Again and yet again the question of the difference of the above-named Amaryllis, comes under discussion. I have a genial adviser, who recently wrote me this sentence: "Yes, write, but write what you know, not what others have written already," and as that is totally beyond my powers, I wish to parenthesis this by explaining that this article is only a compilation, with hope that by it, the vexed question may be laid on the shelf. In June Gardeners' Monthly, 1885, Mr. Meehan kindly copies from Chapman's " Flora of Southern States," the description of Amaryllis Atamasco and Treatae in answer to my query "if there was any difference at all, only creditable to difference to locality".

Amaryllis Atamasco (Linnaeus)

Scape terete somewhat lateral; one flowered; leaves linear, concave, fleshy; spathe, one-leaved, two-cleft; perianth short, bell-shaped, white, tinged with purple; style longer than the stamens; seeds angled. March and April. Scape 6 to 12 inches high, commonly shorter than the glossy leaves; flowers 2 to 3 inches long.

Amaryllis Treatae (Sereno Watson)

Named in honor of Mrs. Treat of New Jersey. Bulb small; leaves very narrow, only a line and a half wide, semi-terete rounded margins, not shining; scape 4 to 12 inches high; flowers 3 inches long; peduncle 3 to 9 inches. April, May." [Note from M. I. T. : "Observe here a great difference in time of flowering - Zephyranthes Atamasco in South Carolina, March and April; Zephyranthes Treatae in Florida, April, May."] [Note from Ed. G. M. : "The two are most readily distinguished in the rush-like leaves of Zephyranthes Treatae, which is found only as yet in Florida. In beauty, we think the Zephyranthes Atamasco the prettier".

Extract from Ladies' Floral Cabinet edited by C. L. Allen, January, 1886:

Zephyranthes Treatae

A correspondent says, and we are inclined to agree with the opinion as to the fact, if not to the cause : " I am beginning to think that Mrs. Treat's Amaryllis was only an especially fine form of Atamasco, rendered so by the warm rich mucky soil in which they were found, and that the kind that wants looking after is the 'rush-leaved' kind that has been sent out as A. Treatae".

Zephyranthes Candida

Native of South America, completes the list. Although last on list, is first in real usefulness. Leaves semi-cylindrical and rush-like, small, pure white, crocus-shaped, upright flowers, freely produced, very pleasing at time when delicate white flowers are scarce. August, quite hardy, native of Lima".

I take issue upon two points with Mr. C. L. Allen : 1st, as to its being more useful or attractive than Zephyranthes Atamasco. First, because of the differ-ence in shape of flowers. Where in Zephyranthes Candida it is partly closed, same shape of crocus, and star when fully expanded, in Zephyranthes Atamasco it is a pure true lily shape, and deserves well the name "Fairy Lily of the South." Second, comparing it to our native variety. It may be of Lima also, but I have about 500 bulbs dug for me from native haunts in Mexia, Texas. The lady who collected them, wrote me that she found also a yellow zephyranthes. I think though, that is identical with bulbs received from P. H. Obber-wetter, Austin, Texas, as "Habranthus Ander-sonii." He is far better authority than I, and I feel sure will corroborate this statement. My border of Zephyranthes Atamasco, 18 inches wide by 200 feet long, with bulbs almost touching each other, was in flower last spring from the 1st of March until late summer, not so abundantly as in March, April and May, but sufficient to give me flowers sparingly the whole season. They then rested until September. When the full roses began they also renewed their bloom and continued until hard frosts came. Zephyranthes Candida I will note side by side this season.

With me last year they flowered profusely in my pit up to November, sent me in August by my friend, already starting into growth, which, potted, commenced to flower in exactly one fortnight's time. I notice that both are now (some potted in pit) putting up leaves, and still my Zephyranthes Atamasco is ahead in that. Those are the bulbs that were trying to double themselves, of which I wrote, and whose seed, by advice of Mr. Sereno Watson, I have planted to note result. Seed pods in these were four-celled instead of three, as is usual. Spartanburg, S. C.

Zephyranthes

Making the collecting of Amaryllidaceae a specialty, I obtained also a few yellow flowering species of Zephyranthes. Of this genus I have the following species:

Zephyranthes Atamasco And Zephyranthes Treatice

Both natives of the south-eastern portion of our country. There is, however, no great difference between these two species.

Zephyranthes Candida

From Buenos Ayres. Very beautiful white, similar to a white Crocus. Leaves are thick, somewhat rounded, dark green. Blooms the whole summer.

Zephyranthes Tubispatha

From Mexico. White, large flowers.

Zephyranthes Rosea

Native of the West Indies. Flowers rosy red; all the summer.

Zephyranthes Carinata

South America. Beautiful white and red. Larger flowers than the other species.

Zephyranthes Ochroleuca

Beautiful orange colored species.

Zephyranthes Sulphurea

Sulphur yellow flowers. Very beautiful. There are others which I could not yet obtain, such as Zephyranthes verecunda and Zephyranthes mesochloa.

Zephyranthes Citrina

Zephyranthes Citrina - is another yellow species. I find the following description in " Botanical Magazine, 6605 :" "Bulb globose. Leaves, three or four; developed in autumn simultaneously with the flower; narrow linear, bright green, about a foot long. Scape ancipitous, 4 or 5 inches long, green, tinged with red-brown towards the base. Spathe short, tubular. Pedicel under an inch long. Ovary oblong, trigonous, green; perianth with a funnel-shaped tube above the ovary, a third or half an inch long, and a bright yellow limb an inch and a half long of six oblong subacute conniventsegments under half an inch broad. Stamens, same color as the perianth limb; filaments under an inch long, erect and equal; anthers linear, half an inch long, their tips falling considerably short of the tips of the perianth-segments. Style about an inch long, with a stigma of three rounded lobes".

There seems to be much confusion among the species of this genus. It would be a very good work for Mr. Baker, of the Kew Gardens, London, or any other botanist making the study of bulbous plants a specialty, to give us a monograph of the family Amaryllidaceae. Freistatt, Mo.

Amaryllis Or Zephyranthes Candida

When making the note on this subject for our last, we were under the impression that this name was given to the white form of the red Atamasco Lily, but Mr. Sereno Watson calls our attention to the fact that there is a very different species in South America under this name, and this may be the one under culture in English gardens. There still seems a need for some distinctive name for this form. White Atamasco Lily will not do, as the species named for Mrs. Treat is white also.

Notes On Amaryllis

There seems to be some confusion and uncertainty among correspondents of the Gardeners' Monthly in regard to the several species of Zephyranthes, or, more properly, Amaryllis, as I believe that genus is now made to include species formerly known as Zephyranthes.

I have never seen or cultivated A. Treatae, so can say nothing as to its distinctive characters, but have had the A. Atamasco growing under cultivation, and have also found it in its native haunts in Florida and Georgia, and have gathered specimens of a decided pink shade, though commonly white, or slightly pink shaded; the pink "Atamasco" mentioned by your correspondent, Mrs. Briggs, in the January number, is probably that form, but there is a true species, A. rosea, a native of Cuba, much larger and finer than the Atamasco lily; it has deep pink flowers 3 or 4 inches across, and more spreading in form than the A. Atamasco. It sends up a succession of flowers in early summer.

The true A. Candida is a very different species from either of the above, with terete fleshy leaves, and smaller clear white flowers, about the size of a crocus and commencing to bloom in August. It sends up through September a succession of its delicate flowers on slender scapes; it is a native of Peru. Both species are easy and desirable bulbs to cultivate, and increase rapidly, especially A. Candida. They are evergreen, but will winter well in a cool dry cellar.

Is not the "yellow Zephyranthes" mentioned by "G. R." in the February number, the Amaryllis, or, more properly, Sternbergia lutea, a bright yellow autumn blooming bulb - mentioned in catalogues as A. lutea - and as hardy? But it has not proved so with me, but in this latitude must be taken up and kept over winter.

Hanover, Mass.