I 
398 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
August 25. 
course were steered, that happy medium so well known 
to everybody, and practiced by few, I much tear that 
faults would occasionally occur. R. Errington. 
BULBS. 
{Continued from page 362.) 
As the time is fast drawing on for potting Cape bulbs , 
I shall break through the rules of the alphabetical order, 
and group together a few other genera, as well as those 
which we most generally mean when w r e speak about 
Cape bulbs, because all these require much about the 
same kind of treatment throughout. Last week, I 
slipped over Hypoxis in order to get Ismerie in with 
Hymenocallis, and other sections requiring similar treat¬ 
ment. By following the order of the alphabet we seldom 
miss any plants that are worth having ; but that is not 
at all the best way to treat of large sections of plants 
like that composed of bulbs. Besides, Cape bulbs are 
more recognised, as a whole, in our gardens and cata¬ 
logues than any other set of bulbs in this series, and 
those belonging to the Ixia tribe, or Irids, more parti¬ 
cularly. Of Irids in general, w r e shall therefore treat 
in a group. 
HYPOXIS. 
This is a genus of plants that are neither bulbs, nor 
Irids, nor altogether from the Cape, but, as the leaves 
and the flowers look as if they ought to be borne by a 
set of bulbous plants, the little difference in their cul¬ 
ture from that of Irids need not separate them from our 
group. The handsomest kinds of Hypoxis are from the 
Cape of Good Hope, where, as far as i could ever learn, 
they are by no means very common, or in large numbers 
where they are met with. In a list, now before me, ot 
a general consignment of all the kinds of bulbs that 
could be met with in our Cape territories during a resi¬ 
dence of three years, and not many years siucc, there 
are only two species of Hypoxis , one of which only 
came to hand, and only three roots, or, rather, tubers 
of it, while as many as fifty bulbs were sent of some 
other kinds. The youngest gardener in the country 
knows an Ixia as soon as he sees one in flower; the 
oldest gardener, however, knows but a very few of the 
Hypoxids, in or out of flower; while a common ob¬ 
server could see no difference between the two flowers; 
only, perhaps, that the Hypoxids are more generally 
like stars than the Ixias. Each sort has six divisions 
in the flower,—three sepals and three petals, as they are 
called. When these divisions spread out wide in the 
full sun, if they are sharp-pointed, as in most of the 
Hypoxids they are, they look much in tho form of a 
star, and like each other, yet they belong to two very 
different natural orders. Hypoxis, Forbesia, and Cur- 
culiyo, form an order by themselves, called Hypoxids, 
coming very near to Amaryllids, and, like Amaryllis, 
they have six stamens in the flower, while all Irids 
i have only three stamens. Then, if you flower a Cape 
bulb, or what they send home as such, with starry 
flowers, either white, orange, or yellow, with a black 
| eye, and it has six stamens, and the looks of an Ixia, 
' you may rest assured that it is some kind of Hypoxis. 
Sandy peat, with a little loam with it, suits them all. 
; The different kinds flower from April to September,— 
some early, some late, and some between; audit’ they 
are grown in pots with Ixias or Gladioli, they may all 
be potted in the autumn, for the sake of convenience 
and keeping the stock together, but, otherwise, the end 
of February is time enough to pot them ; they do better, 
however, out in front of a house or wall. 
Hypoxis stellata. —This and the next are the two 
best and gayest of the family. Stellata is very showy, 
as white as snow, with a dark spot at the bottom of each 
petal. It is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, 
flowering in April and May. 
Hypoxis elegans has beautiful white flowers, like 
the preceding, with a dark eye. Its flowers appear 
early in May, and continue a long time. It is a native 
of the Cape. 
Hypoxis linearis. —Another Cape species, and perhaps 
the next best, or, at least, the best of the light yellow 
ones. It is a brilliant orange colour, and the plant is 
all but hardy. 1 think these three could be bought in 
the bulb shops in London. 
Hypoxis serrata comes nearest to the preceding, but 1 
the flowers are smaller, and keep on in succession much 
longer. 
Hypoxis stellipilis. —A Cape species, with small, 
golden-yellow flowers, which blow almost all the summer. 
Hypoxis Roopeiui. — A very strong kind from the 
Cape, with large, golden-yellow flowers. This is on a 
par with linearis in beauty, and is the newest of the 
genus, being made known since the genus was printed 
for our Dictionary. It was sent home by Captain 
Rooper, in 1848, and flewered first by the Rev. T. 
Rooper, of Wick Hill, near Brighton. There is a very 
good figure of it, with all its history and descriptions, 
in the Garden Companion for last year. 
IIypoxis erecta. —This is quite hardy, being a native 
of North America. It is not uncommon in peat bor 
ders, and large patches of it will look well, and keep a 
long time in flower. The flowers are yellow, and are 
produced in great abundance. The tubers of this plant 
are in repute among the North American natives for 
several cures. 
Hypoxis Cakolinea and .tuncea arc two more 
North Americans, with yellow flowers, which appear 
in June and July. 
Hypoxis villosa, sobolifera, and obliqua —all yellow 
stars from the Cape, and agreeing in points of resem¬ 
blance. II. v eraTR i folia is like them, with a harsh, 
hairy leaf; and H. hygrometrica is from New Holland, 
and also with yellow flowers. There arc many more of 
them running in the same yellow strain— elegans and 
stellata. with linearis and Rooperii , are the best. Every 
one who grows Ixias and Oxalises ought to possess 
these four. 
IXIA. 
There has boon a sad carnage among the Ixias since 
I first remember them, but to this day most of the old 
gardeners hold by the names that were in use thirty 
years back, Babianas, Sparaxis, and Tritonias were 
all called Ixias in my younger days, but these divisions 
do not imply any difference in the cultivation of them, 
for they all do under the same general treatment. Yet, 
we must go with the tide, and learn these names, else 
we come short of our shares when we go to market for 
them. The insertion of the stamens is the only generic 
j distinction between Ixia and Tntonia —those of Ixia 
being inserted at the base of the segments, while in 
Tntonia they rise from within the tube—a groat and 
marked difference in the eyes of a botanist, and in his 
eyes only. 
When they are grown in pots, nothing is so good for 
them as rough peat with a little sand, but in an open 
border, outside, very little peat is needed, if the soil is 
naturally light, and a little sand is put round the bulbs; 
the pots called 48’s are the proper kinds for them ; and 
of the largest bulbs, three may be planted in each pot, 
and five of the more ordinary bulbs—one in the middle 
of the pot, and the rest at equal distances at the sides. 
Any time in October will do to pot them; a cold frame 
is best for those in pots all the winter, and to be taken 
to the greenhouse, or other place, when they begin to throw 
up their flower stems. Some people pot them in autumn, 
