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Brunsvigia (Named after the noble House)

(named after the noble House of Brunswick). ORD. Amaryllideae. Very showy greenhouse bulbous plants, from the Cape of Good Hope. Flowers red, on very long pedicels. Bulbs large. Leaves broad, horizontal; perianth with an evident longer or shorter tube, curving upwards, funnel-shaped, deeply six-parted, deciduous; segments sub-equal, many-nerved, flat, and recurved at the apex; stamens on the tube much curved upwards; scape appearing in summer without the leaves; umbels many-flowered. Propagation is effected by offsets, of which the large bulbs produce but few. These, when secured, may be removed after reaching some considerable size, carefully potted in a mixture of sandy loam and peat, with good drainage, and kept tolerably warm and close until established; water must be given but sparingly until root-action has commenced. The best place for growing the offsets into a flowering size is on a shelf near the glass, in a temperature of from 50deg. to 55deg. With an abundance of water while growing, and kept dry while semi-dormant, thus allowing them a rest, the bulbs will speedily increase in size; but it may be years before flowers are produced. Culture: This may be divided into two periods--one of growth, and one of rest. After the latter period, they should be allowed to start into fresh growth, without stimulation, and, as soon as started liberal supplies of water should be given, and a genial temperature of from 60deg. to 65deg. maintained, to make them grow vigorously. Good-sized pots are also necessary, with a mixture of loam, peat, and sand, in equal parts. They are usually confined to the greenhouse, or warm conservatory, but are sometimes successfully grown in a south border at the base of a wall, planted out in a pit, upon which the lights may be placed in winter, and matted if necessary, as they cannot endure frost. A good depth of soil, consisting of fibrous loam, peat, and sand, in equal proportions, with good drainage, should be prepared. In all cases, the bulbs should be planted somewhat deeply. One of the most satisfactory methods of ensuring the flowering of these plants consists in subjecting the bulbs, when at rest, to a hot dry heat of 70deg. or more, which thoroughly ripens them; but, after this treatment, it will be necessary to encourage the after-growth to the fullest possible extent.

B. ciliaris (hair-fringed). fl. dull purple. l. strongly fringed with white hairs. h. 1ft. 1752. (B. R. 1153.) B. Cooperi (Cooper's).* fl. sulphur-coloured, edged with red; umbels twelve to sixteen-flowered. l. ligulate-obtuse, bifarious, fleshy. h. 1 1/2ft. 1872. (Ref. B. 330.) B. falcata (sickle-leaved).* fl. red. May. l. sickle-shaped, with a muricated, discoloured, cartilaginous edge. h. 9in. 1774. (B. M. 1443.) SYN. Ammocharis falcata.

B. Josephineae (Josephine's).* fl. scarlet; scape twice as long as the rays of the many-flowered umbel. l. strap-shaped, erect, spreading, glaucous. h. 1 1/2ft. This handsome species is much grown. 1814. (B. M. 2578.) minor and striata are varieties.

B. multiflora (many-flowered).* fl. red, loosely umbellate. June. l. linguiform, smooth, lying on the ground. h. 1ft. 1752. (B. M. 1619.) B. toxicaria (poison-bulb).* fl. pink; umbel hemispherical, many-flowered. September to October. l. many, erect, oblique, glancous. h. 1ft. 1774. (B. R. 567.) B. coranica is a variety of this 1815. (B. R. 139.)