deciduous shrubs. When plants are grown in the open, artificial
crossing will be unnecessary; but this method must be employed upon
those grown in the cool greenhouse, if well fertilised seeds are
required. The seed should be gathered and sown when ripe in a large
shallow frame containing from 2in. to 3in. of peat, over which more
peat must be laid very level by means of a fine sieve; or they may be
kept until early the following spring. No covering will be necessary,
but a thorough watering with a fine-rosed water-pot must be given.
The lights should be darkened, and the frames kept close until the
young seedlings begin to appear, when they must have air (carefully
admitted), shade, and a daily sprinkling of water. By the autumn, they
will be large enough to transplant in small clumps into boxes of peat
and coarse sand, and to place in other frames, or in the open. In each
case, they will need watering, shading, and to be kept close until
growth commences. The hardier the plants are before winter commences,
the better; but a protection of mats or similar material will prevent
the probability of their being killed by severe frosts. During the
following season, they will only require water during dry weather,
and no protection need be afforded this winter. The next spring, they
should be planted out singly in beds, sufficiently wide apart to allow
the development of two years growth. If an upright growth is being
made, the leading shoot must be shortened, in order to secure dwarf,
well-branched plants. The same methods should be employed on a smaller
scale where but a few are wanted. Grafting is largely practised to
increase the stock of named varieties or choice seedlings, the stock
employed being _A. pontica_. This process, of course, ensures the
quicker production of flowering plants. Layering in March, encasing
the part buried with moss, is also some times practised; but the layer
must be left two years before separating. Cuttings of the last year's
wood, 2in. or 3in. long, taken with a heel, root readily in sand; about
the end of August is the best time for so doing. If they are pricked
off in pots or pans of sandy soil, and kept in a cool frame until
they are calloused, and afterwards introduced into a slight bottom
heat, they root quicker, but this is not absolutely essential. When
placed outside, they should be covered with a handlight for about two
months, and, at the end of this time, air should be gradually given
and increased. Ghent Azaleas are now forced extensively for the market
as well as in private gardens; and, by judicious culture, they can be
had in full blossom by Christmas. With this end in view, they should
be grown in pots, and have the growth prematurely completed soon after
flowering with the aid of a little artificial heat; after which they
may be placed outside. During very hot and dry weather, the north side
of a wall is necessary, to prevent their flowering in the autumn. The
same plants must only be forced every alternate year. Commence to place
the plants in heat in October, and keep up a succession until the
following March. The best plants for forcing purposes are obtained from
the Continent, where they are grown in enormous quantities. When grown
permanently out of doors, the most suitable soil is peat and rough sand
mixed. Failing this, leaf mould, maiden loam, and sand, will be found
satisfactory. In many cases, we have known them to flourish in ordinary
garden soil.
The following varieties of Ghent Azaleas are distinct, and all
worth growing; ADMIRAL DE RUYTER, deep red-scarlet, very fine;
ALTACLERENSIS, bright yellow; AMŒNA, light pink; CARNEA ELEGANS,
pale pink, shaded sulphur; COCCINEA MAJOR, dark scarlet, very fine;
CUPREA SPLENDENS, rich pink, shaded yellow; DECORATA, lovely pink;
DIRECTEUR CHARLES BAUMANN, rich vermilion, spotted yellow; ELECTOR,
rich orange-scarlet; GEANT DES BATAILLES, deep crimson, very fine;
MADAME JOSEPH BAUMANN, bright pink, very free and good; MARIA
VERSCHAFFELT, shaded pink and yellow; MIRABILIS, very lovely pink;
MORTERI, rich yellow, shaded rosy-red; PONTICA MACRANTHA, rich deep
sulphur, very large and fine; PRINCESSE D'ORANGE, salmon-pink, very
fine; SANGUINEA, deep crimson; VISCOSA FLORIBUNDA, pure white, very
fragrant.
=A. arborescens= (tree-like).* _fl._ large, reddish, not clammy,
leafy; tube of corolla longer than the segments; calyx leafy, with
the segments oblong and acute. May. _l._, of the flower buds large,
yellowish-brown, surrounded with a fringed white border, obovate,
rather obtuse, smooth on both surfaces, glaucous beneath, ciliated
on the margins, and having the midrib almost smooth. _h._ 10ft. to
20ft. Pennsylvania, 1818. Deciduous species.
=A. balsaminæflora= (Balsam-flowered).* _fl._ bright salmony
red, finely double and rosette-like, the segments regularly
imbricated, much resembling in general appearance the blooms of
a Camellia-flowered Balsam. Japan. It is a distinct species,
and remains in bloom for a considerable period; the flowers are
invaluable for bouquets. See Fig. 196, for which we are indebted to
Mr. Bull.
=A. calendulacea= (Marigold-like).* _fl._ yellow, red, orange, and
copper coloured, large, not clammy, rather naked; tube of corolla
hairy, shorter than the segments. May. _l._ oblong, pubescent on
both surfaces, at length hairy. _h._ 2ft. to 6ft. Pennsylvania to
Carolina, 1806. This is said to be the handsomest shrub in North
America. There are several varieties of it in cultivation. Hardy;
deciduous. (B. M. 1721, 2143.)
=A. hispida= (bristly). _fl._ white, with a red border and a
tinge of red on the tube, which is wide and scarcely longer
than the segments, very clammy, leafy; stamens ten. July. _l._
long-lanceolate, hispid above, and smooth beneath, glaucous on both
surfaces, ciliated on the margins, and having the nerve bristly
beneath. Branches straight, and very hispid. _h._ 10ft. to 15ft.
New York, &c., 1734. A hardy deciduous species. (W. D. B. 1, 6.)
[Illustration: FIG. 197. FLOWER OF AZALEA LEDIFOLIA.]
=A. ledifolia= (Ledum-leaved).* _fl._ pure white, showy; corolla
campanulate; in threes at the extremities of the branches; calyx
erect, glandular, and viscid. March. _l._ elliptic-lanceolate. _h._
2ft. to 6ft. China, 1819. The whole shrub is very hairy. Hardy;
evergreen. SYN. _A. liliiflora_. See Fig. 197. (B. M. 2901.)
=A. liliiflora= (lily-flowered). Synonymous with _A. ledifolia_.
=A. nudiflora= (naked-flowered).* _fl._ in terminal clustered
racemes, appearing before the leaves, rather naked, not
clammy; tube of corolla longer than the segments; teeth of
calyx short, rather rounded; stamens much exserted. June. _l._
lanceolate-oblong, nearly smooth and green on both surfaces,
ciliated on the margins, having the midrib bristly beneath, and
woolly above. _h._ 3ft. to 4ft. North America, 1734. This species
hybridises very freely with _A. calendulacea_, _A. pontica_, _A.
viscosa_, &c., and descriptive lists of a host of hybrids of almost
every conceivable shade, both double and single, are to be found in
continental and home catalogues, to which the reader is referred.
Hardy. (W. F. A., t. 36.)
=A. pontica= (Pontic).* _fl._ leafy, clammy; corolla funnel-shaped;
stamens very long. May. _l._ shining, ovate, oblong, pilose,
ciliated. _h._ 4ft. to 6ft. Levant, Caucasus, &c., 1793. The
varieties of this species are also numerous, differing principally
in the colour of the flowers and the hue of the leaves. The flowers
are of all shades, and frequently striped. The name generally
adopted, as above, must not be confounded with _Rhododendron
ponticum_. If the genus _Azalea_ is merged into Rhododendron, as is
done by most systematists, this plant must be called by Don's name,
_Rhododendron flavum_. (I. H. 1864, 415.)
=A. procumbens= (procumbent). _See_ =Loiseleria procumbens=.
=A. speciosa= (showy).* _fl._ scarlet and orange coloured; corolla
silky, with obtuse, ciliated, lanceolate, undulated segments; calyx
pubescent. May. _l._ lanceolate, ciliated, acute at both ends.
Branches hairy. _h._ 3ft. to 4ft. North America. The varieties
of above are several, varying in the shape of the leaves and the
colour of the flowers. (L. B. C. 1255)
=A. viscosa= (clammy).* _fl._ white, sweet-scented, in terminal
clusters, downy, clammy, leafy; tube of corolla as long as the
segments. July. _l._ oblong-ovate, acute, smooth, and green on both
surfaces, ciliated on the margins, having the midrib bristly. _h._
2ft. to 4ft. North America, 1734. Like nearly all species belonging
to this genus, the varieties are many, varying in the colour of the
flowers and otherwise. (T. S. M. 438.)
=A. v. nitida= (shining).* _fl._ white, tinged with red, clammy,
leafy; tube of corolla a little longer than the segments. April.
_l._ oblanceolate, rather mucronate, leathery, smooth on both
surfaces, shining above, having the nerve bristly beneath, with
revolute, ciliated margins. _h._ 2ft. to 4ft. New York, 1812.
Hardy; deciduous. (B. R. 5, 414.)
_Indian or Chinese Azaleas._ This is a section of greenhouse
evergreen varieties obtained from _A. indica_ (which _see_), blooming
continuously from November to June, or even later, and of the greatest
value for all purposes, whether for decoration, cutting, or exhibition.
Cultivation: Thorough drainage is essential, and a compost of half
peat, the other half made up of fibrous loam, leaf soil, and sand, in
equal quantities. They cannot have too much light and air, and may be
grown to almost any size by shifting from one pot to a size larger.
In repotting, the whole of the crocks should be taken away from the
base of the ball of soil and roots, and the top should also be removed
till the fine roots are reached. The plant should then be put in the
new pot, and the additional soil rammed firm, in order to prevent the
water running through it, and thus depriving the plant of any benefit
therefrom. In all cases, the roots near the stem must be above the
soil, so that the water may not sink in next the stem, or death will
most certainly ensue. After potting, for a few days the plants should
be kept close and freely syringed, and as the growth is completed,
they may be well hardened off. The best time for potting is after
flowering, before the new growth has been made. From October to June
the plants should be in the greenhouse, and during the other months in
a cold frame, or plunged in pots in the open; or, what is preferable
in favoured localities, planted out in prepared beds; they will thus
be kept cleaner, and the growth will be much superior. In autumn they
may be lifted and repotted, placing in a shady position for a few days.
Water in abundance must be given throughout the blooming and growing
season; and the plants must, on no account, be allowed to become dry.
At the same time, a proper amount of care is most essential, as an
excessive amount of moisture is equally as fatal as drought. Cuttings
should be placed in sand under a bell glass with moderate bottom heat;
half-ripened ones are preferable. They must be cut up to a joint--the
base of a leaf--the lower leaves for an inch stripped off, and the stem
stuck into the sand, which should lay, about an inch thick, on the top
of sandy peat soil; the bottom of the cuttings should reach, but not go
quite into, the soil. The whole should be covered with a bell glass,
which must be wiped dry every morning. Soon after the cuttings have
commenced growing, place them in small pots. They are also very largely
and easily increased by grafting; indeed, this is the only satisfactory
method of securing standards. Seeds may be sown similar to the last
section, but in the greenhouse, and, when well up, pricked out into
little pots 1in. apart. Azaleas are liable to the attacks of thrips and
red spider, the latter being especially troublesome if the plants are
in a dry position; frequent syringing will materially help to eradicate
both pests. If insufficient, syringe with a solution of Gishurst's
Compound.
=A. amœna= (pleasing). _fl._ almost campanulate, rich crimson,
about 1-1/2in. across, hose-in-hose conformation, produced in great
profusion. April. _l._ small, size of the common Box, hairy. _h._
1ft. China. This is an elegant little neat and compact growing
shrub, which has proved to be quite hardy in England. (B. M.
4728.) A very beautiful series of hybrids have been obtained by
crossing this species with _A. indica_, which are most serviceable
and free. The following are most desirable: LADY MUSGRAVE, light
carmine; MISS BUIST, pure white; MRS. CARMICHAEL, rich magenta,
shaded crimson; PRIME MINISTER, soft pink, deep shaded, very free;
PRINCESS BEATRICE, light mauve, very distinct and free; PRINCESS
MAUDE, rich magenta, rose shaded.
[Illustration: FIG. 198. FLOWER OF AZALEA INDICA.]
=A. indica= (Indian).* _fl._ campanulate, terminal, solitary or
twin; calycine teeth long-lanceolate, obtuse, ciliated, spreading.
_l._ cuneate-lanceolate, finely crenelated, covered with sharp,
close-pressed rigid hairs, attenuated at both ends. Branches
also covered with sharp, close-pressed, rigid hairs. _h._ 3ft.
to 6ft. China, 1808. See Fig. 198. There are a great number of
garden seedlings of the Indian Azalea, including every shade and
colour. A selection to any extent may be made from the nurserymen's
catalogues, but, for the guidance of the amateur, we have made a
rigid selection of the best double and single varieties.
_Double-Flowered_: A. BORSIG, pure white; ALICE, rich deep
rose, blotched with vermilion, very fine; BERNARD ANDRÉ, dark
violet-purple, large, semi-double; CHARLES LEIRENS, dark salmon,
good form and substance; COMTESSE EUGENIE DE KERCHOVE, white,
flaked with red-carmine, semi-double; DOMINIQUE VERVAENE, bright
orange, very fine; DR. MOORE, deep rose, with white and violet
shading, very fine; EMPEREUR DE BRÉSIL, rich rose, banded white,
the upper petals marked red; FRANCIS DEVOS, deep crimson;
IMBRICATA, pure white, sometimes flaked with rose; MADAME IRIS
LEFEBVRE, dark orange, shaded with bright violet, and blotched with
chocolate; PRESIDENT GHELLINCK DE WALLE, intense rose, upper petals
blotched with lake, and crimson-rayed; SOUVENIR DE PRINCE ALBERT,
rich rose peach, broadly margined with pure white, very free and
beautiful.
_Single-Flowered_: CHARMER, rich amaranth, very large; COMTESSE
DE BEAUFORT, rich rose, the upper petals blotched with crimson;
CRITERION, rich salmon pink, white-margined; DUC DE NASSAU, rich
rosy-purple, very free and large; ECLATANTE, deep crimson, rose
shaded; FANNY IVERY, deep salmon-scarlet, blotched magenta, very
fine; FLAMBEAU, rich glowing crimson, extremely showy; JOHN GOULD
VEITCH, lilac-rose, netted and bordered white, and blotched with
saffron, very showy; LA SUPERBE, rich lake, bordered orange,
and black spotted, a very fine variety; LA VICTOIRE, centre
reddish, white towards the edge, the upper petals spotted with
maroon-crimson; LOUIS VON BADEN, pure white, a grand variety;
MADAME CHARLES VAN ECKHAUTE, pure white, with beautifully crisped
edges, of excellent form and substance; MADAME VAN HOUTTE, richly
flaked with carmine and rose, very large and free; MARQUIS OF
LORNE, brilliant scarlet, of the finest form and substance; MRS.
TURNER, bright pink, white-margined, and spotted with crimson;
PRESIDENT VAN DEN HECKE, white, striped and speckled with crimson,
with a yellow centre; PRINCESS ALICE, pure white, one of the best;
REINE DES PAYS-BAS, rich violet-pink, margined with white; ROI
D'HOLLANDE, dark blood-red, spotted with black; SIGISMUND RUCKER,
rich rose, white bordered, with crimson blotches; WILSON SAUNDERS,
pure white, striped and blotched with vivid red, very fine.
=A. mollis= (soft). Synonymous with _A. sinensis_.
=A. sinensis= (Chinese). _fl._ campanulate, downy, flame coloured;
stamens equal in length to the petals. May. _l._ slowly deciduous,
elliptic, acutish, pilosely pubescent, feather-nerved, with
ciliated margins, greyish beneath. _h._ 3ft. to 4ft. China and
Japan. A large number of seedlings and hybrids from this species
are in cultivation, known under the name of Japanese Azaleas, and
all are valuable for the decoration of the cool conservatory, or
for outdoor work. SYN. _A. mollis_. (L. B. C. 885.)
=AZARA= (in honour of J. N. Azara, a Spanish promoter of science, but
of botany in particular). ORD. _Bixineæ_. Showy evergreen, hardy and
half-hardy shrubs, with alternate, simple, stalked stipulate leaves,
and fragrant flowers. They thrive well in a compost of loam, leaf
soil, and sand. Ripened cuttings root readily if placed in sand, under
glass, in slight heat. It is believed that all the species enumerated
will prove hardy if a slight winter protection in midland and northern
counties be afforded. This precaution will be unnecessary in more
southern parts.
=A. dentata= (toothed). _fl._ yellow; corymbs sessile,
few-flowered. June. _l._ ovate, serrated, scabrous, tomentose
beneath; stipules leafy, unequal in size. _h._ 12ft. Chili, 1830.
(B. R. 1728.)
=A. Gillesii= (Gilles').* _fl._ bright yellow; panicles axillary,
densely packed. Spring. _l._ large, Holly-like, ovate, coarsely
toothed, smooth. _h._ 15ft. Chili, 1859. (B. M. 5178.)
[Illustration: FIG. 199. AZARA MICROPHYLLA, showing Habit, and Foliage
(half natural size).]
=A. integrifolia= (entire-leaved).* _fl._ yellow, on numerous
short axillary spikes, of an aromatic fragrance. Autumn. _l._
obovate or oblong, entire, smooth; stipules equal, permanent. _h._
18ft. Chili (about Conception), 1832. The variegated-leaved form,
although rare, is very ornamental. The variegation consists of
greenish-yellow, with a blotch of dark green, and in a young state
edged with deep pink.
=A. microphylla= (small-leaved).* _fl._ greenish, corymbose,
succeeded by numerous small orange-coloured berries. Autumn. _l._
small, distichous, obovate, obtuse, dark-shining green. _h._ 12ft.
Chiloe and Valdavia, 1873. This shrub is very ornamental as a
standard, and also excellent for covering walls. Quite hardy. See
Fig. 199, for which we are indebted to Messrs. Veitch and Sons.
=BABIANA= (from _babianer_, the Dutch for baboon; in reference to
the bulbs being eaten by baboons). ORD. _Iridaceæ_. A genus of very
ornamental bulbous plants confined to the Cape of Good Hope, with the
exception of a single species, which is found in Socotra. Flowers
occasionally fragrant, and generally characterised by their rich
self-colours, or the striking contrast of very distinct hues in the
same flower; perianth regular and symmetrical, with six ovate divisions
(tube varying in length). Stems from 6in. to 9in. high, arising from
a small bulb-like corm, and bearing tapering plaited leaves, which
are usually more or less densely covered with long hairs; the scapes
are racemose, each bearing about six or more simultaneously expanding
flowers. They may be successfully grown in pots. By this plan there
is, perhaps, less danger of loss, and their flowering season can be
prolonged considerably. A light sandy compost, with a small proportion
of well-decayed manure, is required, and thorough drainage is also most
essential. Use 48 or 60-sized pots, placing four or five corms in the
former, and two or three in the latter, and keep moderately dry until
they commence to form roots. October is the best time to pot. As soon
as the plants appear above ground, water may be carefully given, and
the supply proportionately increased as the plants develop. Very weak
liquid manure, applied twice a week, just as the spikes are pushing up,
will be beneficial. When the flowers fade, and the stems show signs of
decay, the supply of water must be gradually decreased, thus inducing
the thorough maturation of the corms, upon which the next season's
display depends. When quite down, store the pots in a dry place till
the time for repotting arrives, when the corms should be carefully
cleaned, and all offsets separated, the latter being potted up in the
same way as the parent corms in order to produce flowering specimens;
or they may be kept in a pot of sand and planted in a warm border
outside in March. Outdoor culture: A sheltered, sunny, and well-drained
situation is most essential to success. Although not absolutely
necessary, it is preferable to replant every year in early spring,
placing the bulbs about 5in. or 6in. deep, with a little sand sprinkled
about them. Planting may, of course, be done in autumn, when it will be
necessary to cover with cocoa nut fibre refuse to the depth of 5in. or
6in. In warm, sheltered situations, the corms may remain undisturbed;
but, as a rule, it is desirable to remove them late in autumn, when
the leaves are dead, and store them in dry sand through the winter in
a cool, airy position, free of frost. Mixed Babianas may be purchased
from dealers at a cheap rate, and, for general purposes, they are best
to plant. Propagation may be effected by offsets and seeds. The former
is the best and quickest method. The offsets should be grown in boxes
or planted out in light rich soil until large enough for flowering.
Seeds sown in pans, and placed in a gentle heat, will grow at almost
any time; the young plants will require to be carefully transplanted
each season until they develop into blooming corms.
[Illustration: FIG. 200. BABIANA STRICTA RUBRO-CYANEA.]
=B. cœrulescens= (bluish). Synonymous with _B. plicata_.
=B. disticha= (two-ranked).* _fl._ with a Hyacinth-like fragrance;
perianth pale blue; divisions narrow; margins undulated or crisped.
June, July. _l._ lanceolate, acute. _h._ 6in. 1774. (B. M. 626.)
=B. plicata= (folded).* _fl._ with a very fragrant clove
carnation-like perfume; perianth pale violet-blue; anthers blue,
and stigmas yellow. May, June. _l._ lanceolate, distinctly plicate.
_h._ 6in. 1774. SYNS. _B. cœrulescens_, _B. reflexa_. (B. M. 576.)
=B. reflexa= (reflexed). Synonymous with _B. plicata_.
=B. ringens= (gaping).* _fl._ scarlet, irregular in form, gaping,
very handsome. May, June. _l._ narrow, acute, deep green. _h._ 6in.
to 9in. 1752. (L. B. C. 1006.)
=B. sambucina= (Elder-scented). _fl._ bluish-purple, with an
Elder-like fragrance; perianth divisions spreading. April, May.
_l._ lanceolate, slightly plicate. _h._ 6in. to 9in. 1799. SYN.
_Gladiolus sambucinus_. (B. M. 1019.)
=B. stricta= (strict).* _fl._, perianth segments narrow, acute,
outer three white, inner three lilac-blue, with a dark blotch near
the base of each. May. _l._ broadly lanceolate, obtuse, ciliated.
_h._ 1ft. 1795. (B. M. 621.)
=B. s. angustifolia= (narrow-leaved). _fl._ fragrant; perianth
bright blue, slightly pink in the tube. May and June. _l._ linear,
acute, light green. _h._ 1ft. 1757. (B. M. 637.)
=B. s. rubro-cyanea= (red-and-blue).* _fl._ 2in. or more in
diameter; upper half of the perianth very brilliant blue, and
the lower part rich crimson, forming a central zone, in striking
contrast to the blue portion. May, June. _l._ broad, acuminated,
downy on the under surface. _h._ 6in. to 8in. 1796. See Fig. 200.
(B. M. 410.)
=B. a. sulphurea= (sulphur-coloured).* _fl._ cream-coloured or
pale yellow; anthers blue, and stigmas yellow; segments spreading.
April, May. _l._ narrow-obtuse. _h._ 9in. 1795. SYNS. _Gladiolus
sulphureus_, _G. plicatus_. (B. M. 1053.)
=B. s. villosa= (villous).* _fl._, perianth smaller than the last,
with the narrower segments rather more widely spreading than in
_B. s. rubro-cyanea_, brilliant crimson, with violet-blue anthers.
August. _h._ 6in. 1778. (B. M. 583.)