[CAMASSIA.]—Graceful-looking North American plants of the Lily family, with rather large ovoid bulbs, strap-shaped tapering leaves, and loose racemes of starry blossoms which usually appear from May to July, and are useful for decorations when cut. They flourish in ordinary good and well-drained garden soil in warm sheltered spots. The bulbs should be planted in September or October, and covered with about twice their own depth of soil. They may be left undisturbed for a few seasons, but in that case a mulching of well-decayed manure in autumn would be beneficial. New plants are most readily secured by offsets from the old bulbs. Seeds, however, are freely produced in most places and should be sown in cold frames as soon as ripe. (See [p. 36]).
MADONNA LILY (64) FRITILLARIA IMPERIALIS, VARS. (65-66)
There are only a few species, the best being C. esculenta, the [Quamash] or Camass Root of the North American Indians. The blue flowers, each about 2 inches across, are borne on scapes 1-1/2 to 3 feet high, and look very handsome above the narrow arching leaves. C. Cusicksi, with porcelain-blue flowers (see [Plate 18], fig. 70), grows 3 to 4 feet high. C. Fraseri, with very pale-blue flowers, is about 1-1/2 feet high; while C. Leichtlini grows 3 to 4 feet high, and has large creamy-white blossoms, about 3 inches in diameter.
[CHIONODOXA] Luciliæ (Glory of the Snow).—This charming harbinger of spring is a native of Asia Minor, where it pushes its beautiful brilliant blue and white blossoms (see [Plate 2], fig. 9) through the snow-clad mountains early in the year. It has ovoid bulbs about 1 to 2 inches deep, arching leaves, and each flower-stalk 6 to 10 inches high, carries from six to twenty blossoms in February, March, and April. There are several fine varieties, the best being gigantea (or grandiflora), with very large flowers; sardensis, shown on [Plate 13], fig. 53, has gentian-blue flowers. The variety alba has pure-white flowers, and Tmolusi and Alleni are also good varieties. A hybrid between C. Luciliæ and Scilla bifolia is known as [Chiono-scilla], but is not common. Other Chionodoxas are C. cretica, with white or pale-blue flowers very scantily produced; and C. nana, with white or lilac-tinted flowers.
Chionodoxas flourish in ordinary good garden soil, and are suitable for the rockery, flower-border, beneath deciduous trees in shrubberies, or in the grass. To be effective in any of these positions they should be planted in hundreds and thousands, and in grass-land may be mixed with the smaller-flowered kinds of Narcissus (e.g., minimus, cyclamineus, triandrus). In the latter case the bulbs may be left alone for years with advantage, as they never interfere with mowing operations.
Offsets are freely produced from the old bulbs, and are the easiest means of increasing the stock. Seeds may be sown when ripe, but they take a few years to produce flowering bulbs (see [p. 34]).
[CHLOROGALUM] pomeridianum (Soap Plant).—A distinct looking plant about 2 feet high, with blue-green leaves and spikes of whitish purple-veined flowers, that usually open in the afternoon during the summer months. It flourishes in ordinary soil, and may be increased by offsets from the old bulbs. The best time to plant is in autumn.
[COLCHICUM] (Meadow Saffron).—In the autumn, when the landscape looks more or less dreary, the Colchicums relieve the monotony with their bright appearance. The bulbs are peculiarly one-sided, and differ a good deal in size according to the species, so that they should be planted at various depths according to size. The best time for planting is July, or not later than August, and if massed in bold patches in the grass, flower-border, shrubbery, or rock-garden, the effect later on will be much more effective than if the bulbs were put in sparingly. A rich sandy loam will suit most kinds, but any good and well-drained garden soil will give satisfactory results. It may be remarked that most kinds produce their flowers without the leaves. The latter appear the following spring to elaborate food for the new bulbs, dying down during the summer. Colchicums are best propagated by offsets. Seeds may also be sown about midsummer when thoroughly ripe, and will produce flowering bulbs in five or six years (see [p. 34]). There are many kinds, the most popular being: C. autumnale, a British plant, popularly known as the "Autumn Crocus"—owing to the shape and bright purple colour of its cup-shaped blossoms, which appear from the end of August to November. There are many varieties of it such as album, white; with a double form; maximum, purple; purpureum, purple rose; and striatum, red striped with white. C. Bivonæ has flowers chequered with white and purple. C. Bornmülleri, a fine species with rosy-lilac flowers. C. byzantinum has pale rose blossoms. C. giganteum, flowers rosy, very large. C. libanoticum, white. C. montanum produces its lilac-purple or whitish flowers in February and March. C. Parkinsoni has white flowers distinctly veined and chequered with violet-purple. The flowers of C. speciosum, shown in [Plate 33], fig. 118, appear in September and October, and vary from reddish or rose-purple to deep crimson-purple. C. variegatum (a very old species also called Parkinsoni) has its rosy flowers beautifully chequered with violet purple.