WHITE LILY, 



O R, 



LILIUM ALBUM. 



The White Lily with variegated leaves is native of Persia, where it majestically presents its 

 finely-polished bosom to the all-enlivening sun, the object of worship in eastern nations. How 

 contrasted is this flower with our humble Lily of the Valley, which even hides its delicate pen- 

 dulous head from the feeble rays of the spring! The White Lily has, however, like all other lilies, 

 a corolla (or nuptial bed), consisting of six petals, three inward and three outward. The interior 

 petals are artfully double-grooved on the back, to receive the edges of the three exterior petals, 

 for the greater security, before expansion, of the organs for reproducing the species, which are 

 the six stamina (or males), each composed of a ^/rme/z/, elevating an anther, hicapsular, or consist- 

 ing of two cells, or bags, containing the jgWow farina, for rendering prolific the seeds contained 

 within the pistilliim (or female), the next part to be described, which has a three-cornered 

 stigma, sitting upon a very conspicuous style, whose base is a triangular germen, containing the 

 embryo-seeds.,.. The White Lily comes under the Class Hexandria, and Order Monogynia, 

 of Linnaeus, and in the reformed System, Class Six Males, Order One Female. It has 

 been selected by us as illustrating, in the clearest manner, the parts of fructification, more 

 especially when we add to it, a knowledge of the blue Passion-flower, and the Night-blowing 

 Cereus. Our blessed Saviour thus alludes to it, when addressing his faint-hearted 

 disciples. 



Behold the rising lily's 4nowy grace; 



Observe the various vegetable race; 



They neither toil nor spin, but careless grow, 



Yet see how warm they blush! how bright they glow! 



What royal vestments can with them compare! 



What king so splendid, or what queen so fair!... 



If, ceaseless, thus the birds of heav'n he feeds, 

 If o'er the fields Mich lucid rohcA he spreads. 

 Will he not care for you, ye faithless, say? 

 Is he unmindfiil? or ye less than they? 



Thomson. 







