THE ALSTRŒMERIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2850, 28 October 1908, Page 10

THE ALSTRŒMERIA.

For supplying cut flowers during the summer months (says a contemporary) there are few plants to equal the Alstrcemerias, or "herb lilies," for beauty or lasting qualities. Many of the best varieties rival some of the orchids, which they closely resemble, both in the singular form of the individual flowets as well as in their de-licately-marbled or spotted petals. The delicate markings and 1 delightful shades of colour afforded in the flowers of this unique race of South American plante give them a charm, of their own. The flowers are of great substance, and the stems axe very open and soft; thie accounts for their great lasting properties when. cut. In order to appreciate their full beauty a whole bed should bo devoted to them, or they may b© effectively grouped in the herbaceous border or in the front row of the shrubbery. Beautiful as these plants are while growing, their flowers seem more effective when cut, and for bouquets and vases they are of great value. The plants are chiefly natives of elevated situations; therefore they need fret air, and very , little protection, except the prevention of injury from frost to the young growths .in early spring-time. TJhe tubers should be planted six inches 'deep, in a loamy or light coil, mixed well with some turfy peat. While they are growing- freely they should have plenty of moisture, but when they are resting the supply of water should be small. There are kinds better adapted for pot-culture and house-work than others. Of late years European growers have turned their attention to hybridising these plants, and many beautiful varieties have resulted. A most beautiful species ia aurantiaca. It attains a height of 4ft ; flowers vary in colour from a clear yellow to a warm orange-red, streaked and spotted with darkred. The slender stems of this plant are clothed with glaucous foliage. A pelegrina has large, handsome flowers, outer segments pale purple, the inner white suffused with yellow and spotted with purple. A. alba (Lily of the Ineas) is a clear, chaste white, beautiful, valuable for cutting. A aurea is a particularly hardy kind; it forms great tufts, and yields in profusion its beautiful golden flowers. A. Chilensis has yellow, crimson, and purple flowers. The Parrot-flower is A. poittacina ; its hocded flower,-? are a rich criimon at Ya.se, green tips, and spotted purple. A. haitnantha ;t. scarlet, purple, and orange. A. tricolor has beautiful white, cream, and yellow flowers. There are many other species and varieties of Alstrcemerias ; but w© have only noted a few of the best.