【英语时差8,16】石蒜

 Amaryllis During the holiday season many of us may be giving or receiving an amaryllis bulb as a gift. These plants we grow indoors in pots, are just one member of the amaryllis family and are South American natives. Many of the South American Indian tribes used amaryllis sap to make poisonous arrows. The name is from a Greek word meaning “to shine” and the genus is “Hippeastrum” because the buds resemble the ears of a horse.

    After the bulbs are planted, most will flower within 8 to 12 weeks. The blooms are spectacular. Some experts suggest cutting off the stamens to make the flowers last longer. After the blooms fade, cut off the flower stalks and encourage leaf growth by giving the plants as much light as possible and fertilize¹ monthly. Set the plant outdoors next summer in a spot that gets afternoon shade.

    The bulb requires a dormant² period to bloom again, so in early fall let the plant dry out and place it in a dark spot that is about 50 degrees. Ten to twelve weeks later you can place the pot near a window in the house and start watering, after you have removed the dead foliage³.

    As the bulbs push up the flower stalks, turn the pot occasionally to keep the stalks growing straight. You may need a stake when the buds develop, so that the blossoms are supported. An amaryllis bulb is a gift that keeps on giving.

1 fertilize   

v.使受精，施肥于，使肥沃

参考例句：

• Fertilizer is a substance put on land to fertilize it.肥料是施在地里使之肥沃的物质。
• Reading will fertilize his vocabulary.阅读会丰富他的词汇。

2 dormant   

adj.暂停活动的；休眠的；潜伏的

参考例句：

• Many animals are in a dormant state during winter.在冬天许多动物都处于睡眠状态。
• This dormant volcano suddenly fired up.这座休眠火山突然爆发了。

3 foliage   

n.叶子，树叶，簇叶

参考例句：

• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage.小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
• Dark foliage clothes the hills.浓密的树叶覆盖着群山。