Lachenalia
Read about Lachenalia in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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Lachenalia (Werner de Lachenal, 1736-1800, professor of botany at Basel). Including Scillopsis. Liliaceae. Cape Cowslip. Small Cape bulbs that are easily flowered in a cool greenhouse in early spring or even in winter; some of them are useful also for the window-garden. Plant comprised of a tunicated bulb, a leafless peduncle or scape bearing a raceme or spike of fls. in shades of red and yellow, sometimes white, and usually 2 lvs. at the base of the scape: perianth tubular, persistent, the 3 outer segms. oblong and slightly swollen near the apex, the 3 inner segms. commonly longer and obtuse-spatulate; stamens 6, attached in the perianth-tube; style long and slender, with capitate stigma: caps, loculicidally 3-valved, with turgid black seeds.—Species about 50, in S. Afr. They have a remarkable range of color, and with good management may be kept in an attractive condition for 2 months or more. There are species with bell-shaped fls. and some in which the fls. are all more or less erect, but the favorite types are the long, cylindrical, pendulous fls. with the brilliant red and yellow colors. But few species are cult., the most popular being L. tricolor, particularly its var. Nelsonii and some of the recent forms with personal names. L. pendula is perhaps second in popularity, the others being known chiefly to bulb fanciers. Lachenalias are very distinct in coloring and general appearance. They usually have 2 lvs. (sometimes 5 in. cult.), rarely 1, and the bulbs are globose, tunicated, and about 1/2-1 in. thick. An exceptionally strong bulb, under the most favorable conditions sends up 3 or 4 erect fl.-stalks 9 in. high, with as many as 40 fls., each 1-1 1/2 in. long. Under careless treatment the lvs. and fl.-stalks are weaker, and bear perhaps 6-12 fls. Lachenalias are good subjects for hanging-baskets.It is well to make one job of it, planting freesias and lachenalias together. Six are planted in a 6-inch pot, in good rich loam. They probably do as well without leaf-soil, if the drainage is good. They are stored in a well-protected coldframe until late in November, but might be kept longer, as a pinch of frost will not hurt them. After they are brought into the greenhouse, and make good growth, plenty of water may be given, and, occasionally, liquid manure. A night temperature of 50° F. will be found about right, but they scarcely bear forcing until the flowering scapes show. If forced before the bulbs show, the flowers are often malformed. They last in bloom from six to eight weeks, after which follows the same routine.—After blooming, the plants should be set on a shelf in a light position and watered as carefully as before the blooming season, less water being given as signs of maturity appear; viz., discolored leaves and withered flower-stems. When thoroughly ripened, they are stored in the pots they have grown in and kept quite dry until the month of August. They must be repotted then. If by chance drip should strike the soil, the plants may be found starting into growth. The bulbs multiply rapidly, more than doubling in a season. Fully one-third of the extra bulbs will be serviceable, and still more would make bloom of less decorative value. There are many more—bulblets —which can be sown on the borders of carnation or violet benches, a large number making good-sized bulbs in one season. Seeds of luchenalias germinate readily in a few weeks, and with good treatment many seedlings will bloom before going to rest. In the opinion of the writer, L. Nelsonii, is still the most satisfactory kind to grow. (T. D. Hatfield.)
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Read about Lachenalia in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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Lachenalia (Werner de Lachenal, 1736-1800, professor of botany at Basel). Including Scillopsis. Liliaceae. Cape Cowslip. Small Cape bulbs that are easily flowered in a cool greenhouse in early spring or even in winter; some of them are useful also for the window-garden. Plant comprised of a tunicated bulb, a leafless peduncle or scape bearing a raceme or spike of fls. in shades of red and yellow, sometimes white, and usually 2 lvs. at the base of the scape: perianth tubular, persistent, the 3 outer segms. oblong and slightly swollen near the apex, the 3 inner segms. commonly longer and obtuse-spatulate; stamens 6, attached in the perianth-tube; style long and slender, with capitate stigma: caps, loculicidally 3-valved, with turgid black seeds.—Species about 50, in S. Afr. They have a remarkable range of color, and with good management may be kept in an attractive condition for 2 months or more. There are species with bell-shaped fls. and some in which the fls. are all more or less erect, but the favorite types are the long, cylindrical, pendulous fls. with the brilliant red and yellow colors. But few species are cult., the most popular being L. tricolor, particularly its var. Nelsonii and some of the recent forms with personal names. L. pendula is perhaps second in popularity, the others being known chiefly to bulb fanciers. Lachenalias are very distinct in coloring and general appearance. They usually have 2 lvs. (sometimes 5 in. cult.), rarely 1, and the bulbs are globose, tunicated, and about 1/2-1 in. thick. An exceptionally strong bulb, under the most favorable conditions sends up 3 or 4 erect fl.-stalks 9 in. high, with as many as 40 fls., each 1-1 1/2 in. long. Under careless treatment the lvs. and fl.-stalks are weaker, and bear perhaps 6-12 fls. Lachenalias are good subjects for hanging-baskets. It is well to make one job of it, planting freesias and lachenalias together. Six are planted in a 6-inch pot, in good rich loam. They probably do as well without leaf-soil, if the drainage is good. They are stored in a well-protected coldframe until late in November, but might be kept longer, as a pinch of frost will not hurt them. After they are brought into the greenhouse, and make good growth, plenty of water may be given, and, occasionally, liquid manure. A night temperature of 50° F. will be found about right, but they scarcely bear forcing until the flowering scapes show. If forced before the bulbs show, the flowers are often malformed. They last in bloom from six to eight weeks, after which follows the same routine.—After blooming, the plants should be set on a shelf in a light position and watered as carefully as before the blooming season, less water being given as signs of maturity appear; viz., discolored leaves and withered flower-stems. When thoroughly ripened, they are stored in the pots they have grown in and kept quite dry until the month of August. They must be repotted then. If by chance drip should strike the soil, the plants may be found starting into growth. The bulbs multiply rapidly, more than doubling in a season. Fully one-third of the extra bulbs will be serviceable, and still more would make bloom of less decorative value. There are many more—bulblets —which can be sown on the borders of carnation or violet benches, a large number making good-sized bulbs in one season. Seeds of luchenalias germinate readily in a few weeks, and with good treatment many seedlings will bloom before going to rest. In the opinion of the writer, L. Nelsonii, is still the most satisfactory kind to grow. (T. D. Hatfield.) Index. atroviolacea, 5. aurea, 4. aurcliana, 3. Commii, 4. convallarioides, 10. d'Anconae, 4. glaucina, 6. liliflora, 7. lucida. 11. luteola, 4. luteola maculata, 4. mutabilis, 5. Nelsonii, 4. orchioides, 5. pallida, 11. pendula, 3. pustulata, 8. quadricolor, 4. racemosa, 11. reflexa, 1. Regeliana, 1. robusta, 10. rubida, 2. superba, 4. tricolor, 4. unifolia. 9. violacea, 8. virenti-flava, 5. 1. Lachenalia reflexa, Thunb. (Caelanthus complicatus, Willd.). Bulb globose, 3/4, in. or less diam.: lvs. 2, thin, falcate, clasping the base of the st. for 1-2 in.: peduncle and infl. 2-6 in. long; spike usually few-fld., the rachis flexuose; fls. all erect or spreading, yellowish, about 1 in. long; inner segms. slightly longer than the outer and spreading at the very tip; stamens included, but style becoming exserted.—L. Regeliana is a hybnd of this and L. tricolor var. aurea. 2. Lachenalia rubida, Jacq. Bulb globose, about 1/2 in. thick: peduncle and infl. 6-9 in. long: lvs. usually 2, much- narrowed to base, spotted: raceme 6-20-fld.; outer segms. bright red, tipped green; inner ones yellow below the tip, a little longer than the outer segms. 3. Lachenalia pendula, Ait. Bulb globose, about 1 in. thick: peduncle and infl. 6-12 in. long, more robust than in Nos. 2 and 4; raceme few- or many-fld., 2-6 in. long, all except the upper fls. more or less nodding; outer segms. linear-oblong, yellow, passing upward into red, not spotted; inner bright red- purple at the tip, little if at all exceeding the outer. B.M. 590. Gn. 18:60; 23, p. 142; 33, p. 249, and 45, p. 355. Gt. 61, p. 218. G.W. 10, p. 329. G. 5:551. F. 1871:265. V. 8:172. Var aureliana, Hort., has outer scgms. red, barely tipped yellow; inner ones tipped green. R.H. 1890:396. G.C. III. 23:195. 4. Lachenalia tricolor, Thunb. Bulb globose, to 1 in. diam.: peduncle and infl. to 1 ft.: lvs. usually 2, 6-9 in. long, often spotted: raceme mostly 3—4-fld., sometimes many- fld.; lower fls. nodding; outer segms. yellow, tipped green; inner purplish red at the tip, much exceeding the outer. L.B.C. 8:767. B.M. 82. F. 1871:265. Gn. 18: 60; 47, p. 163. G.W. 10:329. Var. quadricolor, Baker (L. quadricolor, Jacq.). Perianth with a red base and greenish yellow middle; outer segms. tipped green; inner ones tipped red-purple. L.B.C. 8:746. Var. luteola, Baker (L. luteola, Jacq.). Perianth lemon- yellow, tinged green toward the tip. B.M. 1020; 1704. L.B.C. 8: 734. F.S. 18:1873. Var. luteola maculata, Hort. (L. luteola maculata, Hort.), differs from the preceding in having spotted foliage. Var. Nelsonii, Baker (L. Nelsonii, Hort.). Fig. 2055. Perianth bright yellow, both series of segms. faintly tinged green: probably the lachenalia most grown in this country, bearing freely for a long season long racemes of brilliant fls.: treated much as are hyacinths indoors, being kept cool. Gn. 49, p. 470; 75. p. 143. Gng. 5:262. J.H. III. 30:231; 62:291; 63:136. Gn.W. 16:25; 21:301. G.W. 43:591; 52:724. G.Z. 31:121. G. 19:174. Var. aurea, Hook. (L. aurea, Lindl.). Perianth bright orange- yellow. F. 1871:265. B.M. 5992.—Baker observes that "the varieties are connected by intermediate stages. Several hybrids between L. pendula and the varieties of L. tricolor are in cult., the finest of which is L. Commii, Hort., which combines the bright yellow fls. of L. aurea, with the habit of L. pendula. Var. superba, Hort., is described as a very large form with boldly colored fls. Var. d'Anconae, Hort., is a form with light yellow fls. tipped green and purple. 5. Lachenalia orchioides, Ait. Bulb globose, to 1 in. diam.: lvs. usually 2, strap-shaped, often spotted, 1 in. wide, clasping the base of the st.: peduncle and infl. 6-12 in.; fls. white, yellow, red or blue, all ascending, the perianth only about 1/3 in. long; stamens and style included; inner segms. somewhat longer than outer. B.M. 854; 1269. L.B.C. 11:1076 (as L. mutabilis). "The most striking color forms," says Baker, "are atroviolacea, hyacinth-blue; virenti-flava, greenish yellow, and mutabilis, inner segms. dull yellow, tipped red-brown." 6. Lachenalia glaucina, Jacq. Bulb globose, 1 in. diam.: lvs. as in No. 5: fls. long, white, red, yellow or tinged blue, erect-spreading; perianth 1/2— 3/4 in long; stamens and style reaching tips of inner segms. which are longer than outer. B.M. 3552. B.R. 1350; 1945 (both as L. pallida). 7. Lachenalia liliflora, Jacq. Bulb globose: lvs. 2, lanceolate and falcate, about 1 in. broad, with pustules on the face: peduncle and infl. about 12 in., bearing 12-20 densely racemose fls. which are white; perianth 3/4 in. long, all the segms. spreading, the outer longer than the inner; stamens equaling inner segms. G.C. III. 38:259. 8.Lachenalia pustulata. Jacq. Bulb 1/2 in. diam.: lvs. 2, fleshy, pustulate or blistered on the face, lanceolate: peduncle 3—6 in.; fls. white or faintly tinged red, in a dense spike- like raceme 2-3 in. long; perianth 1/3 in. long; outer segms. slightly longer than inner, and stamens somewhat exserted. B.M. 817. Perhaps synonymous with No. 11. Var. violacea, Hort., is cult. 9. Lachenalia unifolia, Jacq. Bulb globose, small: lf. 1, linear- subulate and erect, brown-banded and clasping at the base: peduncle and infl. 6-12 in. long, carrying a lax 6-20-fld. raceme; fls. white, or more or less tinged with red or blue; perianth about 1/2 in. long; inner segms. protruding, and the stamens of similar length. B.M. 766. 10. Lachenalia convallarioides, Baker. Bulb globose, 1/2 in. or less long: lf. 1, linear and erect, channelled: peduncle 4-6 in. long, bearing fls. in a short lax raceme; perianth 1/8 in. long, purplish becoming white; inner and outer segms. about same length; stamens included; fls. with heath-like odor. There is a var. robusta, Baker, more robust, with 20-30 fls., and lvs. rarely 2. 11.Lachenalia pallida (L. lucida, L. racemosa). Bulb globose, 1/2 in. diam.: lvs. 2, pustulate or blistered, strap-shaped: peduncle 6 in. long, bearing a moderately dense raceme 2-3 in. long; fls. white, the perianth 1/4 in. long; outer segms. tipped green, shorter than the inner segms.; stamens equaling inner segms. B.M. 1372: 1517. L. veridis — Dipcadi filamentosum. — Various species have been more or less cult. under the name Scillopsis, but they belong in Lachenalia. The generic names Orchiops and Orchiastrum also belong here.
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 Lachenalia carnosa, Goegap N.R., Namaqualand, Northern Cape, South Africa | ||||||||||||
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Lachenalia is a genus of bulbs in the Hyacinthaceae family, which are usually found in Namibia and South Africa. Most of these plants have a dormancy period, and the new roots of these plants will always grow every year.
Species List
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