AGAPANTHUS (from agape, love, and anthos, a flower). ORD. Liliaceoe. African Lily. A genus, with numerous varieties, of very handsome greenhouse or conservatory herbaceous plants. Flowers large, scapose; perianth tubular, tube short; stamens six, having the filaments somewhat declinate. Leaves linear or lorate, arching, radical. They are of easy culture, and thrive best in strong turfy loam, leaf mould, decomposed manure, and river sand. They may be grown in large pots or tubs outside, to be removed in autumn, and placed under the stage in the greenhouse, or where they will be protected from frost, and kept moderately dry. If planted and left outside, the crowns should be well covered with cocoa-nut fibre in winter. During the summer, and especially in dry weather, the plants can hardly be over watered. They thrive admirably on the margins of lakes or running streams, and few plants, alike in flower and foliage, are more effective. Clear manure water may be given previous to or when the plants are in flower, and, after flowering, gradually lessen the quantity of water, until they are stowed away for the winter. They increase very rapidly, by offsets, and, if necessary, the old plants may be divided in early spring, to any extent required. In the more southern parts of this country they are quite hardy. AGAPANTHUS umbellatus (umbelled).* fl. bright blue; perianth funnel-shaped, regular, deeply six-parted; tube short; scape tall, naked, bearing a many-flowered umbel. Summer and autumn. l. numerous, radical, linear, somewhat fleshy. h. 2ft. to 3ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1692. AGAPANTHUS u. albidus (whitish).* fl. pure white, on large full-sized umbels, smaller than those of the species, but very showy. Cape of Good Hope. This requires carefully drying off during the winter. AGAPANTHUS u. aureus (golden). A variety in which the leaves are marked longitudinally with yellow. 1882. AGAPANTHUS u. flore-pleno (double-flowered).* Identical in all respects with the species, except that it has double flowers, which are therefore, much more lasting than the single ones. A very handsome variety. AGAPANTHUS u. Leichtlinii (Leichtlin's).* fl., perianth deep bright hyacinthine blue, 1 1/4in. long; scape about 1 1/2ft. long, with a more compact umbel than any other known form. June. l. similar in size to the species. Cape of Good Hope, 1878. AGAPANTHUS u. maximus (larger).* fl. bright blue, in immense umbels. This is larger in all its parts than the type, and when well grown is truly a noble plant. There is also a white-flowered form of this variety, which is most desirable, being equally as large. AGAPANTHUS u. minor (smaller).* This is smaller in all its parts, with narrow leaves, and slender scapes of deep blue flowers. A very elegant variety. AGAPANTHUS u. Mooreanus (Moore's).* fl. dark blue. h. 1 1/2ft. 1879. A new variety, with shorter, narrower, and more upright leaves than the species; it has a dwarf habit. Perfectly hardy. AGAPANTHUS u. variegatus (variegated).* Where variegated-leaved plants are desired, few could be more useful than this; its leaves are almost entirely white, with a few green bands, but they are neither so broad nor so long as in the type. It is an excellent subject for the domestic garden.