Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

HIPPEASTRUM

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V13, Page 516 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

HIPPEASTRUM , in See also:

botany, a genus of the natural See also:order Amaryllidaceae, containing about so See also:species of bulbous See also:plants, natives of tropical and sub-tropical See also:South See also:America. In cultivation they are generally known as See also:Amaryllis. The handsome See also:funnel-shaped See also:flowers are See also:borne in a cluster of two to many, at the end of a See also:short hollow scape. The species and the numerous hybrids which have been obtained artificially, show a See also:great variety in See also:size and See also:colour of the See also:flower, including the richest deep See also:crimson and See also:blood-red, See also:white, or with striped, mottled or blended See also:colours. They are of easy culture, and See also:free-blooming See also:habit. Like other bulbs they are increased by offsets, which should be carefully removed when the plants are at See also:rest, and should be allowed to attain a See also:fair size before removal. These See also:young bulbs should be potted singly in See also:February or See also:March, in mellow loamy See also:soil with a moderate quantity of See also:sand, about two-thirds of the bulb being kept above the level of the soil, which should be made quite solid. They should be removed to a temperature of 6o° by See also:night and 7o° by See also:day, very carefully watered until the roots have begun to grow freely, after which the soil should be kept moderately moist. As they advance the temperature should be raised to 7o° at night, and to 8o° or higher with See also:sun See also:heat by day. They do not need shading, but should have plenty of See also:air, and be syringed daily in the afternoon. When growing they require a See also:good See also:supply of See also:water. After the decay of the flowers they should be returned to a brisk moist temperature of from 7o° to 8o° by day during summer to perfect their leaves, and then be ripened off in autumn.

Through the See also:

winter they should have less water, but must not be kept entirely dry. The minimum temperature should now be about S50, to be increased 1o° or 15° in See also:spring. As the bulbs get large they will occasionally need shifting into larger pots. See also:Propagation is also readily effected by seeds for raising new varieties. Seeds are sown when ripe in well drained pans of sandy See also:loam at a temperature of about 65°. The seedlings when large enough to handle are placed either singly in very small pots or several in a pot or shallow See also:pan, and put in a bottom heat, in a moist See also:atmosphere with a temperature from 6o° to 70°. H. Ackermanni, with large, handsome, crimson flowers—itself a hybrid—is the See also:parent of many of the large-flowered forms; H. equestre (See also:Barbados See also:lily), with yellowish-See also:green flowers tipped with See also:scarlet, has also given rise to several handsome forms; H. aulicum (flowers crimson and green), H. pardinum (flowers creamy-white spotted with crimson), and H. vittatum (flowers white with red stripes, a beautiful species and the parent of many varieties), are See also:stove or - warm greenhouse plants. These kinds, however, are now only regarded as botanical curiosities, and are rarely grown in private or commercial establishments. They have been ousted by the more gorgeous looking hybrids, which have been evolved during the past loci years. H. Johnsoni is named after a See also:Lancashire watchmaker who raised it in 1799 by See also:crossing H.

Reginae with H. vittatum. Since that See also:

time other species have been used for hybridizing, notably H. reticulatum, H. aulicum, H. solandriflorum, and sometimes H. equestre and H. psittacinum. The finest forms since 188o have been evolved from H. Leopoldi and H. pardinum. (J.

End of Article: HIPPEASTRUM

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
HIPPASUS OF METAPONTUM 		[next]
HIPPED ROOF

Site © 2006 - Net Industries