}6 FLORA HISTORICA. 



The orange LILY. Lilium Bulbifcrum. 



This flower, although less elegant in shape, 

 and entirely destitute of fragrance, is a great 

 ornament to the garden, both on account of its 

 stately height, and rich orange-coloured petals. 

 We have many varieties of this species of Lily, 

 some of which are of so great antiquity in our 

 gardens that Gerard considered them as natives 

 of British soil. It is found wild in Austria, Italy, 

 and other southern parts of Europe, as also in 

 Siberia and Japan. 



The Orange Lily has been known to produce 

 double flowers, but this variety is not permanent. 

 Some years back a bulb of this Lily produced 

 double flowers, in a garden near Ghent, but the 

 succeeding year it returned to its natural shape, 

 and then again blossomed with double corollas, 

 after which it was entirely lost. 



The mythological writers of antiquity have not 

 informed us by what metamorphoses we gained 

 this Golden-petaled Lily, nor do we find it in the 

 floral vocabulary of the East ; we must therefore 

 satisfy ourselves by relating tales of modern 

 times that are connected with this gay flower, 

 and from which both the ruler and the rabble 



