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Tulips (Both single and double kinds)

Both single and double kinds succeed admirably, but preference must be accorded the former, which are very distinct and beautiful. For pot-culture and forcing, Tulips--at least, the early-flowering varieties--are invaluable. So soon as the annual consignments arrive from Holland, the supply for the season should be procured, and a portion potted. From three to five bulbs, according to size, are requisite for a 5in. pot, and a compost of two parts loam to one of light manure, with some sand intermixed, is suitable. Afterwards plunge the pots in ashes or cocoa-nut fibre outside, and introduce into gentle heat when the bulbs are well rooted, and begin to push their shoots. Successional supplies should be similarly treated, according to requirements, and the quantity of bulbs at command. The species here described are those best known in gardens, and are based on Mr. Baker's admirable monograph of the genus, which appeared in the "Gardeners' Chronicle" for 1883. His synopsis of the species, adjusted to the requirements of this work, is given below.

Sub-genus I. Tulipa proper.

Ovary with a sessile stigma.

SECTION 1. ERIOBULBAE. Perianth bright red; filaments without a tuft of hairs at the base. Lower leaf usually oblong-lanceolate. Outer bulb coats densely coated inside with soft, intertangled, cottony hairs. maleolens montana Oculus-solis praecox SECTION 2. CLUSIANAE (type, T. Clusiana). Flowers mainly white, between funnel-shaped and campanulate; filaments without a tuft of hairs at the base. Leaves narrow and grass-like. Outer bulb coats densely hairy inside. Clusiana Stellata SECTION 3. GESNERIANAE (type, T. Gesneriana). Perianth usually bright red, campanulate; filaments without a tuft of hairs at the base. Lower leaf broad, with two or three exceptions. Bulb coats glabrous, or with only a few adpressed hairs inside. This is the largest section of the genus, and the one to which all the species most valuable for garden purposes belong. It may be best divided into groups by characters derived from the shape of the perianth segments and the vestiture of the peduncles:

Group 1. Perianth segments all uniform and acuminate. acuminata elegans retroflexa Group 2. Perianth segments all, or the three outer, oblong, acute; peduncle glabrous. brachystemon cruciata Didieri Elwesii Kesselringii Kolpakowskiana triphylla undulatifolia Group 3. Perianth segments all broadly rounded at the apex, with a small cusp in the centre; peduncle glabrous. Borsczowi Gesneriana macrospeila Ostrowskiana Group 4. Perianth segments all narrowed to an acute point. altaica Kaufmanniana strangulata suaveolens Group 5. Perianth segments all obtuse; peduncle permanently pubescent. Alberti Eichleri Greigi iliensis maculata pubescens SECTION 4. SAXATILES. Perianth red or lilac; filaments furnished with a tuft of hairs at the base. These are a little group of fine species, all belonging to the oriental flora, and all, as yet, little known in cultivation. Aucheriana Hageri pulchella saxatilis SECTION 5. SYLVESTRES. Perianth always yellow or yellowish-white; filaments with a tuft of hairs at the base. The species of this section have been comparatively little cultivated, and are of much less interest from a horticultural point of view than those of any of the foregoing. They may be divided into three groups by the colour of the flower: Group 1. Flowers bright yellow, flushed with green on the outside. Biebersteiniana fragrans Grisebachiana sylvestris Group 2. Perianth bright yellow, flushed with red on the outside. australis humilis Orphanidea Group 3. Perianth pale yellow or whitish inside, tinged with green or reddish outside. biflora patens primulina turkestanica Sub-genus II. Orithyia.

Ovary narrowed gradually into a distinct style, which is tipped with three small stigmas. The species of thus sub-genus are all dwarf, small-flowered, fragile plants, of little horticultural interest, natives of Siberia, China, and Japan. They may be arranged in three groups, according to leafage: Group 1. Leaves two, sub-opposite, placed about the middle of the stem. uniflora Group 2. Leaves three, crowded near the base of the stem. thianschanica Group 3. Leaves, two large ones low down on the stem, and two to four small ones near each flower. edulis T. acuminata (acuminate). Turkish Tulip. fl., perianth variable in colour, 3in. to 4in. long, the segments all alike, narrowed gradually into a very long point; peduncle glabrous. April. l. (and bulb) as in T. Gesneriana. Native country unknown. A distinct type. See Fig. 117. SYN. T. cornuta (B. R. 127). T. Alberti (Albert Regel's). fl., perianth orange-scarlet, the base faintly blotched with red-brown on a yellow groundwork, campanulate, 2in. long, the three inner segments obtuse, the three outer sub-acute; filaments yellow, exceeding the dark purple anthers; peduncle erect, pubescent, 6in. to 9in. long. April. l. glaucous-green, lanceolate, without blotches. h. 2ft. Central Asia, 1877. (B. M. 6761; R. G. 912.) T. altaica (Altaian). fl., perianth usually yellow, rarely red, 1in. to 1 1/2in. long in wild specimens, the segments oblong and decidedly acute, without any basal blotch; peduncle pubescent, 3in. to 4in. long. April. l. usually three, the lowest lanceolate, about 1in. broad. Stem 6in. to 9in. long. Bulb 3/4in. to 1in. in diameter, the outer tunics without any hairs inside. South-central Siberia. The red-flowered variety is figured in R. G. 942.

T. Aucheriana (Aucher Eloy's). fl. strongly fragrant; perianth oblong-infundibular, 1in. to 1 1/4in. long, all the segments mauvelilac, nearly alike, oblong, acute, 1/2in. broad, with a bright yellow claw; stamens 3/4in. long, the yellow filaments twice as long as the anthers, densely hairy at base; peduncle slender, glabrous. April. l. three or four, linear, glabrous, acute, 4in. to 6in. long, 1/2in. broad, gradually narrowed from the middle to the base and apex. Stems 4in. to 8in. long, slender, glabrous, one-headed. Bulb ovoid, medium-sized. Teheran, 1880. T. australis (Southern).* This is distinguished from T. sylvestris by its more funnel-shaped perianth, flushed with red on the outside, 1in. to 1 1/4in. long, its narrower leaves, and its more slender habit. Savoy. SYNS. T. Breyniana (B. M. 717), T. Celsiana. T. humilis is a dwarf species closely allied to T. australis; it is a native of the mountains of Persia. T. Biebersteiniana (Bieberstein's). This resembles T. sylvestris, but the perianth is smaller and more funnel-shaped, and the plant is less robust in habit. Asia Minor, Siberia, &c., 1820.

T. bilfora (two-flowered). fl., perianth white inside, with a yellow eye, tinged green outside, oblong, infundibular, the segments oblong, acute; anthers minute. April l. two or three, 1/4in. to 1/2in. broad. Stems 3in. to 6in. long, with often two or three, rarely four or five, flowers. Bulb ovoid, the outer tunics woolly outside. Caucasus, 1806. This is a connecting link between the sub-genus Orithyia and the true Tulips. (B. M. 6518; B. R. 535; R. G. 239.) T. Bonarotiana (Buonarotti's). A form of T. strangulata. T. Borszczowi (Borszczow's). fl., perianth bright red, 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. long, all the segments obovate-oblong, obtuse, with a cusp at the tip, and furnished with a large, brown-black, basal blotch, margined with yellow, as in T. Oculus-solis; peduncle glabrous. Spring. l. four, with a distinct, cartilaginous, very crisped border, the lower one lanceolate. Dwarfer than T. Gesneriana. Central Asia. (R. G. 1175.) The form figured in B. M. 6635 has the flowers yellow without any basal blotch.

T. brachystemon (short-stamened). This is very near T. Kesselringii, from which it is said to differ by the flower being smaller with more acute segments, and the leaves being narrower and only two in number. Turkestan. (R. G. 1099, fig. 2.) T. Breyniana (Breyne's). A synonym of T. australis.

T. Celsiana (Cels'). A synonym of T. australis.

T. camptopetala (flexible-petaled). A form of T. Didieri. T. Clusiana (Clusius').* Lady Tulip. fl., perianth delicate white, flushed with red on the outside, with a conspicuous, purplish, black base, middling-sized; anthers and filaments black. July. l. four or five, long-linear, acuminate, channelled. Stem slender, 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. long. Bulb small, densely pilose. Mediterranean region, 1636. (B. M. 1390; S. F. G. 329.) T. cornuta (horned). A synonym of T. acuminata.

T. cruciata (cruciate). fl., perianth bright cherry-red inside, campanulate, 1 1/4in. to 1 1/2in. long, the outer segments acute, the inner obtuse, both having a large, black blotch with a yellow border filling up the whole claw; stamens black, 1/2in. long; peduncle obscurely glandular-pubescent. Spring. l. four or sometimes five, crowded, spreading, linear; lowest 6in. to 9in. long, 1/2in. broad. Bulb middle-sized, with a long neck. Asia Minor, 1874. T. Didieri (Didier's). fl., perianth bright red, campanulate, 2in. to 2 1/2in. long, with a black blotch 1/2in. to 3/4in. long, and having a yellow or whitish border covering the whole of the claw; the three outer segments oblong, acute, the three inner ones more obovate and obtuse; stamens blackish-purple, the anthers equalling in length the glabrous filaments. May. Bulb-coats scarcely hairy inside. Stature, leaves, and peduncle, as in T. Gesneriana. Alps. (B. M. 6639.) SYN. T. Fransoniana. T. edulis (edible). fl., perianth pale yellow, sometimes flushed with red, strongly tinged with green on the outside, funnel-shaped, 3/4in. to 1in. long, all the segments acute. May and June. l., two lower ones linear, flaccid, 6in. to 12in. long; tow below each flower small, linear, erecto-patent. Stem slender, 3in. to 9in. long, one to three-headed. Bulb ovoid, the outer tunics densely woolly inside. Japan.

T. Eichleri (Eichler's).* fl., perianth bright crimson, having a distinct, black blotch spread over the whole claw, with a yellow border; segments obovate, obtuse. April and May. Georgia, 1874. This fine plant closely resembles T. Gesneriana, but differs in having a pubescent peduncle. (B. M. 6191; R. G. 799.) T. elegans (elegant).* fl., perianth bright red, campanulate, with a yellow eye, the six nearly uniform, oblong segments gradually narrowed to a very acute point; stigma moderately large; peduncle finely downy. End of April. Probably a hybrid between T. acuminata and T. suaveolens. T. Elwesii (Elwes'). fl., perianth bright scarlet, erect, campanulate, 1 1/2in. long, all the segments having a small, black blotch with a yellow margin filling up the whole claw, the three outer ones oblong, acute, the three inner ones obovate; stamens dark purple; peduncle erect, glabrous. Early in April. l. three, rather glaucous, glabrous; lowest lanceolate, 5in. to 6in. long, 1/2in. to 3/4in. broad, concave down the face above; two upper much smaller, linear. Stem slender, 6in. to 8in. long. Bulb ovoid, 1/2in. in diameter; tunics dark brown, glabrous inside. Teheran. (R. G. 1147.) T. fragrans (fragrant). A synonym of T. sylvestris.

T. Fransoniana (Franson's). A synonym of T. Didieri. T. fulgens (brilliant). A form of T. Gesneriana.

T. Gesneriana (Gesner's).* fl., perianth large, campanulate, the segments variable in colour, when bright red having only an obscure basal blotch, broadly rounded at the apex; stigmas crisped, 1/2in. in diameter; peduncle glabrous, erect. May and June. l. (in a wild state) three or four (often more numerous when growing vigorously under cultivation), broad. Bulb large, the outer coats having a few adpressed hairs on the inside. h. 2ft. Levant, &c., 1577. "This is evidently the original stock of most of the late-flowering garden forms" (Baker). See Fig. 118. (B. R. xxiv. 46; f. & P. 537, under name of T. G. Strangwaysii.) SYN. T. Schrenki (B. M. 6439). T. fulgens is a form having bright scarlet flowers with a yellow eye and yellow stamens. The variable race of Parrot Tulips are referred to T. G. Dracontia. See Fig. 119. (F. d. S. 2211, under name of T. turcica.) T. G. spathulata (spathulate).* This differs from the type in its larger flowers, of a brilliant-red colour, with a large, purplish-black botch at the base of each of the segments. Italy. Probably the largest of all the wild