Caladiums are among the most useful of stove perennial plants, and their adaptability to growing for table and room decoration adds much to their general value. The beauty of form and the fine colouring of their foliage place them high in the ranks of stove plants. A capital compost is made of turfy loam, turfy peat, and leaf-soil in equal parts, with a little well-rotted manure and some sharp sand. In March or earlier, if they have been long at rest, the tubers are started into growth in a temperature of not less than 60 degrees; when they have made growth, they may be placed in five or six inch pots, and the supply of water gradually increased until it is given freely, with alternate waterings of some liquid manure. They should be kept growing in a high temperature, and then hardened-off in a cooler part of the building preparatory to their removal to the conservatory. When the leaves begin to grow yellow, gradually decrease the water supply, and store for the winter in a temperature of not less than sixty degrees. Do not allow them to become entirely dry. A large number of hybrid Caladiums have been raised, and these, which will be found in the catalogues of leading nurserymen, have almost driven the original species out of cultivation.
CHAPTER XVI
GREENHOUSE AND STOVE BULBS
Clivias — Colocasias — Crinums — Cyclamens — Cyrtanthuses — Eucharises and Urceocharis — Eurycles
Clivias (syn. Imantophyllum)
The Clivias and Imantophyllums were formerly kept distinct, but are now combined by botanists, the name Imantophyllum being retained as that of a sub-genus. Both have long leaves in opposite rows and umbels of flowers, which are of various shades of yellow, orange, or scarlet. C. nobilis grows about a foot high, and has bright red-yellow flowers. Gardneri has fewer flowers (twelve to twenty in the umbel). Miniata is the only species belonging to the sub-genus Imantophyllum, and seedlings, or hybrids between it and the other species, have been obtained in considerable numbers. The catalogues of leading bulb dealers may be consulted for the varieties now in commerce. All are ornamental in pots or planted out in beds or borders in airy houses, with a temperature of from fifty to sixty degrees. In spring and summer they should have plenty of water, both at the roots and applied by means of the syringe. A rather lower temperature and less water are desirable in spring. They should have a soil composed of good fibry loam and peat in the proportion of about three of the former to one of the latter, with a little charcoal, bone-meal, and silver sand. C. miniata flowers in spring and summer, and the other species in winter and spring.
Colocasias
The Colocasias are very ornamental plants with large handsome leaves, and are related to and require the same culture as the Caladiums. There is considerable confusion in the nomenclature of these plants in gardens, and Caladiums are sometimes found named Alocasias or Colocasias, and vice versa. The principal species are antiquorum; its variety, esculentum (syn. Caladium esculentem), sometimes used in the south for sub-tropical effect, being planted out in June, and freely supplied with water; and odorata.
Crinums
We have already referred to the hardy Crinums, but this work would be imperfect without a few details about the stove species, among which are some plants of the highest types of floral beauty. These should have a good soil of fibrous loam, peat, a little sand, and charcoal to keep the compost sweet, as the plants require plenty of water while growing, C. campanulatum and C. purpurascens especially requiring this, as they do best standing in a pan of water. They are also greatly benefited by syringing overhead. After the flowering period is over water may be reduced. They need large pots or tubs, as they form fleshy roots which should be as little disturbed as possible. There are so many Crinums, that a short selection of well-proved, good species suitable for the stove is necessary. These are—amabile, three feet, red; asiaticum, two feet, white; campanulatum, one foot, red-purple; giganteum, three feet, white; Kirkii, one and a half feet, white, striped red; Macowani, two feet, pink; purpurascens, one foot, claret-red; and zeylanicum, three feet, white, striped red.
Cyclamens