_Zingiberaceæ_. A rather large genus of stove herbaceous perennials,
with considerable grace and beauty. Flowers disposed in terminal
spikes. Leaves lanceolate, smooth, even, entire, sheathed at the base,
and having transverse veins. Roots fleshy, branched, having much of
the smell and taste of ginger. The soil can hardly be too rich for the
successful culture of these plants. A mixture of equal parts loam,
peat, leaf mould, or thoroughly rotted hotbed manure, freely mixed with
sharp sand or fine charcoal dust, forms an excellent compost. During
the growing season, a top dressing of rotten dung, and a frequent
application of weak manure water, prove excellent stimulants. They
grow rapidly and consume a great deal of food in the production of
so much stem and so many leaves. Unless the former is vigorous and
of considerable thickness, it will fail to be crowned with spikes
of flower. Alpinias require a high temperature, a rich, light soil,
abundance of water, and not a little space, to grow them well. Soon
after flowering, the plants will assume the yellow leaf, when water may
be gradually withheld; but no attempt should be made to dry them off
too severely, even after the stems die down. Nor must they be stored
when at rest in a low temperature; in fact, they require as much heat
to preserve them in health when resting as at any other time. The best
time to divide the plants is after the young shoots have made an inch
of growth in spring.
=A. albo-lineata= (white-lined).* _l._ elliptic lanceolate, pale
green, marked with oblique broad bands of white. _h._ 3ft. to 4ft.
New Guinea, 1880.
=A. mutica= (beardless). _fl._ in pairs on a spike-like raceme;
calyx white; corolla duplex, consisting of three outer oblong white
segments; upper lobe concave and projecting, broad; lip large,
bright yellow, veined with crimson; mouth finely crispulate at the
edge. Borneo, 1882. A very handsome species.
=A. nutans= (nodding).* _fl._ pink, sweetly-scented; racemes
drooping. May. _l._ lanceolate, smooth, even, entire. _h._ 13ft.
India, 1792. This species looks best in considerable masses, even
larger than those shown in the illustration, grown in large pots or
tubs, or planted out in borders of tropical houses. It should on
no account be severely divided. See Fig. 62.
[Illustration: FIG. 62. ALPINIA NUTANS, showing Form of Individual
Flower.]
=A. vittata= (striped).* _l._ 6in. to 8in. long, elliptic
lanceolate, tapering to a long fine point, and also narrowed
gradually towards the sheathing base, pale green, marked by broad
stripes of dark green and creamy white, running off from the midrib
in divergent lines, corresponding to the venation. South Sea
Islands. See Fig. 63, for which we are indebted to Mr. Bull.
=ALSIKE.= _See_ =Trifolium hybridum=.
=ALSODEIA= (from _alsodes_, leafy; plants thickly beset with leaves).
ORD. _Violarieæ_. Ornamental evergreen stove shrubs. Flowers small,
whitish, racemose; petals equal; racemes axillary and terminal;
pedicels bracteate jointed. Leaves usually alternate, feather-nerved;
stipules small, deciduous. They thrive best in a mixture of loam and
sand, and young cuttings root readily under a bell glass if planted in
sand, in heat.
=A. latifolia= (broad-leaved).* _fl._ on dense, glabrous racemes.
_l._ ovate, obtusely acuminated. _h._ 6ft. Madagascar, 1823.
=A. pauciflora= (few-flowered). _fl._ few, somewhat corymbose;
pedicels reflexed. _l._ wedge-shaped, on short footstalks. _h._
4ft. Madagascar, 1824.
=ALSOPHILA= (from _alsos_, a grove, and _phileo_, to love; in reference
to the situation which they affect in Nature). ORD. _Filices_. A
magnificent genus of tropical and temperate tree ferns. Sori globose,
dorsal, on a vein or in the forking of a vein; receptacle mostly
elevated, frequently villous; involucre none. The species of this genus
require an abundant supply of water, particularly in summer, and the
young fronds must be carefully shaded from solar heat. They thrive well
in a peat and loam compost. For general culture, _see_ =Ferns=.
=A. aculeata= (prickly).* _fronds_ ample, tripinnate. _rachises_
brown-stramineous; pinnæ ovate-lanceolate, 1ft. to 1-1/2ft. long;
pinnules sessile, ligulate, 3in. to 4in. long, 1/2in. to 3/4in.
broad; segments close, ligulate, blunt, denticulate, often less
than one line broad; both sides bright green, slightly hairy on
the ribs, not scaly. _sori_ minute, medial; texture herbaceous.
Tropical America; very common. A very effective stove species. SYN.
_A. ferox_, &c. See Fig. 64.
=A. armata= (armed).* _fronds_ ample, tripinnatifid or tripinnate.
_rachises_ stramineous, densely pilose; pinnæ oblong-lanceolate,
1-1/2ft. to 2ft. long; pinnules ligulate-lanceolate, sessile, 3in.
to 5in. long, 3/4in. to 1in. broad; segments falcate, blunt, one
to one and a half lines broad, sub-entire or toothed; both sides
densely pilose on the ribs, not scaly. _sori_ subcostular. Tropical
America; extremely abundant. Stove species.
[Illustration: FIG. 63. ALPINIA VITTATA.]
=A. aspera= (rough).* _cau._ slender, 10ft. to 30ft. high. _sti._
and _rachises_ strongly aculeated; main and partial rachis above
strigillose, slightly scaly beneath and on the costa, the rest
glabrous, often glossy. _fronds_ bipinnate; pinnules shortly
petiolate, oblong; apex acuminated, pinnatifid half or two-thirds
of the way down to the costa; lobes oblong-ovate, often acutely
serrulate; costa bearing small, deciduous, bullate scales beneath.
_sori_ very deciduous. West Indies, &c. Stove species.
=A. australis= (southern).* _sti._ with very long, firm, subulate
scales, 1-1/2ft. long, and as well as the main rachises,
muricato-asperous, stramineous. _fronds_ ample, subglaucous
beneath, more or less villous on the costæ and costule above, and
very minutely bullato-paleaceous beneath, often quite naked, from
6ft. to 30ft. long; primary pinnæ 1-1/2ft. long, 6in. to 10in.
wide; pinnules 3in. to 4in. long, 1/2in. to 3/4in. wide, oblong,
acuminate, deeply pinnatifid, or towards the base even pinnate;
ultimate pinnules or lobes oblong, acute, serrated, subfalcate.
_sori_ copious, rather small. New Holland, &c., 1833. A very
handsome greenhouse species.
=A. comosa= (hairy). Synonymous with _A. Scottiana_.
=A. contaminans= (contaminating).* _cau._ slender, growing from
20ft. to 50ft. high. _sti._ and _rachises_ purplish brown, glossy,
aculeate. _fronds_ 6ft. to 10ft. long, ample, glabrous, deep green
above, glaucous beneath; primary pinnæ 2ft. or more in length,
oblong-ovate, acuminate; pinnules sessile, 4in. to 5in. long,
1/2in. to 1in. wide, deeply pinnatifid, linear-oblong, sub-falcate,
entire. _sori_ nearer the costule than the margin. Java and Malaya.
Stove species. SYN. _A. glauca_.
=A. Cooperi= (Cooper's).* _fronds_ ample, tripinnate. _rachises_
stramineous, muricated, glabrous beneath; basal scales large,
linear, pale, spreading; pinnæ oblong-lanceolate, 1-1/2ft. to 2ft.
long; pinnules ligulate, 4in. to 5in. long, 3/4in. to 1in. broad,
lowest long-stalked; segments ligulate, blunt, toothed, one and a
half to two and a half lines broad. _sori_ small. Queensland, &c.
Greenhouse.
=A. excelsa= (tall).* _trunk_ about 30ft. high. _sti._ and main
_rachises_ muricated. _fronds_ ample, dark green above, paler
beneath; primary pinnæ 1-1/2ft. to 2ft. long, 6in. to 10in.
wide; pinnules numerous, oblong-lanceolate, acuminated, deeply
pinnatifid, often quite pinnate; ultimate divisions 1/4in. to
3/4in. long, oblong, acute or obtuse, falcate, the margins
sub-recurved, serrated. _sori_ copious near the costules. Norfolk
Island. This rapid-growing and splendid species proves nearly hardy
in the neighbourhood of Cornwall; and is a most effective plant for
sub-tropical gardening purposes generally. Greenhouse species.
=A. ferox= (fierce). Synonymous with _A. aculeata_.
=A. Gardneri= (Gardner's). Synonymous with _A. paleolata_.
=A. gigantea= (gigantic). _cau._ growing from 20ft. to 40ft. high.
_sti._ asperous; _fronds_, primary pinnæ 1-1/2ft. to 2ft. and more
long, deeply pinnatifid at the apex; pinnules, upper ones sessile,
lower ones petiolate, oblong-acuminate, 3in. to 6in. long, five to
nine lines wide, deeply pinnatifid; lobes triangular or rounded,
serrated. _sori_ copious. India, &c. Stove species. SYN. _A.
glabra_.
=A. glabra= (glabrous). Synonymous with _A. gigantea_.
=A. glauca= (grey). Synonymous with _A. contaminans_.
=A. infesta= (troublesome). _fronds_ ample, tripinnatifid; pinnæ
oblong-lanceolate, 1ft. to 1-1/2ft. long; pinnules ligulate,
3in. long, 1/2in. to 1in. broad, cut down to a narrow wing;
segments 1/8in. broad, ligulate, blunt, nearly entire; texture
sub-coriaceous; colour deep green on both sides. Tropical America;
widely distributed. Stove species.
=A. Leichardtiana= (Leichardt's).* _cau._ 10ft. to 20ft. high.
_sti._ jointed upon the caudex; main and secondary rachises purple,
deciduously powdery, spiny. _fronds_ 6ft. to 10ft. long, firm, dark
green above, sub-glaucous beneath, naked and glaucous (or nearly
so), tripinnate; primary pinnæ 1-1/2ft. to 2ft. long, 8in. wide,
oblong-lanceolate, acuminate; pinnules oblong-acuminate, sessile,
pinnatifid only at the apex; ultimate divisions linear-oblong,
acute, spinulose-serrate. _sori_ copious, close to the costa.
Australia, 1867. Greenhouse species. SYNS. _A. Macarthurii_, _A.
Moorei_.
=A. lunulata= (moon-shaped pinnuled). _fronds_ ample, tripinnate.
_rachises_ stramineous, glabrous below, densely muricated; pinnæ
oblong-lanceolate, 1-1/2ft. to 2ft. long; pinnules close, ligulate,
sessile, 4in. to 5in. long, 3/4in. to 1in. broad; segments close,
ligulate, falcate, blunt, one line broad, obscurely crenulate.
_sori_ minute. _h._ 25ft. Polynesia. Greenhouse species.
=A. Macarthurii= (MacArthur's). Synonymous with _A. Leichardtiana_.
=A. Moorei= (Moore's). Synonymous with _A. Leichardtiana_.
=A. paleolata= (scaly).* _cau._ slender, 10ft. to 20ft. high.
_fronds_ ample, tripinnatifid. _rachises_ stramineous, smooth,
pubescent below; pinnæ oblong-lanceolate, 1-1/2ft. to 2ft. long;
pinnules ligulate, sessile or shortly stalked, 3in. to 4in. long,
1/2in. to 3/4in. broad, deeply cut, the segments blunt and nearly
entire; texture sub-coriaceous; colour deep green, both surfaces
deeply pilose, the lower scaly on the ribs. _sori_ large, medial.
Columbia, &c. Stove species. SYN. _A. Gardneri_.
=A. procera= (tall). _sti._ aculeated and paleaceous below, with
large glossy, dark brown scales. _fronds_ bipinnate, glabrous,
pinnatifid at the apex; primary pinnæ 1ft. or more long, the
rachis winged above; pinnules 2in. to 3in. long, oblong-acuminate
or obtuse, pinnatifid half way down to the costa; lobes short,
sub-rotundate, often acute, mostly entire. _sori_ small on all the
lobes, between the costule and the margin. Tropical America. Stove
species.
=A. pruinata= (as if hoar-frosted).* _sti._ densely woolly at the
base. _fronds_ glaucous, bi-tripinnate; primary pinnæ petiolate,
12in. to 18in. long, ovate-lanceolate; pinnules 3in. to 4in. long,
1in. wide, petiolulate, from a broad base, oblong-acuminate,
deeply pinnatifid, or again pinnate; ultimate divisions 1/2in.
long, lanceolate, very acute, deeply and sharply serrated. _sori_
solitary. Tropical America, extending to Chili. Stove or greenhouse
species.
=A. radens= (rasping). _cau._ 3ft. high, 3in. diameter. _sti._ 2ft.
to 3ft. long, clothed with ovate, pale brown scales. _fronds_ 6ft.
to 8ft. long, lanceolate-ovate, bipinnatisect; primary segments
1-1/2ft. long, elongato-oblong, acuminate; secondary ones 2in.
to 3in. long, petiolulate, linear-lanceolate, pinnati-partite;
segments oblong, denticulate. _sori_ between the costule and the
margin. Brazil. Stove species.
=A. Rebeccæ= (Rebecca's).* _cau._ slender, 8ft. high. _fronds_
ample, bipinnate; pinnules twenty to thirty on each side, the
lower ones stalked, linear, 2in. to 3in. long, more or less
inciso-crenate, apex acuminate. _sori_ principally in two rows
between the midrib and edge. Queensland. Greenhouse species. See
Fig. 65, for which we are indebted to Mr. Bull.
=A. sagittifolia= (arrow-leaved).* _fronds_ oblong-deltoid, 4ft.
to 6ft. long, bipinnate. _rachises_ stramineous, muricated; pinnæ
lanceolate, 3/4ft. to 1ft. long, the lower shorter, deflexed;
pinnules sessile, ligulate, crenulate, cordate on both sides at the
base, 1in. to 1-1/2in. long, nearly 1/4in. broad. _sori_ large.
Trinidad, 1872. Very handsome and distinct stove species.
[Illustration: FIG. 64. ALSOPHILA ACULEATA.]
=A. Scottiana= (Scott's).* _fronds_ ample, tripinnatifid.
_rachises_ castaneous, naked and smooth beneath; pinnæ
oblong-lanceolate, 1-1/2ft. to 2ft. long; pinnules sessile, 3in.
to 4in. long, about 1/2in. broad, ligulate, cut down to a narrow
wing on the rachis; segments ligulate, blunt, dentate, sub-falcate,
not 1/8in. broad. _sori_ sub-costular. Sikkim, 1872. Greenhouse
species. SYN. _A. comosa_.
=A. Tænitis= (Tænitis-like).* _fronds_ 3ft. to 6ft. long,
bipinnate; pinnules distant, 3in. to 5in. long, lanceolate,
acuminate, glabrous, sub-entire, petioled; petiole articulated on
the rachis. _sori_ in a single series, equidistant between the
costa and the margin, mixed with long, copious hairs. Brazil. An
elegant stove species.
=A. villosa= (villous).* _cau._ 6ft. to 12ft. high. _sti._ 1ft. or
more long, tubercular, densely clothed at the base with ferruginous
scales. _fronds_ from 6ft. to 8ft. long, bi- or sub-tripinnate,
broadly lanceolate in outline; pinnules 1in. to 3in. long,
oblong-lanceolate, obtusely acuminate, deeply pinnatifid; lobes
oblong, obtuse, entire or coarsely serrated. _sori_ copious.
Tropical America. A very beautiful stove species.
=ALSTONIA= (in honour of Dr. Alston, once Professor of Botany
at Edinburgh). ORD. _Apocynaceæ_. Usually tall, lactescent, or
milk-bearing stove evergreen shrubs or trees, with small white flowers,
which are disposed in terminal cymes. Leaves entire, opposite or often
whorled. Of easy culture, thriving best in a mixture of peat, loam,
and sand. Cuttings root readily in sand, in heat. Besides the one
mentioned, there are eleven other species.
=A. scholaris= (school). _fl._, corolla salver-shaped, white; cymes
on short peduncles. March to May. _l._ five to seven in a whorl,
obovate-oblong, obtuse, ribbed; upper surface glossy, under white,
and having the veins approximating the margin. _h._ 8ft. India,
1803. SYN. _Echites scholaris_.
[Illustration: FIG. 65. ALSOPHILA REBECCÆ.]
=ALSTRÖMERIA= (in honour of Baron Alströmer, a Swedish botanist and
friend of Linnæus). ORD. _Amaryllidaceæ_. Tall handsome hardy or
half-hardy tuberous rooted plants, with leafy stems and terminal
umbels of richly-coloured flowers; perianth regular, six-parted,
subcampanulate; inner segments narrower, two of which are somewhat
tubulose at the base; stamens included within, and inserted with
perianth; stigma trifid. Leaves linear, lanceolate, or ovate, and
resupinate, or inverted in position by the twisting of the petiole.
Cultivation: Few plants need less attention to grow them successfully,
either in pots or planted out. The best position for those kinds which
succeed outside is a deep and dry, sloping, sheltered border, in a
compost of two-parts peat and leaf soil, and one loam with some sharp
sand. Water freely if severe drought sets in; a surface covering of
common moss, or cut fern in winter, will prove an advantage. They are
very effective in masses. Propagation: They may be increased by seed or
root division. Sow the former when ripe, or in early spring, thinly in
pans, pots, or boxes, and place in a cool house or frame, so that they
will receive some fostering in their early stages. The seedlings should
be pricked out singly, when large enough to handle, and grown on till
well established under glass. A mixture of peat, leaf mould, and sandy
loam, is the best compost in which to sow the seeds and grow the young
plants. When sufficiently established, they may be placed in a warm
sheltered spot outside, and about 1ft. apart. The fasciculated masses
of fleshy roots are readily separated into as many pieces as there are
crowns; this operation may be performed during September or October, or
February and March; but it must be done carefully. Except for the sake
of increase, the less they are disturbed the better. They are excellent
subjects for pot culture (some can only be managed thus, unless planted
out in a house), and may be potted as early in the autumn as possible,
in 8in., 10in., or 12in. pots. Thorough drainage is essential; arrange
the crocks carefully, and place a layer of thin turfy loam over them.
A compost of equal parts turfy loam, leaf mold, and fibrous peat,
with an abundance of sand, will suit them admirably. Water sparingly
at first, but when root-action is fully resumed, they must never be
allowed to get dry. Support the stems by staking when they require it,
and just previous to flowering, top-dress with some rotten manure and
leaf soil. Occasional syringings will be necessary to keep down red
spider, especially if the atmosphere is very dry. As the plants finish
flowering, and the leaves fade, gradually diminish the supply of water
until the stems are quite down, when they may be placed somewhere out
of the way, free from frost, for the winter, but not kept dry enough
to make them shrivel. In repotting, as much of the old soil as is
practicable should be removed, without seriously disturbing the roots,
and the plants shifted into larger or the same sized pots, according to
their condition. Alströmerias were at one time much more largely grown
than they are at present, and the genus was represented in nearly every
garden.
[Illustration: FIG. 66. ALSTRÖMERIA AURANTIACA, showing Habit and
Flower.]
=A. aurantiaca= (golden).* _fl._ orange; two upper perianth
segments lanceolate, streaked with red; arranged in a five to six
stalked umbel, bearing ten to fifteen blooms. Summer and autumn.
_l._ numerous, linear-elliptical, obtuse, glaucous, twisted and
turned back at the base, about 4-1/2in. long. _h._ 3ft. to 4ft.
Chili, 1831. A variable but very showy species, quite hardy. See
Fig. 66.
=A. caryophyllæa= (clove-like scent).* _fl._ scarlet; very
fragrant, perianth two-lipped; peduncles longer than the involucre.
February and March. _l._ spathulate-oblong. Stem erect. _h._ 8in.
to 12in. Brazil, 1776. This stove species requires perfect rest in
winter. SYN. _A. Ligtu_.
[Illustration: FIG. 67. FLOWER OF ALSTRÖMERIA PELEGRINA.]
=A. chilensis= (Chilian).* _fl._ blood-red or pink, large, the two
upper interior petals longer and narrower, variegated with yellow
lines; in pairs on a five to six stalked umbel. Summer and autumn.
_l._ scattered, obovate, spathulate; upper ones lanceolate, twisted
at the base, minutely fringed on the edges, glaucescent. _h._
2ft. to 3ft. Chili, 1849. Hardy. There are many varieties of this
species, varying in colour from a rosy white to a deep orange or
red.
=A. densiflora= (thickly-flowered).* _fl._, perianth scarlet,
dotted with black spots inside towards the base; umbels
many-flowered, dense; pedicels pubescent, rarely bracteated. _l._
alternate, ovate, shortly acuminate, pubescent underneath. Stem
climbing, glabrous. Peru, 1865. Tender species.
=A. Flos Martini= (St. Martin's flower). Synonymous with _A.
pulchra_.
=A. Hookeri= (Hooker's). Synonymous with _A. Simsii_.
=A. Ligtu= (Ligtu). Synonymous with _A. caryophyllæa_.
=A. Pelegrina= (the native name).* _fl._ white, or pale yellow,
striped with rose, and yellow spot on each segment; pedicels
one-flowered, on a six or more stalked umbel. Summer. _l._
lanceolate, twisted at the base. _h._ 1ft. Chili, 1754. Rather
tender. See Fig. 67.
=A. p. alba= (white).* Lily of the Incas. _fl._ white. Perhaps
this is the most chaste of all the Alströmerias, and more tender
than many others; it should have a specially warm spot, or the
protection of glass. 1877.
=A. peruviana= (Peruvian). Synonymous with _A. versicolor_.
=A. psittacina= (parrot-like).* _fl._ bright crimson at the base,
greenish upwards, spotted with purple; upper perianth segments
slightly hooded, hence the specific name; umbels many-flowered;
peduncles angular. September. _l._ oblong-lanceolate, acute,
twisted at the base. Stem erect, spotted. _h._ 6ft. Mexico, 1829.
Hardy.
=A. p. Erembaulti= (Erembault's). _fl._ white, spotted with purple.
August. _h._ 2ft. 1833. A beautiful but rather tender hybrid.
=A. pulchella= (pretty). Synonymous with _A. Simsii_.
=A. pulchra= (fair).* St. Martin's Flower. _fl._ in umbels of
from four to eight in each; the lower perianth segments purplish
outside, and edges of a sulphur-white; the upper part of the upper
segments of a fine yellow, dotted with deep red spots, the lower
part of a flesh colour; pedicels twisted. _l._ linear lanceolate.
Stem erect. _h._ 1ft. Chili, 1822. A beautiful species, but one
requiring protection. SYNS. _A. Flos Martini_, _A. tricolor_.
=A. rosea= (rosy). A synonym of _A. Simsii_.
=A. Simsii= (Sims's).* _fl._ brilliant yellow, with red streaks,
very showy; umbels many-flowered; peduncles two-flowered. June.
_l._ spathulate, ciliated. Stem weak. _h._ 3ft. Chili, 1822. Tender
species. SYNS. _A. Hookeri_, _A. pulchella_, _A. rosea_.
=A. tricolor= (three-coloured). A synonym of _A. pulchra_.
[Illustration: FIG. 68. ALSTRÖMERIA VERSICOLOR, showing Habit and
Flower.]
=A. versicolor= (various coloured).* _fl._ yellow, with purple
marks; lowest segment the broadest; umbel of usually three
shortly-stalked blooms, very floriferous. Late summer. _l._
linear-lanceolate, sessile, scattered. _h._ 2ft. to 4ft. Peru,
1831. This is a very robust species, with several beautiful
varieties, which are both easily obtained and very cheap. SYN. _A.
peruviana_. See Fig. 68.
=A. v. niveo-marginata= (snowy-margined).* _fl._ rose, crimson and
white, with green tips and black spots. _l._ lanceolate, stalked,
white-edged. 1875. A charming but scarce variety.