Tecophilaea
(named after Tecophila, the daughter of Billotti, a botanist). SYNS. Distrepta, Phyganthus, Poeppigia. ORD. Haemodoraceae. A small genus (two species) of greenhouse, bulbous plants, natives of Chili. Flowers on rather long pedicels; perianth shortly and narrowly tubular above the half-inferior ovary, the lobes much longer, obovate-oblong, flat, sub-equal; scape included at base within a sheath with the leaves, otherwise leafless, one or loosely few-flowered. Leaves radical, few or solitary, spreading, linear or lanceolate, the base included in a long, scarious sheath. T. cyaneo-crocea, the only species yet introduced, thrives in a compost of rich, sandy loam. The bulbs should be kept dry during their season of rest. Propagation may be effected either by seeds or by offsets.
T. cyaneo-crocea (blue-and-yellow). Chilian Crocus. fl., perianth of a beautiful blue, with a whitish throat, 1 1/4in. to 1 1/2in. long, the segments obovate, many-nerved; peduncles one to three, erect, simple, one-flowered, ebracteate, 1in. to 2in. long. l., produced radical ones two or three, linear, acuminate, channelled, undulated, 3in. to 6in. long, 1/4in. to 1/2in. broad. 1872.
T. c.-c. Regelii (Regel's). fl., perianth segments narrower than in the type, 1in. long, oblong; peduncles longer. l. narrower, not undulated. (R. G. 718, under name of T. cyaneocrocea.)