VI PREFACE. 



called, in Curtis, ' the St. Bruno's Lily.' I am obliged to say " what I suppose to be 

 a variety," because my pet Lily is branched,* while this is drawn as unbranched, and 

 especially stated to be so. And the page of text in wliicli this statement is made 

 is so characteristic of botanical books and botanical science, not to say all science 

 as hitlierto taught for the blessing of mankind, and of the difficulties thereby 

 accomj)anying its communication, tliat I extract the i)age entire, printing it as 

 nearly as possible in facsimile. 



[318] 



Antiiericum Liliasteum. Savoy ANTHERicuir, 

 or St. Bruno's Lily. 



Class and Order. 

 Hexandria Monogynia. 

 Generic Character. 

 Cor. 6-petala, patens. Cups, ovata. 



Specific Character and Synonyms. 

 ANTHERICUM LiUastrum foliis planis, scapo sim])licissimo, 

 corollis campanulatis, staminibus declinatis. 

 Linn. Syst. Vegetah. ed. 14. Mnrr. p. 330. 

 Jit. Keiv. V. 1. p. 449. 



HEMEROCALLIS floribus jjatulis fecundis. Hall. Hist. n. 

 1230. 



PHALANGIUM magno flore. Banh. Pin. 29. 



PHALANGIUM AUobrogicum majus. Clus. ctir. app. alt. 



PHALANGIUM AUobrogicum. The Savoye Spider-wort. Park. 

 Parad. p. 150. tab. 151./. 1. 



Botanists are divided in their opinions respecting the genus of 

 this plant ; Linnaeus considers it as an Anthericum, Haller and Miller 

 make it an Hemerocallis. 



It is a native of Switzerland, where, Haller informs us, it grows 

 abundantlj- in the Alpine meadows, and even on the summits of the 

 mountains ; with us it flowers in May and June. 



It is a plant of great elegance, producing on an unbranched stem, 

 about a foot and a half high, numerous llowers of a delicate white 

 colour, much smaller than, but resembling in form, those of the common 

 white lily, possessing a considerable degree of fragrance. Their beauty 

 is heightened by the rich orange colour of their anthera; ; unfortunately 

 they are but of short duration. 



Jliller describes two varieties of it differing merely in size. 



A loamy soil, a situation moderately moist, with an eastern or 

 western exposure, suits this plant best ; so situated, it will increase by 

 its roots, though not very fast, and by jjarting these in the autumn 

 it is usually propagated. 



Parkinson describes and figures it in his Parad. Tcrrcst., observing 

 that " divers allured by the beauty of its flowers, l)ad brought it into 

 these parts." 



* At least, it throws off its flowers on each side in a bewilderiiigly pretty way ; a real 

 Lily can't branch, I believe; but, if not, what is the use of tlie botanical books saying "oa 

 an unbranched stem ? " 



