BOTAMCAI. IKDBX. 
bulb bed, and make 
the garden, (Sept, and Oct. are the best months for planting) where they make love- 
ly border for a walk or flower bed, and as they bloom so early in Spring, larger sum- 
mer flowering plants can be planted so near them that their foliage will cover the 
whole ground without iniury to the Scillahulhs, and save room, which is often a con- 
sideration in the flower garden. They are also very desirable in a permanent 
----- ' ’ flue display with their many shades of blue when 
grown with such dwarf growing plants as 
Hyacinthus, Lily of the Valley, &c.; but 
their favorite position is along the border, 
or even planted singly on a lawn in the turf. 
We have said nearly all the species oftered 
by the florist are foreign, but occasionally one 
oflers our native American species, Scilla Fra- 
seri, (Fig. 142) which, by the way, has had a 
hard time to maintain an existence, (with 
botanists in its nomenclature,) for it has had 
its name changed so often by botanists, that 
it is quite doubtful if it can yet claim a se- 
cure resting place (on paper). It was first in- 
troduced to the floral world by Nuttall, under 
by Ker to Scilla Esculentum ; to Camassia 
culentum, by Lind ley ; to Camass ia Fraseri, by 
Torrey; and last to Scilla Fraseri, by Dr. 
Gray. 
The flowers are of a pale blue color, borne 
in an elongated raceme, on stalks from one to 
two feet high during May. Sepals widely 
spreading. The long, linear leaves are pro- 
duced quite freely, giving the plant a luxu- 
riant appearance in its native moist prairie home in the western portion of North 
America. The bulb is long and round, made up of concentric rings or layers like 
the Onion, and is one of the native food products o£ the North American IncUaii, 
nlla Fraseri. Fig. 142. 
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Missouri 
. . ' Botanical 
cm copyright reserved garden 
George 
