. Fig. 36. Arum italicum. 
However, the time for planting the hardy bulbs is in September, and we will leave a 
further notice of the Arums until the fair number, (October,) when we shall endeavor 
to give a more detailed and definite history of this valuable and remarkable .family 
of plants. 
