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Fritillaria (From fritillus a chess-board)

(from fritillus, a chess-board; referring to the chequered flowers of some species). Fritillary. Including Rhinopetalum and Theresia. ORD. Liliaceae. A genus comprising upwards of fifty species of hardy, bulbous plants. Flowers drooping, terminal or axillary, campanulate; perianth of six divisions, each with a nectar-bearing hollow at the base on the inside; style three-groved or trifid. Stems leafy. The usual mode of propagation is by offsets that are naturally developed by the plants when left undisturbed. Some of the freegrowing species produce many more of these than the small slender ones. Seeds are ripened freely by some species, but not by all of them in this country. If desired, these may be sown when ripe, in pans of sandy soil, and the seedlings allowed to remain for the first year, the young plants being impatient of root disturbance. It takes from four to six years to grow them from seed to a size sufficiently large for flowering. All small offsets should be collected when the old bulbs are being lifted or replanted. If they are placed in lines, a short distance apart, in a piece of prepared ground, flowering specimens may be more quickly obtained. Fritillarias are best suited for positions in the mixed flower border, arranged according to their several heights. They should have a rich, well-drained soil, as anything like stagnant water near the bulbs, especially with the small-growing species, proves destructive. It is not advisable to lift the bulbs oftener than every three or four years, if it can be avoided, and then they should be replanted without delay, and surrounded with some new soil. A dressing of manure, to established plants of Crown Imperials, just after growth commences, is beneficial, as a number of roots proceed from the flower-stem just above the bulb. The latter should be planted at least 4in. to 6in. below the surface, and from 1 1/2ft. to 2ft. apart. Fritillarias may be grown in large pots, if desired, in a cold frame, but must not be subjected to forcing in any way. They are perfectly hardy, and best suited for the open ground, but the young tender growths and flowers are liable to injury by late frosts in spring. F. acmopetala (sharp-petalled). fl. more or less drooping; perianth campanulate; segments more or less flushed with purple on the back and tip, the rest greenish, obovate-oblong, obtuse. Spring. l. rather glaucous, all alternate, linear. Stem slender, glaucous, one-flowered. h. 1ft. Alps of Asia Minor, 1875.

F. armena (Armenian).* fl. soft yellow, nodding, solitary, bellshaped. l. lanceolate, or linear-lanceolate. h. 6in. Armenia, 1878. A very pretty species, resembling our native one in time of flowering, &c. (B. M. 6365.) F. aurea (golden). fl., perianth bright yellow, solitary, cernuous, bell-shaped, 1in. deep, rounded equally from middle to base; divisions with seven to nine rows of small black tesserae much broader than deep; outer segments oblong, 3/8in. broad; inner ones obovate, 1/2in. broad. l. about ten to a stem; lower ones in whorls of three, linear, glaucescent, fleshy, 2in. to 3in. long; bract leaf solitary. Stem glaucescent, 6in. high. Cilicia, 1876. (R. G. 840.) F. dasyphylla (thick-leaved). fl. more or less drooping; perianth broadly funnel-shaped; segments purplish on the back, yellow, without any tessellations inside, with a small green oblong foveole above the base. April. l. green, fleshy, all alternate, or the lowest (and sometimes the uppermost) opposite; the lowest oblanceolate-oblong, sub-obtuse; the others lanceolate and linear. Stem one (rarely two) flowered. h. 6in. Asia Minor, 1875. (B. M. 6321.) F. delphinensis (Dauphine).* fl. drooping, inodorous; perianth vinous-purple, spotted yellow, often obscurely tessellated; segments oblong, obtuse; anthers yellow, three lines long. l. four to six, all above the middle of the stem, upper ones linear, lower ones oblanceolate. Stem very often one-flowered. h. 6in. to 12in. South Europe.

F. d. Burnati (Burnat's). fl. solitary, nodding, about 2in. long, bell-shaped; segments of perianth carinate outside in the lower half, lurid brownish-red, close. l. linear-lanceolate, slightly glaucous. h. 6in. to 8in. 1879. F. d. Moggridgei (Moggridge's). fl. yellow, tessellated inside with brown, solitary, large, cylindrical, bell-shaped. August. l. broad. h. 1ft. Maritime Alps, 1880. A very handsome variety. (Fl. Ment. 25.) F. graeca (Greek).* fl. solitary, rarely two, smaller than those of F. Meleagris, and less campanulate; sepals elliptical, slightly apart when fully open, tawny or ferruginous brown, spotted, but scarcely tessellated, with a dorsal green line continued to the projection which constitutes the nectary at the base. March. l., root ones from young bulbs 4in. to 6in. long, lanceolate, tapering into a petiole; cauline ones elliptical or linear-lanceolate, nearly erect, striated. Stem slender, erect, terete. h. 6in. Greece. This plant is closely allied to F. tulipifolia. (B. M. 5052.) F. Hookeri (Hooker's).* fl. pale lilac, racemose, bell-shaped, about 1in. long. Summer. l. about 8in. long. h. 6in. Sikkim, 1878. (B. M. 6385.) F. imperialis (Imperial).* Crown Imperial. fl. about the size of ordinary Tulips, varying in colour from yellow to crimson, drooping, disposed in a whorl at the top of the leafy stem, which is surmounted with a tuft of leaves. April. Stem 3ft. or more in height. Persia, 1596. (B. M. 194.) The following varieties are enumerated by Mr. T. S. Ware: Aurora, very distinct, curious bronzy-crimson flowers; aurea marginata, extremely showy, having the leaves margined with a broad, golden-yellow band; lutea, cluster of bright yellow flowers; Minature, a pretty, dwarf-growing, red-flowered variety; rubra, dark red flowers; rubra maxima, a fine form, with immense flowers; Slagzwaard, a fasciated form, immense deep red flowers; sulphurine, large, sulphur-coloured flowers.

F. involucrata (involucrate). fl. drooping; perianth vinous-purple, slightly tessellated; divisions oblong. May. l. linear-lanceolate, opposite below, forming a whorl of three above. Stems one-flowered. h. 1ft. Maritime Alps. (Fl. Ment. 36.) F. kamtschatcensis (Kamtschatkan). fl., perianth livid vinous-purple, not tessellated, campanulate, 1in. to 1 1/4in. long, the segments oblong-oblanceolate, obtuse; pedicels drooping, 1/2in. to 1in. long. Spring. l. ten to fifteen above the middle of the stem; lower ones in whorls, lanceolate, 2in. to 4in. long. Stem 6in. to 18in. high. Eastern Siberia, &c. SYN. Lilium camtschatcense. (R. G. 173.) F. Karelini (Karelin's). fl. pale purple, spotted, bell-shaped, racemose. h. 6in. Central Siberia to Beloochistan, 1834. SYN. Rhinopetalum Karelini. (B. M. 6406.) F. lanceolata (lanceolate-leaved). fl. dull vinous-purple. l. lanceolate, whorled. h. 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. North-west America, 1872. (H. F. B. A. ii. 193.) F. lutea (yellow).* fl. drooping; perianth yellow, more or less suffused with purple; segments oblong-lanceolate, five to eight lines broad. April and May. l. linear-lanceolate, alternate; the upper approximated, shorter than the terminal solitary flower. Stem very often one-flowered. h. 6in. to 1ft. Caucasus, 1812. (B. M. 1538.) F. l. latifolia (broad-leaved). fl. vinous-purple, greenish, or tessellated with yellow. April and May. l. lanceolate, approximated; the upper opposite, as long as the terminal solitary flower. Caucasus, 1604. (B. M. 853, 1207.) F. macrandra (large-anthered). fl., perianth purple, with a glaucous tinge on the outside, yellow with green lines quite untessellated on the face, funnel-shaped; anthers two and a-half lines long, oblong, with a very distinct cusp. May. l. five or six, scattered, green, fleshy, ascending; lower ones oblong-lanceolate, 3in. to 4in. long; upper ones linear, under 1/2in. long. Island of Syra, 1875.

F. macrophylla (large-leaved).* fl. rose, racemose, horizontal, campanulate; perianth segments obovate-lanceolate, with a darker mass at base; stamens declinate. April to June. l. alternate, linear, acuminate, soft. h. 3ft. Mussooree, 1843. (B. M. 4725, under name of Lilium roseum; B. R. xxxi. 1, under name of Lilium Thomsianum.) F. Meleagris (Guinea-fowl-like).* Common Fritillary: Snake's Head. fl. chequered with pale and dark purple, terminal, pendulous, solitary; points of perianth turned inward. April. l. alternate, narrow-lanceolate. h. 1ft. Europe (Britain, especially in Oxfordshire) to Caucasus. (Sy. En. B. 1519.) There are white and double-flowered forms of this species.

F. meleagroides (Guinea-fowl-like). fl. dark purple. April. h. 6in. Altai Mountains, 1830. (B. M. 3280, under name of F. minor.) F. montana (mountain). A synonym of F. tenella.

F. obliqua (oblique). fl. brown, purple; corolla turbinate. April. l. glaucous, numerous, oblique. h. 1ft. Caucasus. (B. M. 857.) F. oxypetala (sharp-petalled). See Lilium oxypetalum. F. pallidiflora (pale-flowered).* fl. yellow, beautifully chequered in the interior. l. large, glaucous-blue. h. 9in. Siberia, 1880. Very distinct. (R. G. 209.) F. persica (Persian).* fl. deep violet-blue, rather small, bell-shaped, slightly scented. h. 3ft. Persia, 1596. Very distinct and curious. (B. M. 1537.) F. p. minor (smaller). A smaller-flowered form, with the stamens slightly longer than the perianth. (B. M. 962.) F. pudica (chaste).* fl. dark yellow, more than 1in. across, bell-shaped, usually solitary, sometimes twin. May. l. alternate, linear, glaucous. Stem upright, leafy. h. 6in. to 9in. North-west America.

F. p. lutescens (yellowish) has a yellowish-green stripe on the outer segments of the perianth.

F. p. nigra (black) is a garden form, with leaves 1/2in. to 3/4in. wide, and three or four dark-coloured flowers.

F. pyrenaica (Pyrenese).* fl. deep purple, large. June. h. 1 1/2ft. Mountains of Southern France and Northern Spain, 1605. (B. M. 664.) F. recurva (recurved).* fl. bright scarlet; perianth segments recurved. May. Stems one to nine-flowered. h. 2ft. California, 1870. A very distinct and beautiful species, with flowers nearly as large as those of F. Meleagris.(B. M. 6264.) F. ruthenica (Russian). fl. brown and yellow. May. l. linear-lanceolate. h. 1ft. Caucasus, 1826. (S. B. F. G. ser. ii. 243.) F. Sewerzowi (Sewerzow's). fl. drooping, forming a loose raceme; perianth lurid purple, with a glaucous tint outside, greenish-yellow within, not at all tessellated, funnel-shaped; segments sub-equal, oblanceolate-oblong, sub-acute, with a raised keel outside down the lower half, which is more strongly marked in the outer three, and a yellow-green linear nectary at the top of the claw inside. l. five or six below the inflorescence, all except the lowest oppostie or sub-opposite, sessile, oblong, obtuse, rather glaucous when young. Stem long, glaucous, terete. h. 1 1/2ft. Turkestan, 1873. A very curious plant. (B. M. 6371.) SYN. Korolkowia Sewerzowi (R. G. 760). F. tenella (tender).* fl. yellowish, densely chequered with purple-brown; perianth divsions oblong-elliptic, rounded at apex, the nectariferous division at base narrow-oblong. April. l. distant from one another, nearly straight, linear-oblong; the uppermost two or three forming a whorl, rather distant from the flower; the lowest pair opposite or nearly so, the intermediate ones alternate. Stem stiff,' nearly straight. Maritime Alps, 1867. SYN. F. montana (under which name it is figured in fl. Ment. 66). There is a variety racemosa (figured in B. M. 952).

F. tulipifolia (Tulip-leaved).* fl. glaucous blue, solitary, variable in size, nodding, tulip-shaped; perianth segments sub-equal, oblong, obtuse, or obtusely apiculate, rusty brown-purple within, not tessellated; the outer dark glaucous blue, streaked with the same purple outside; the inner with a broad glaucous blue band down the back. March. l. elliptic, or elliptic-lanceolate, subacute, concave, sessile, straight; sheath very short, nerveless, pale green; upper linear-lanceolate. Stem slender, leafless below, but there clothed with appressed sheaths. Caucasus, &c., 1872. An elegant little plant, remarkable for the peculiar colour of its flowers. (B. M. 5969.) F. verticillata (verticillate). fl. white, at the base externally green, and within at the base sprinkled with small purplish spots; solitary, axillary, or terminal, nodding; segments tipped with a green, callous, slightly pubescent apex. May. l. bright green, or slightly glaucous, somewhat crowded about the middle of the stem; the lowest pair opposite, many-nerved, without a conspicuous middle rib, ovate, tapering towards the apex, which is rather blunt. Stem simple. Altaic Mountains, 1830. (B. M. 3083, under name of F. leucantha.) F. v. Thunbergii (Thunberg's).* fl. greenish, mottled, with pale purple, small, solitary, bell-shaped. l. long, narrow, linear, terminating in a tendril. China and Japan, 1880.

F. Walujewi (Walujew's). fl. lead-coloured outside, within purple-brown, with whitish spots, large, solitary. l. linear, attenuated into a tendril; those at the middle of the stem verticillate. h. 1ft. Central Asia, 1879. (R. G. 993.) FRCELICHIA (named in honour of Jos. Al. Froelich, a German physician and botanist, 1796-1841). ORD. Amarantaceae. A genus containing about ten species of annual or perennial herbs, found in the warmer parts of the New World, from Texas to South Brazil. Flowers hermaphrodite, bracteate; spikes sessile or stalked. Leaves opposite, sessile (radical stalked), ovate, linear-oblong or spathulate. They thrive in sandy loam and leaf mould. Propagated by seeds sown in heat, in spring.

F. floridana (Florida). fl. white, tomentose or woolly, in ovate or oblong spikes. l. varying from linear to oblong; bracts mostly blackish, shorter than the woolly calyx. Stem, erect, simple or branched. h. 6in. to 3ft. Southern United States. (B. M. 2603, under name of Oplotheca floridana.) FROG HOPPER, FROG SPIT, or CUCKOO SPIT (Aphrophora spumaria). The insects secreting "Frog Spit," which often so disfigures plants, are commonly known as