TWINING HYACINTH.
Brodiæa volubilis, Baker. Lily Family.
Coated corm about one inch in diameter. Leaves.—All radical; broadly linear; a foot or more long. Scape.—Twining; two to even twelve feet long; naked. Umbel.—Many-flowered. Perianth.—Five to eight lines long; rose-color without, whitish within. Stamens.—Three; alternating with three notched staminodia. Filaments winged; very short. Ovary.—Three-celled. Style short. Stigma capitate. Syn.—Stropholirion Californicum, Torr. Hab.—Sierra foothills, from Mariposa County northward.
In this plant we see the Brodiæa disporting itself in a very odd manner, having vinelike aspirations. It produces several long leaves, which lie prostrate upon the ground, and then the stem puts in its appearance and commences a wonderful series of evolutions not to be outdone by any contortionist. It twists and clambers and climbs, reaching a height of five or six feet, often having expended twice that amount of stem in its convolutions.
During this remarkable process, which consumes from two to four weeks, the terminal bud has remained dormant. But it now commences to grow, and in a couple of weeks the flower-cluster is complete in all its beauty. It is sometimes six inches across.
It often happens that before the flower has blossomed, the stem is broken off at the ground. Strangely enough, this seems not to matter at all, for it grows on and perfects its flowers just as though nothing had occurred. People often bring the stem indoors and allow it to climb up over the curtains, where they can watch the interesting process of its growth.
![[TWINING HYACINTH—Brodiæa volubilis.]](#3624944100741987669_f083.png.id-4219152101118482282.wrap-0.html.html){kind=link}