140 FLORA DOMESTICA. 



FEITILLARY. 



FRITILLARIA. 



LlhlACEJE. HKXANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 



The Imperial Fritillary, or Crown Imperial, is supposed 

 to be a native of Persia: there are many varieties, all 

 handsome, and varying in colour. This species is less 

 esteemed than its beauty merits, on account of its strong 

 and disagreeable scent. The earth should be kept mo- 

 derately moist. About the end of July the bulbs should 

 be taken up, cleaned, &c. &c. and kept out of the earth 

 about two months; but care must be taken in putting 

 them by, to lay them all singly, not in heaps. The offsets 

 should be the first planted, because they are the most apt 

 to shrink. 



This lily requires deep pots, and the bulb should be 

 laid four inches deep at the least. It will require support, 

 and will flower in April. 



The Persian Fritillary, or Persian Lily — called by the 

 Italians, giglio cli Persia ; giglio di Susa ; and jjcmiacchi 

 Persiani — bears a spike of deep purple flowers, growing at 

 the top of the stem in the form of a pyramid : they open 

 in May, but seldom produce seeds in England. 



The Black Fritillary is a native of France and Russia ; 

 it has yellow flowers, which blow in April or May. 



The Common Fritillary, or Chequered Lily, is a native 

 of England, and most of the southern parts of Europe. 

 The flowers are chequered with purple and white, or 

 purple and yellow. " It is for this reason," says Mr. 

 Martyn, " that it has been named Fritillaria, ^I'oxn fritllhis, 

 [a di'aught or chess-board]. Nevertheless, fritillus is not 

 the board, but the dice-box." 



